I won't be celebrating Thanksgiving this week because I'm Canadian (our Thanksgiving was in October), but I have many American readers and I hope you will all have a great time! Eat some mashed potatoes and gravy for me :)

I thought you might enjoy this recipe roundup of Thanksgiving-worthy Baking Backwards recipes. If you add these vegan and gluten free dishes to your holiday table please take a pic and tag #BakingBackwardsThanksgiving -- I'd love to see what you've made!

To view the recipes below, click on the titles under each image.

APPETIZERS AND SIDE DISHES:

Crab Cakes with Green Tartar Sauce (gluten-free, vegan)
Crunchy on the outside, tender and flaky on the inside. These vegan crabcakes are healthy and hard to beat.


Divine Rice (gluten-free, vegan) 
Spicy, creamy and so delicious -- this wholegrain rice dish makes an excellent side for a festive family meal.

 Crusty Wholegrain Bread (gluten-free, vegan, yeast-free)
 Pass this bread and you'll make a few new friends at the Thanksgiving table. This bread is dense, moist and rich like an Irish Soda bread. 



Super Salad 
This salad is super healthy and anything but boring. Roasted and fresh veggies hang out in a zesty creamy dressing. The spiced roasted chickpeas add an amazing crunch and make this dish filling. A great vegetable side dish for a family meal.


Tandoori Cauliflower Wraps (gluten-free, grain-free, vegan)
This creative vegan appetizer is light yet full flavoured. If you like Indian food give it a try.


Super Rutabaga Fries (gluten-free, grain-free, baked, vegan)
If you're over mashed potatoes this Thanksgiving, shake things up with these healthy low fat baked rutabaga fries. The rutabaga makes them naturally a little spicy.



PUMPKIN SOUP
This creamy pumpkin soup whips up in minutes. An easy and healthy vegetable side dish for your holiday meal.

MAIN MEAL:

Vegan Chickn' with Mashed Potatoes, Gravy and Greens (gluten-free, vegan)
If you aren't trying to reinvent the Thanksgiving table, but you're expecting a vegan, serve them this. They will thank you.


Super creamy Stovetop MacNCheese (gluten free, vegan)
I never understood the American trend of Mac and Cheese at holiday meals but if you're into it, this recipe is delicious, super creamy, easy to make, wholesome and full of hidden veggies and healthy fats.


The BEST Vegan Baked MacNCheese (gluten free, vegan)
This recipe takes vegan mac and cheese to a new level -- baked! Crispy on top, creamy inside, hot, cheesy and delicious. Also hides a lot of vegetables for the kiddos.


Zucchini Noodle Lasagna with Parsnip Cream, Lentils and Green Olives (grain-free, gluten-free, vegan)  
This lasagne is a showstopper. If someone you love doesn't eat pasta anymore but loves lasagne, make this grain free lasagne (made with zucchini noodles). Its even omnivore husband approved. 

PIES AND CRUMBLES:

Cardamom Apple Cookie Crumble (gluten-free, vegan)
A delightful Indian twist on apple crumble.


Chocolate Harvest Tart (gluten-free, vegan)
This chocolate tart is so intensely good. Chocolatey, rich, full bodied -- even my sister (who hates dessert) had two slices! It also hides a ton of butternut squash.

 
Pear Pockets (gluten-free, vegan)
These pear pockets are really unique. The crust is lost between pizza pocket and pie crust and the filling is sweet and delicious.


Healthy Key Lime Pie (gluten-free, vegan) 
This is a crazy pie. It conceals a lot of cauliflower and avocado but tastes like creamy key lime pie with a chocolatey crust! Super easy to make too.

 

CHOCOLATE BROWNIES AND CAKES:

Plant Fuel Brownies (gluten-free, vegan)
These brownies are loaded with super healthy ingredients like buckwheat flour and sweet potatoes. They are softer than a typical brownie but so delicious.


Healthy Steamed Chocolate Molten Cakes (gluten-free, vegan)
Who doesn't like chocolate molten cakes? Now you can have your indulgent dessert without the guilt and without the oven (they're steamed!).

