I made pumpkin pie spice out of necessity first (I needed it) and then with strong intention. Just browsing two grocery stores I noticed big price differences, but not what you think. The discount super store was charging almost twice as much for the lesser quality spice blend and didn’t include all the ingredients the lower priced, higher quality blend did.

Many of the pumpkin spices sold in grocery stores taste like wood.

Pre-packaged spice blends aren’t always what you think they are. This made me more determined to just whip up my own.

Make Pumpkin Pie Spice and Never Look Back

In a good quality pumpkin pie spice you will find cinnamon, ginger, cloves, all spice, nutmeg and mace, all ground and balanced accordingly. I played around a little and you can too if you want to adjust to your own taste buds, but I think my ratio of the spices is a great mix.

Cinnamon is the predominant spice, so be sure to use a high quality cinnamon that has an intense aroma.

Ginger is the next biggest ingredient is ginger which gives a fragrant bite to the blend.

Ground Cloves have high health benefits, but a little goes a long way, so use sparingly.

Allspice is a spice, not a blend, and looks like a peppercorn. It’s used in Carribbean cooking, grown primarily in Jamaica, but is indispensable in middle eastern cooking.

Tumeric (on Amazon). I list this as an option, but it does add another layer of flavor. Tumeric has a bitter taste with hints of orange and ginger, and a powerful antioxidant that adds a yellow color to many foods (including some jarred mustards).

Nutmeg, ground fresh, is a staple in my kitchen, and I want to encourage you to use this kind of nutmeg grinder (amazon) and fresh whole nutmeg (amazon). This is one of the spices I’m never out of, as it’s often used in pasta dishes.

Now that you know how to make pumpkin pie spice, you might want to try some of these amazing pumpkin recipes. I’ve listed mostly keto recipes, which I’ve mastered and at the end some more traditional pumpkin recipes dear to all our hearts.

My Favorite Keto Friendly Gluten Free Pumpkin Recipes

• Pumpkin Spiced Latte
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
• Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
• Pumpkin Maple Pecan Glazed Muffins
• Pumpkin Bundt Cake
• Pumpkin Cookies
• Pumpkin Cheesecake

Savory Pumpkin Recipes

• Savory Roasted Pumpkin with Ricotta – must try and great with roast chicken.
• Spicy Pumpkin Soup – Make with heavy cream or coconut milk.
• Carrot Pumpkin Curry Soup – delicious, savory, sweet, spicy, and yet, healthy and light. 

Traditional Recipes

• Pumpkin Cream Tart
• Pumpkin Cake with Maple Frosting
• Sandy’s Pumpkin Bread (with a touching story)
• Pumpkin Pop Tarts from Spinach Tiger
• Gluten Free Pumpkin Hand Pies
• Pumpkin Souffle from Spinach Tiger

What is YOUR favorite pumpkin recipe?

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Pumpkin Pie Spice

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend with a surprise ingredient

Course spice blend

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon tumeric
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Instructions

• Mix together. Adjust seasoning for your taste. You may enjoy more or less clove, etc.

The post Make Pumpkin Pie Spice and My Favorite Pumpkin Recipes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Donuts are all the rage everywhere I  turn, but are not exactly what I want to eat on a keto diet. This is not a donut recipe, but one of the most popular Lala cakes in my bakery, because it does indeed remind one of a sour cream donut. 

Ingredients for keto glazed donut muffin

This recipe is for a keto glazed donut muffin is made with almond flour, coconut flour, swerve (powdered erythritol), sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract. I  use avocado oil as my fat of choice and just a little bit of almond milk. (You can sub with heavy cream if you want to).

I  also like to add an optional dash of nutmeg for extra special flavor.

When I  bring this muffin to a party, everyone loves it, and they are not on the keto diet.

This muffin is gluten free, paleo, keto, and diabetic friendly. 

Vanilla Glaze for Keto Glazed Donut Muffin Recipe

The glaze is made with Swerve Confectioner’s sweetener, butter, and a little more vanilla extract.

The vanilla recipe for the cake part is so good that I  have two customers in my bakery that order them plain every week. I  have another set of customers that always includes this vanilla glaze muffin in their order, taking precedent over the vanilla buttercream cake. There’s just something about it that makes a special food memory. 

Make Keto Donut Muffins Dairy Free

I use sour cream and almond milk, but a reader told me that using coconut cream instead works wonderfully in my muffins.  I would use 3/4 cup to 1 cup. As far as topping these muffins, instead of butter you could sprinkle with Swerve Confection’s Sweetener.

Swerve: My Favorite Keto Sweetener

I use Swerve, a powdered erythritol, which comes in both the granulated form used in the muffin and the confectioner’s form used for the glaze.