 

HEALTHY COOKIES:

Wholegrain Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten-free, vegan)
These chocolate chip cookies are similar to chocolate chip shortbread cookies-- delicate and slightly crumbly. 


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten-free, vegan)
 Soft and chewy, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are healthy as f#$%. Full of chickpeas and pumpkin puree, forget Thanksgiving, these are perfect for any day of the year.

SMALL BATCH DESSERT RECIPES: 

Single Serving Raw Vegan Cinnamon Rolls (gluten-free, grain-free, vegan, raw)
These require coconut date rolls like the ones sold by Natural Delights. They are insanely easy to make and require no cooking. 




PB Mousse Jars with Chocolate Magic Shell (gluten-free, grain-free, vegan)
These are intense. If you are a Reese fan, you will LOVE this little pots of heaven. Peanut butter mousse with a decadent raw chocolate shell topping. So good.



Raw Key Lime Cups

These elegant little cups are creamy, crunchy and bursting with sweet and tangy lime flavour. The perfect dessert for a more formal dinner party or lunch.

Lime filling ingredients:

• 1 (400 ml) can full fat coconut milk (not shaken and chilled overnight)
• Dash coarse sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2-1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1-2 teaspoons raw honey (or substitute agave or coconut nectar for vegan)
• Juice of 1 large lime
• 2 tablespoons creamed coconut, melted (or you can substitute coconut butter that should also be melted, not to be confused with coconut oil)

Directions:

1. Chill a small mixing bowl for 5 minutes in freezer.
2. Do not shake and do not flip your can of chilled coconut milk. Open the can and remove only the thick white cream that will have solidified at the top of your chilled can, try to avoid scooping out any of the watery liquid at the bottom.
3. Add skimmed coconut cream, salt, maple, cinnamon and olive oil. Beat together in your chilled bowl with an electric mixer for 1 minute.
4. Add lime juice and beat for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Add the honey and the melted creamed coconut and beat until the mixture appears thickened.
6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for 10 more seconds. Chill the bowl in the freezer while you make the crumble topping.

Crumble topping ingredients:

• 1 cup shredded, reduced-fat coconut
• Dash coarse sea salt
• 1/3 cup pitted dates
• 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1-2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Pulse then blend all ingredients to a crumble consistency in your food processor. Spoon half the mixture into the bottom of 2 glasses or jam jars.
2. Spoon the chilled lime filling into the cups evenly.
3. Top with remaining crumble mixture evenly and garnish with a slice of fresh lime.
4. Chill the cups in the freezer for 10 minutes or more, serve.

I have a special treat today for those who keep Kosher for Passover. For those who do not have much familiarity with the Jewish holiday, people who celebrate Passover generally do not consume bread and cakes that rise for about a week. It is something that is practiced in memory of when their Jewish ancestors wandered the desert with only unleavened bread to eat (known as Matzoh). These ancestors fled enslavement in Egypt and had such a short amount of time to flee that their bread famously did not have time to rise before it was baked. The result was bread that turned out more like crackers. 

Many things are required to keep Kosher at Passover. One of the major stipulations is that you eat Matzoh and foods made from Matzoh meal for a week, and sacrifice foods that rise when they are cooked which are made from wheat, rye, rice, oats, barley, beans etc. Throughout the Passover week most people observing the holiday eat special foods. Most of these foods are fairly bland and flat. Desserts are included. Most desserts that would traditionally involve a flour base are not served and instead replaced with desserts made from Matzoh meal (ground up Matzoh bread). Cakes, cookies, cupcakes -- all are traditionally made from Matzoh. Until now!  


Many Jews round the Globe have rejoiced at the news as it adds a little variety to the somewhat mundane Passover diet. Some people, I am certain, would still prefer to not take any chances and would personlly consider quinoa not Kosher for Passover. I however, embraced it full force (I have had many Passover desserts that can only be described as dreadful). 

I am not religious but attend and contribute to a Passover celebration every year. I am always in charge of desserts. It usually means that I experiment a lot. 