Read HERE What is  Swerve and why I use it for keto baking.

Why are My Cupcake Liners Different?

I use these liners in my keto bakery. They are so great when frosting because you can space out the frosting with each bite. You can use regular liners or order these, but they do come in packs of 200. You will still need to spray the liners with a baking spray. These are perfect for a dessert served with fruit, easy to cut in half, easy to share.

I  like to finish these glazed donut muffins with a sprinkling of confectioner’s sweetener using this wand. 

Variations for this keto Glazed Donut Muffin Recipe

Turn this muffin into a cupcake. 

Instead of glaze, Top with Low Carb Vanilla Buttercream or Low Carb Chocolate Buttercream

Nutriton Macros:

Calories: 204   Fat: 20 g   Net Carbs: 1  (Carbs: 2, Fiber: 1)  Protein: 5

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Click here to get to my Amazon curated Keto Bakery Items.

Click here for my favorite kitchen tools (that I  really use).

More Keto Muffins from Spinach Tiger

• Keto Blueberry Muffins
• Keto Raspberry Muffin
• Keto Pumpkin Muffins
• Keto Strawberry Muffins
• Grain Free Peach Muffins
• Keto Coffee Cake Muffins
• Keto Cranberry Orange Muffins

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Keto Glazed Vanilla Muffin

Low carb, gluten free, sugar free, keto friendly vanilla donut muffin, vanilla glaze.

Course Keto Muffins

Cuisine American

Keyword keto muffins, low carb cake

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12 Servings

Calories 204kcal

Ingredients

Muffin Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups blanched almond flour 260 grams
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 cup avocado oil or olive oil
• 4 tablespoons sour cream 60 grams
• 1/2 cup almond milk unsweetened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 dash salt
• 1 cup Swerve Granulated

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 180 C.

Muffin Instructions

• Mix all dry ingredients including sweetener. Set aside.
• Mix eggs well, about five minutes.
• Stream in oil.
• Add sour cream and almond milk and then add to mixture.
• Add vanilla extract.
• Gently mix in the dry mixture.
• Spray muffin liners with a gluten free baking spray.
• Use ice cream scoop to scoop evenly into 12 muffin liners.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly golden.

Alternative Baking Instructions

• Instead of using muffin liners, you can bake in a quarter size sheet pan with parchment paper underneath. When cooled, cut rounds with biscuit cutter.

Nutrition

Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Fiber: 1g

The post Keto Vanilla Glazed Donut Muffin Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Before the winter sets in, I’m going to enjoy every bit of food associated with Autumn like this roasted butternut squash soup made a touch sweet with maple syrup and a whole lot savory with pecans and sage leaves fried in browned butter. (Can use oil for dairy free).

This would be the perfect accompaniment to my Autumn Salad, but it was inspired most from my Autumn Cocktail.

The sage leaves crumble up in your mouth and taste amazing along with the crunch of the pecans. There is a bit of apple in there for sweetness, and a touch of heat, a dash of cinnamon, a pinch of ground cloves, and a dollop of yogurt to smooth it out.

Butternut squash soup is all over the internet made in all kind of ways. This is my version, an EASY version, because this roasted butternut squash soup recipe does not make you peel and cut the squash which is a task I prefer to skip when there is an easier way.

How to Roast Butternut Squash

You simply put the whole squash into the oven and watch it roast, shrink, shrivel and get so good, the skin almost peels off.

Add Caramelized Apple, Carrot, Onion

What could be easier? Along with the squash, throw in an apple and watch it caramelize along with a few organic carrots, and an onion.

This all gets spiced and pureèd for the most natural and delicious butternut squash soup you will eat without a ton of sugar and cream.

For the grand finale, I topped the soup off with browned butter fried sage leaves and toasted pecans. Those two ingredients are what make this soup quite special there should be a little crispy leaf and pecan in every bite!

How to Blend Butternut Squash Soup

You can take everything and put it into the super blender, the Vitamix, or use a stick blender or regular blender.

When it comes to soups, I personally love my Vitamix and, while it’s not the cheapest blender you can buy, it’s the most cost effective over a life time, and you can not get the same results with an ordinary blender. This is the blender you only have to buy once, and is worth every penny.

Butternut squash soup comes in many versions, but I love this one the best. You can always add in some yogurt, coconut milk or heavy cream if you want it super rich. Or do something crazy and add a banana which always makes it creamier.

Can I make this soup vegan?

Yes. Fry the sage in your favorite oil.

Add in Maple Flavor or Maple Syrup

You can add maple syrup, sugar free maple syrup or maple extract for that yummy maple hit.

You can change the apple to pear, but I do hope you try the fried sage leaves and toasted pecans. Sage and pecans together is an amazing combination which gives me all kinds of ideas for future recipes.

More Butternut Squash Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Festive Salad Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash Stacks with Crispy Quinoa Pancake

Autumn Risotto with Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash with Brussels Sprouts

More Creamy Soups From Spinach Tiger

Fruity Nutty Carrot Soup

Golden Cauliflower Soup

Spring Pea Tarragon Soup

Fresh Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Broccoli Basil Soup

Vitamix Soups Made in Minutes from Spinach Tiger

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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Browned Butter Sage Leaves, Toasted Pecans

Brown Buttered sage and toasted pecans top this creamy butternut squash soup.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword butternut squash, soup

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 whole butternut squash
• 1 medium sized apples cored, peeled
• 2 organic carrots
• 1/2 onion or 1 shallot
• 2 1/2 cups water may not use all of it
• 1 dash cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 pinch freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sriracha can use dash cayenne
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup can replace with extract
• 1 cup water
• 12 sage leaves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 9 pecans toasted
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Roast butternut squash, apple, carrots, onion, in baking dish until each is softened. Check at 20 minutes for onion, and ten minutes after that.
• Remove the apple, carrot and onion and set aside.
• Once the butternut squash skin blisters and is softened, remove and cool until you can slice in half.
• Scoop the seeds out and discard. Scoop out flesh into a bowl.
• Season squash with cinnamon, ground cloves, turmeric, salt, pepper.
• Place squash, carrots, apple, maple syrup, water into Vitamix and blend until thoroughly completely pureed. Add water in 1/2 cup at a time, and continue until you have the consistency you want.
• Move the soup into a pot to heat on low.

Make Sage Leaves, Browned Butter

• In small frying pan, brown two tablespoons of butter. Add both the sage leaves and pecans. Sage leaves should be browned not burned.
• Roast Pecans for 3 to 4 minutes in 400 degree oven
• Season again with salt and pepper as needed.
• Chop Pecans. Add to each bowl with a sage leaf.
• Finish with a pinch of nutmeg.

The post Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Browned Butter Sage Leaves, Pecans appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I’ve been baking grain free for a few years now and I’m here to tell you that almond flour is not that easy to push flavors through. This recipe does exactly what it needs to do.

It’s a keto spice bundt cake the whole family will enjoy and, honestly, you can’t tell this is a sugar-free, low-carb cake. It’s absolutely delicious, and will become a new holiday tradition.

Topped with a cream glaze made with heavy cream, Swerve Confectioner’s sweetener and a little water, it lends just enough sweetness with each bite.

There are options. You could make a water glaze, an orange glaze, or a cream cheese frosting.

Almond flour bundt cakes are not that easy to accomplish without taking a few precautions to make sure it will not stick.  

Tips for Keto Bundt Cakes

Butter the pan and freeze. Since I  have a keto bakery, I’ve learned a lot about how to make a successful bundt cake. Almond flour tends to stick. I  heavily butter the pan and keep it in the freezer. This helps to keep the bundt from sticking or getting too brown on the outside.

Fifteen Minutes – After cake comes out of the oven, wait 15 minutes. Use a butter knife to gently go around cake, making sure it’s not sticking and then turn it over onto a plate.

What Spices Make the Best Spice Cake?

I made a spice blend that delivers that just right spice taste and when it’s baking, the aroma is lovely. A word of caution about cinnamon. Not all cinnamon is created equally. I like the ceylon cinnamon that has a bite to it. I added in some ginger, cardamom, and a dash of cloves.

Texture is very important to get right in grain free baking. This is something I know how to do. If you take a good look at the crumb, you can see it’s not eggy, wet or dense, even though there are six eggs in the batter.

What flours make the best spice bundt cake?

I rely a lot on almond flour with a small amount of coconut flour. My trick for keeping the cake from crumbling is using a little bit of xanthan gum, which helps do what gluten would do in keeping the structure together.

How to sweeten a Keto Spice Cake

I like to use Swerve granulated and confectioner’s, but another good choice is the Good Earth Golden (I buy at Costco).

Cream Cheese Glaze for Keto Spice Cake

There are two ways to glaze the cake, a simple mix of confectioner’s sweetener with heavy cream and a dash of vanilla or a cream cheese glaze for that tangy flavor.