This year was an amazing success! Thanks to my new knowledge of the quinoa exception to the Passover rule, I was able to make a truly delicious dessert for the desperate masses. What I made was a decadent but healthy brownie. Don't like brownies? Try my Vegan Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies instead!


These delicious and decadent treats are a perfect dessert whether you are keeping Kosher for the week or just want a great brownie without the guilt. I love them and hope you do too. These brownies are not vegan but can be made vegan by substituting either vegan egg-replacer or two "flax eggs" for the two real eggs in the recipe.






NB: The brownie layer is fairly cake-like. If you want something fudgier, reduce the quinoa flakes to 1.5 cups and bake for only 10 to 15 minutes.

Healthy Brownies ("Chosen Brownies")

• 4 large frozen bananas
• 4.5 tbsp unsweetened pear butter (or apple butter if you cant get pear butter)
• 1 tsp baking soda  (if keeping Kosher for Passover, and choosing to omit refer to "Passover Variation" note below)
• 2 tsp baking powder (if keeping Kosher for Passover, and choosing to omit refer to "Passover Variation" note below)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
• 8 tbsp 100% cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 cup filtered water
• 2 large organic eggs (or vegan egg replacer, or 2 "flax-eggs") (if keeping Kosher for Passover see note below for instructions)
• 2 cups quinoa flakes 

Note: Passover Variation
There is much debate whether Kosher baking soda and baking powder should be permitted during Passover. I am of the opinion that they are acceptable. If you are keeping Kosher for Passover and choose to omit the baking soda and baking powder in this recipe because these chemicals act as leaveners you will need to substitute for them. To get your brownies to rise a little you will need to separate the two eggs you are using. Add the yolks to the recipe when it calls for the 2 eggs. Whip the egg whites separately in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. When the rest of the batter is blended in your food processor as instructed below, transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl and FOLD in the whipped egg whites gently. Pour into your prepared baking dish and bake as instructed below.

 If you choose to omit the baking soda and baking powder and are following the VEGAN version of this recipe, add one flax egg in place of the two egg yolks in the paragraph above. Whip the second flax egg until soft peaks form using an electric mixer and fold in instead of the egg whites according to the instructions in the paragraph above.

To learn more about the baking soda and baking powder Kosher for Passover debate, read this article.

Baking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Blend bananas, pear butter, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and half the sea salt together until very smooth and creamy. Taste. The texture will be like gelato (its delicious actually and is the same base I use in my Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies!). Scrape down sides and blend again.


Add the cocoa and blend until smooth. TASTE! Add more pear butter if it is at all bitter. It needs to be a bit sweeter than you want it. Add olive oil and the chia seeds and blend. Add water and blend until smooth. Add the eggs and blend until smooth, about a minute. Add the quinoa flakes and blend until very smooth, about a minute. Scrape down sides and blend again.

Pour batter into a large lasagne dish lined with parchment paper. Spread the batter to the edges, ensuring that it is distributed evenly. Bake in the oven until slightly risen. A fork or toothpick inserted in the middle should come out nearly clean after about 20 minutes. Cool on stovetop. Make the chocolate glaze while the brownie layer cools.



Vegan Chocolate Glaze
Please note that this glaze is NOT SUGAR FREE. Chocolate chips are sweetened. If you want a sugar free glaze, replace the chips with a bar of sugar free chocolate.

• 1 cup Enjoy Life brand vegan chocolate chips or another vegan chocolate chip                     (or if avoiding sugar you could use 1 sugar-free chocolate bar OR 1/2 cup coconut oil and 3 tbsp cocoa powder and stevia drops to sweeten)
• 1 heaping teaspoon unsweetened pear butter
• 1 dash sea salt
• 1 dash cinnamon

Melt all ingredients until very smooth and glossy in a small sauce pan over low heat. Allow to cool slightly. Pour over cooled cake layer.

Variations for serving:

If you want the chocolate glaze to set like a doughnut glaze, refrigerate or freeze the iced brownies for an hour before serving. If you want gooey hot brownies, don't cool the brownie layer, make the chocolate glaze while the brownies bake. Pour the hot glaze over brownies, slice and enjoy!