More Keto Cakes from Spinach Tiger

• Low Carb Orange Bundt Cake
• Keto Chocolate Ganache Bundt Cake
• Keto White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
• Keto Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake
• Keto Cinnamon Roll Bundt Cake
• Keto German Chocolate Cake
• Triple Layer Keto Lemon Cake 

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Keto Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

Low Carb, Keto Spice Bundt Cake

Course Low Carb Cake

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 226kcal

Author Angela Roberts

Equipment

• Bundt Pan

Ingredients

Paste for Greasing Bund Pan

• 2 tablespoons butter

Spice Cake Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 260 grams blanched almond flour
• 28 grams coconut flour 4 tablespoons
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 dash freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Wet Ingredients

• 1/2 cup avocado oil See notes
• 1 cup Swerve Granular Sweetener
• 6 extra large eggs room temperature
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 60 grams sour cream
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk

Cream Cheese Glaze

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons cream cheese 2 ounces
• 1 cup Swerve Confectioner's sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• dash sea salt
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream or water (as needed to thin)

Optional Water Glaze

• 2 cups Swerve Confectioner's Sweetener
• 4 tablespoons water

Instructions

Grain Free Spice Cake Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 180 C.
• Butter bundt pan. Freeze. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 C.
• Mix almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, xanthan gum sea salt. Set aside.
• Mix spices together. Add to dry ingredients.

Wet Ingredients

• Whip eggs for 4 minutes.
• Stream in avocado oil.
• Add Sweetener.
• Add sour cream and milk.
• Add vanilla extract
• Add dry mixture.
• Mix until just mixed on medium.
• Makes 12 large cupcakes or one bundt cake or a triple six-inch cake.
• Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 210 degrees.
• BUNDT: Allow cake to sit for 15 minutes before removing. Cool completely before drizzling the glaze. Use a cake spatula and go around the cake to make sure it's not sticking. Use a very flat plate to turn over. Put cake pan over cake to continue cooling. This keeps the moisture in.

Cream Cheese Glaze

• Whip butter for five minutes.
• Add softened cream cheese
• Add vanilla
• Add Confectioner's Swerve a little at a time.
• Add heavy cream as needed to get the consistency you want. You can also add hot water if you don't want to add in heavy cream, but do so a tablespoon at a time. You can also warm the glaze to make it easier to pour.

Water Glaze

• Mix confectioner's and add water a tablespoon at a time until you have the consistency to drizzle. You may need to use more or less water.

Notes

Net Carbs: 2 per slice, considering 12 servings.

RE: Avocado Oil. You CAN use 1/2 cup avocado oil and skip butter. You can also skip avocado oil and use 1/2 cup butter. I like to use half and half. 

If using a cake pan, use a spray and parchment paper.You may also wish to make top cupcakes or  layer cake with my cream cheese frosting 

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 12 | Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Fiber: 3g

The post Keto Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze (Grain Free, Gluten Free) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

As soon as I saw this recipe for sweet potato bread, I got excited.  It was in In case you’re not aware of Spinach Tiger’s love for sweet potato everything, just follow the link for my favorite sweet potato recipes below. First, though take a look at this sweet potato bread, and be sure to make it. There’s a gluten free option too which some thought was better than the regular.

Comparison of Sweet Potato Bread Recipe,  Gluten Free to All Purpose Flour

This may surprise you. I made two identical loaves of the sweet potato bread recipe and decided to do my own comparison using this gluten free flour.

A blind taste test, the gluten free flour won! This is the first time I’ve made a cake (sweet bread) with gluten free flour. I’ve made biscuits, scones, pie crust and I have to tell you, it’s exciting to know that gluten free flour works so well in cakes. I’ve tested several flours and still stick with Bob’s Red Mill One to One.

This Sweet Potato Bread Recipes is full of Fall flavor’s and very moist.

You will taste the sweet potatoes and all of the spices. Both versions are very moist and last for several days. The original recipe used a lime glaze, but I wanted a more traditional orange glaze made with buttermilk. I used Happy Eggs, which are true free range eggs. Using good eggs makes a difference, especially when using the gluten free flour.

More Sweet Potato Recipes

More Gluten Free Recipes

You must try the gluten free biscuits at Spinach Tiger. The comments will convince you.

Spinach Tiger’s Famous Cheese Cloth Wrapped Roast Turkey

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Sweet Potato Bread

Sweet Potato Bread with Orange Glaze, great for breakfast or dessert.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• oil for greasing bread pans
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder order here
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes or mashed candied sweet potatoes see notes
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup order here
• 3/4 cup avocado or coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 large eggs at room temperature

Orange Buttermilk Glaze

• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch sea salt

Instructions

Sweet Potato Bread

• Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 inch loaf pan. Combine dry ingredients.
• Combine sweet potatoes, brown sugar, vanilla. Add eggs one at a time.
• Add wet ingredients slowly to dry ingredients, stirring constantly until well combined.
• Add batter to baking pans.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes, until tooth pick comes out clean.
• Immediately pour glaze while bread is still warm.

Orange Glaze

• Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. If too runny, add more sugar. If too thick add a few drops of buttermilk.

Gluten Free Option Below

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Gluten Free Sweet Potato Bread

Gluten Free Sweet Potato Bread, moist and delicious. Great for breakfast or dessert.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• oil for greasing bread pans
• 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour I use Bob's Red Mill order here
• 1 tablespoon gluten baking powder order here
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon mashed sweet potatoes or mashed candied sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup order here
• 3/4 cup avocado or coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 large eggs at room temperature

Orange Buttermilk Glaze

• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch sea salt

Instructions

Sweet Potato Bread

• Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 inch loaf pan. Combine dry ingredients.
• Combine sweet potatoes, brown sugar, vanilla. Add eggs one at a time.
• Add wet ingredients slowly to dry ingredients, stirring constantly until well combined.
• Add batter to baking pans.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes, until tooth pick comes out clean.
• Immediately pour glaze while bread is still warm.

Orange Glaze

• Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. If too runny, add more sugar. If too thick add a few drops of buttermilk.

There are affiliate links on this page, which may earn a small commission. This aids in keeping this site running. Thank you.

The post Orange Glazed Sweet Potato Bread Recipe (Gluten Free Option) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

If you haven’t had Pennsylvania Dutch Onion Pie, you’re in for a real treat. A tender pie crust, holds a sweet onion custard for a bite that’s so comforting, it makes you close your eyes.

I grew up in Pennsylvania Dutch country in central Pennsylvania. Aside from all the Italian food I could possible eat, my next favorite food was the incredibly simply, hearty, comfort food which is so very Americana from the Pennsylvania Dutch.

The area is a fabulous and diverse mecca of classic comfort food.  Central Pennsylvania was heavily settled by the folks who were  and still are referred to as the Pennsylvania Dutch. The word  “dutch”  was a corruption of the word Deutsch or German.  They came either from Germany or the German speaking part of Switzerland and not from Holland. When they arrived in America they came with recipes for sausages, sauerkraut, noodles, and dumplings.

Pennsylvania introduced  them to regional foods that they welcomed into their kitchens and put their own spin to. As food cultures collided, a new generation of comfort food was born, and pie was often at the center.

One of the legendary recipes is onion pie. There are variations to this. Some make an onion quick bread and call it onion pie, and some make a pie crust and make an onion pie that is very similar to quiche.

It’s so similar due to the egg custard,  I decided to make my pie in a quiche pan. I used Vidalia onions which is no surprise, considering my run on Vidalia onion recipes lately.

The Sweetness of Pennsylvania Dutch Onion Pie with Bacon Comes from using sweet onions such as Vidalia Onions.

The sweetness of the caramelized onions are made slowly in butter which gives you enough time to make your pie crust and preheat your oven. I added in four slices of bacon to make this Pennyslvania dutch onion pie even better, but you could leave that out. The recipe calls for paprika, of which at first I was a little skeptical.

I used smoked paprika and after tasting it, I could have added even more. All wonderful flavors for this brunch, lunch or dinner recipe.

I’m excited to say that you love my Pennsylvania Dutch recipes and I hope to bring you more. I’m thinking chicken corn soup, baked onions, chicken pot pie (made with noodles), hot bacon dressing and apple dumplings.

Here are a few of the Pennsylvania Dutch Recipes that have gone viral. (thank you)

Pennyslvania Dutch Baked Corn Pudding ( a must at Thanksgiving and Easter)

Pennsylvania Dutch Pork & Sauerkraut (a must on New Year’s Day)

Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts with Video

Apple Dutch Baby, A Pennsylvania Dutch Pancake

So tell me is there a Pennsylvania Dutch Recipe you would like me to make. Leave a comment, and I’ll do my best. In the meantime, follow me on instagram, where I post lots of food pics and more.

Blueberry Buttermilk Pie

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Pennsylvania Dutch Onion Pie with Bacon

Pennsylvania Dutch Onion Pie is perfect classic Amish recipe with tender pie crust and onion custard, inspired from Cooking from Quilt Country

Course Entree

Cuisine Pennsylvania Dutch

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Pie Crust Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into cubes, put in freezer for 10 minutes
• 4-6 tablespoons of iced cold water

Pennsylvania Dutch Onion Pie with Bacon

• 1 Pie Crust Recipe see above
• 4 slices of bacon
• 1 pound thinly sliced Vidalia Onions or Sweet Onions
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream see notes
• tablespoon hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Pie Crust Recipe for one layer crust

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• dash nutmeg
• smoked paprika

Instructions

Make Pie Crust

• Mix flour with salt. Using food processor add in butter. Pulse about 10 seconds.
• Add water a little at a time. Pulse until dough forms.
• Put in refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Pennsylvania Dutch Onion Pie Instructions

• Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees F.
• Make pie crust (above)
• slice bacon cross wise into 1/2 inch slices. Fry until crisp.
• Slice onions thinly.
• Heat butter in pan. (You may substitute with bacon grease from bacon) or mix.
• Caramelize onions on low heat. Takes 20-30 minutes. Stir frequently.
• Beat eggs with half and half. A full cup creates a very rich texture. You may choose to reduce to half cup or 3/4 cup.
• Add seasonings and hot sauce to eggs mixture
• Take pie dough out and roll to fit pie pan or quiche pan. You may have enough left over to make one mini pie or quiche.
• Fork the dough.
• Add onions.
• Pour egg mixture.
• Sprinkle with paprika.
• Bake for 40-50 minutes on lowest rack in oven at 350 degrees.

The post Pennsylvania Dutch Onion Pie with Bacon appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

 Italian Ricotta Cookies are like little soft cakes.

Here are some different version of this Ricotta Cookie for special diets.

More Family Italian Cookie Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Italian Date Cookies

Cucidate (Sicilian Fig Cookies)

Chocolate Almond Biscotti

Candied Lemon Pistachio Cantucci

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Italian Ricotta Christmas Cookies

Italian Christmas Ricotta Cookies, the best softest sugar cookie you will ever eat.

Course Cookies

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 48

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract Order Here
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Nutmeg Grinder

Orange Glaze Ingredients

• 4-5 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 4-5 tablespoons orange juice!

Almond Glaze Instructions

• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• few drops of almond extractOrder Here
• Sprinkles

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and cream.
• Add eggs and incorporate.
• Add vanilla.
• Add ricotta cheese
• Mix together dry ingredients with a whisk.
• Add dry ingredients to ricotta mixture. Mix well.
• Roll or scoop into tablespoon-sized ball. You can make the cookies smaller. I like this larger size.
• Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until the bottoms of cookie are golden brown.
• Allow to cool for a few minutes. Remove to a rack.
• Place a piece of parchment paper under rack.
• Glaze cookies. Add sprinkles. Order Here

Orange Glaze Instructions

• Mix confectioner’s sugar with orange juice or freshly squeezed orange until you have a glaze the consistency thick enough to not run down the sides.
• Sprinkle immediately.

Almond Glaze Instructions

• Mix together milk with almond extract.Go gently on extract. Taste as you go. 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar per tablespoon of iiquid.
• Note: In total, the cookies will need 4-5 cups confectioner’s sugar to make enough glaze if you use a thick glaze like I do.

Video

Notes

If you need gluten free, this transfers well with a good gluten free flour. I prefer Bob’s Red Mill one to one flour.

The post Italian Ricotta Cookies with Video appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This is just a little bit of a departure from my blueberry pie. It’s made to stay together in tart form, ready for a dollop of whipped cream. I’m giving you the gluten free option, but you can find a non-gluten free tart crust option here, or use a regular pie crust 

The magic to the blueberry filling is mascarpone. It’s mixed in with half of the filling in a food processor until fairly smooth then added into the rest of the whole berry filling.

Just when I thought I might be done with blueberry pie, (my favorite), this idea came to mind. Notice in the picture, it actually does stay together, unlike a blueberry pie. This makes it especially nice for a small dinner party or brunch item. It’s not too sweet, but just enough of a dessert to be satisfying. I also like tarts over pies when I want a neat slice. I use this tart pan.

You could add in some homemade whipped cream. I suggest this recipe for a stable whipped cream which will stay put, under a day’s refrigeration. You can skip the decorative crust on top if you want to put whipped cream.

The recipe will make a little more tart dough than needed for a 9 inch tart, and enough for a 9 inch pie, bottom crust only.

I usually make a small tart as a taster when I make a big one, and there will be enough dough for that.

It may seem odd to bring you blueberries in December, but it’s a nice addition to your dessert table. I’ve added  in a cinnamon stick and freshly ground nutmeg, which pushes forth some Christmas flavor.

Aside from blueberries, we also traditionally have these grain free coconut cupcakes at Christmas time.

What’s YOUR Christmas dessert table look like?

Sometimes I make smaller tarts, which are nice when serving individually. These are five inch tart pans.

You might also like this gluten free lemon tart.

 Seven more variations on the blueberry pie from Spinach Tiger

More Gluten Free Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Amazing Gluten Free Tart Crust Recipe

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Gluten Free Blueberry Mascarpone Tart

A blueberry tart, richly made to stay together with mascarpone cheese.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• Gluten Free Pie Crust or
• Regular Tart Crust Found Here36 ounces frozen blueberries

Filling

• 36 ounces frozen blueberries
• 1 cup sugar
• juice of one lemon
• cinnamon stick
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons instant tapioca
• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese

Instructions

• Make pie crust. Refrigerate while making the filling.
• Put all the ingredients except the mascarpone cheese into a sauce pan and cook for ten minutes to 15 minutes.
• Remove cinnamon stick. Cool.
• While cooling, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Take half of the mixture and put in a food processor with mascarpone cheese.
• Add to the rest of the berries.
• Take out dough and let rest for 10 minutes. At this point, it should be warm enough to roll, but not so warm it's sticky.
• Flour and roll between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper.
• Put into tart pan.
• Add filling and bake for 40 minutes or until crust is golden.
• Optionally, you can use some of the dough to make cut outs for decorative purposes.
• Cool completely.
• Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate.

The post Gluten Free Blueberry Mascarpone Tart appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I had a dream of having carrara marble counter tops long before they became trendy, long  before anyone cared about carrara marble.  I was offered an opportunity to work with PAM Cooking Spray right as the counter tops were installed. I knew immediately that I was going to have make pie dough on the marble, and I wanted to make a dessert that was easy and fabulous enough for you to serve at your holiday dinner.

The marble slabs we chose were so unique that even the expert from the marble company isn’t quite sure they are carrara marble and he’s been to the carrara quary in Italy. We feel blessed to have found those.

I said carrara marble was trendy, but in truth it’s timeless and classic, just like apple pie is to us Americans, and it’s fitting that the first thing I made was this Caramelized Apple Tart.

This is no ordinary apple pie. The apples are cooked halfway on top of the stove in a caramelizing brown sugar and butter mixture. The aroma of that (with a little added cinnamon) will get everyone in the house to run into the kitchen with their tongues hanging open. You will have some extra sauce, which you save, heat up and pour over vanilla ice cream.

The only issue you could have with caramelizing apples and baking them on pie dough is that the pie dough could stick to the pan. The caramel sauce will run over and down the pan, causing the tart crust to stick to the pan. PAM Cooking Spray will solve that problem.

Although I used tart pans with removable bottoms, the issue is the sides. Just spray with PAM and you will be able to easily lift the tart or tarts out of the pans for your beautiful presentation. Most bakers only use cooking or baking sprays for cakes, but when you have sticky fillings, like this apple tart or sticky almond tart,  you want to be assured that you can remove the tart and present your dessert on serving dish the way it deserves to without falling apart or breaking off.

This recipe made one large tart and four small tarts. I always make enough for a tester tart, but to my joy, this recipe will give you four tarts and you’ll be extra happy.

If you decide to make only small tarts, they freeze well and they could be the best little breakfast that your guests ever had.

I used the Original PAM Cooking Spray, because it’s so versatile, but I am especially happy with how it aids me when baking.

“PAM Cooking Spray leaves *99% less residue than margarine or bargain-brand cooking sprays too. (* vs. leading cooking sprays (except olive oil), after spraying on glass bakeware, baking at 400°F for 30 min, cooling, and then washing in standard home dishwasher with detergent and repeating 4 times).

You can find more ways to cook with PAM Cooking Spray at their Pinterest Page and Facebook Page. You can also visit PAM Cooking Spray’s website.

This is a sponsored post in partnership with TapInfluence and PAM Cooking and it’s my hope to share my personal baking tip with you to make your upcoming holidays as easy and joyful as possible.

You can find more Spinach Tiger Holiday ideas by following my Pinterest Boards. 

You might be interested in the pies and cakes I make every holiday.

Pumpkin Cream Tart

Autumn Apple Pie

Maple Cake

Almond Tart

Pumpkin Cake with Maple Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

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Caramelized Apple Tart Made Easy with Pam Cooking Spray

Apple Tart made with caramelizing apples on the stove first.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• Pie Dough recipe here.
• Pam Cooking Spray
• 8 cups sliced Granny Smith apples
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• dash nutmeg
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon instant tapioca
• 2 tablespoon milk or cream for brushing over pie before baking
• raw sugar for dusting top of pie

Instructions

• Prepare pie dough. Refrigerate.
• Peel and slice apples. Use at least 80% granny smith apples, as you need the tartness to balance the sweetness.
• Toss apples with lemon juice and cinnamon. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
• Melt butter in a pan large enough to hold the apples.
• Once the butter is bubbling, add the brown sugar, stir into a sauce, and add apples Cook apples until softened, about five minutes.
• Cool down the apple mixture before baking.
• Take dough out of the refrigerator and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.
• Roll out half of the dough in rounds to fit your tart pans.
• Before you put the pie dough on the pans, spray with Pam cooking spray, making sure to spray the sides of the pan.
• Using a fork, puncture the bottom. Refrigerate the tart pans until ready for baking, at least 20 minutes.
• Refrigerate any remaining dough.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Once the apples are cool, use a slotted spoon to put the apples into tart pans. You will have some remaining sauce left over, which you can use to top the tart or top ice cream. Use the remaining dough to top the tarts. Cut out shapes or use a cookie or biscuit cutter.
• Brush milk over the tops and sprinkle with raw sugar.
• Line a baking sheet with foil. Place tart pans on baking sheets.
• Large tarts will bake from 40-50 minutes. Check at 35 minutes.
• Small tarts will bake from 25-30 minutes. Check at 20 minutes.
• Once the apples are cool,

PAM Cooking Spray sponsored this blog post. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Caramelized Apple Tart with Stove Top Apple Filling appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Apples and sweet potatoes are two of my all time favorite foods and did you know they make a good marriage too?

I discovered that cooked apples and roasted sweet potato blend together to make a pie that’s way better than pumpkin and so much easier to make if you want everything from scratch. This pie has body, natural sweetness and when baked in a whole grain spelt pie crust, it’s amazingly good. Spelt is an ancient grain that’s got a lower glycemic count than regular wheat, is easier to digest and edible for many people who are gluten sensitive. I like it because it tastes good. It’s nutty.

I love pie and so do the people in my life, but we are all very mindful of our health and what we are eating. If I’m not eating paleo (no grain at all), I like to find ways to cut sugar and eat as minimally processed as possible.

You could make this pie with my regular pie dough recipe, but if you’re here looking for some new ways to make old desserts, give the spelt flour a try.

I’ve been baking with spelt flour for some time, so I’m used to it and how it performs. It absorbs more liquid than all purpose flour and I wanted to make sure the crust didn’t get too tough. I replaced 1/4 of the butter with cream cheese, and the result is perfect. I throw that word perfect around a lot when it comes to pie crust, because it’s something I can make blindfolded. The good news here is that spelt dough is just as easy to work with and while it has a darker color which might be off putting, that color is what wheat should look like, so just know you’re eating food with more nutritional benefits.

See Video for spelt flour pie crust here.

The following picture is made with all purpose flour, accounting for the difference in color.

The Process

I always stick with gala apples because they remain sweet and don’t require as much sugar, but you can mix it up, as long as you adapt your recipe to the sweetness for your taste. The easiest way to get the sweet potato is to roast it at 400 degrees until it’s so done, it’s nearly breaking the skin. This way you don’t have to worry about peeling or waste. The potato just slips right out of the skin. I used coconut sugar with cinnamon and nutmeg. You can use regular sugar or brown sugar is you want. You can even use maple syrup.

To further reduce sugar and make this pie diabetic friendly, you can use Stevia in the raw. I made one version of that and it tasted just as good as the pie made with the coconut sugar.

Once cooked everything goes in the blender or Vitamix along with a liquid. You can use evaporated milk, half and half or buttermilk. They all work fine, and you can decide.

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Sweet Potato Apple Pie with Spelt Crust, Diabetic Friendly Dessert Recipe

A great Autumn pie of apples, sweet potatoes with whole grain spelt crust, a nuttier pastry.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 2 hours hours

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Spelt Pie Crust Ingredients

• 2 cups organic spelt flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar see notes for options
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into cubes
• 4 tablespoons cream cheese
• 6-8 tablespoons cold water

Apple Sweet Potato Pie

• 1 pie crust you can use the spelt pie crust or regular pie crust
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 apples peeled, sliced
• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 3/4 cups half & half see note on options
• 4 tablespoons coconut sugar divided (see note on options)
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground fresh nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Spelt Pie Crust Instructions

• Put cut up butter and cream cheese in freezer.
• Combine flour, sugar, salt in food processor.
• Add butter and mix for ten seconds.
• Add water until dough comes together.
• Put in plastic bag and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Apple Sweet Potato Pie Instructions

• Roast sweet potatoes at 400 for 30-40 minutes or until soft. Skins will slip off once cooled.

Peel apples, cut into slices. Toss apples with a mixture of 2 tablespoons coconut sugar and i tablespoon cinnamon. Saute in butter until soft.

• Put half and half, eggs, tablespoon cinnamon, ground cloves and nutmeg in blender. Add sweet potatoes and cooked apples. Be sure to include all the juices.
• Take pie crust out of refrigerator at least 10 minutes in advance to warm it up so it will roll easily.
• Roll out for bottom crust. Reserve the remaining crust for cookie cutter decorations.

Notes

As far as the sweetener, you can replace with stevia in the raw, measure for measure. Do taste to adjust the sweetness.
As far as the liquid, you can use evaporated milk, which has a higher carb count or you can use buttermilk.

The post Sweet Potato Apple Pie with Spelt Crust, Sugar Free Option appeared first on Spinach Tiger.