Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

This time last year: Coconut Hot Chocolate (2013)

I woke up this morning to snow on the ground. It wasn’t a lot of snow, and honestly it’s probably more a mixture of ice than anything, however it is white, and beautiful and I love it.

All winter, across the country, we have been experiencing abnormally warm temperatures. My brother goes to college in Saint Paul and they still have yet to receive snow. That’s crazy! Not a good sign for global warning.

As much as I have loved wearing shorts in December and going on long runs without freezing to death, it feels weird to go a whole winter without snow. Snow, like christmas lights and fire places, is one of those few things that make winter and the holidays feel real!

Thus, when I woke up this morning to a thin white layer of snow on the ground, I thought the recipe of the day needed to be a warm winter treat- something you could put in a cup, wrap cold fingers around, and enjoy the comfort of that warmth.

Thus, for my third holiday drink that’s not egg nog, in this mini holiday drink series, I present you with this Dair Free Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer.

It’s good y’all. It’s winter in a cup, and it will warm your soul.

Come back for another holiday drink that isn’t eggnog!

XO Sarah

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups almond milk*
• 2 Tablespoons pumpkin puree (not pumpking pie filling!)
• 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 – 2 cinnamon sticks

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy cream, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk together until fully combined.
2. Add the cinnamon sticks.
3. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Whisk while boiling for one minute, then remove the pot from the heat.
4. Allow the creamer to cool for five minutes before adding to your coffee.
5. Dress your coffee as you like- adding sugar, whip cream, and/or a sprinkle of cinnamon as you like!

 

Notes and Tips!:

• I chose to make this coffee creamer dairy free, because I often get requests for dairy free recipes! Although almond milk is not as creamy as whole milk or half an half, it is definitely healthier, and still has a nice creamy flavor to it! However, if you prefer to go the traditional route, feel free to substitute the almond milk out for whole milk or half and half!
• Store leftovers in a covered container for up to a week. Shake well before each use.
• Source: Sally’s Baking Addiction 
• Like this recipe? Try these other delicious recipes from A Rented Kitchen! (Recipe links below photos):

Lavender Hot Chocolate with Homemade Whipped Cream

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Pumpkin Hot Chocolate

• Lavender Hot Chocolate with Homemade Whipped Cream
• Mexican Hot Chocolate
• Pumpkin Hot Chocolate

Pumpkin French Toast Bake

 

This time last year: Superfood Guacamole (2012)

It’s finals week. Usually during finals week I turn into a barbarian, quickly running out of clean clothes, coffee, and devolving into a sleep deprived mess that eats popcorn three meals a day because there is no other food in the house.

Shining moments, I know.

However, this year, be proud of me, I am prepared! Last night I stayed up to ungodly hours doing all my laundry, grocery shopping, and cooking up a storm! (Literally, there was flour flying around the air. God bless my patient roommates.)

Moral of the story, this weary student will not go hungry this week, and I have some delicious recipes to share with you! So, add this to your “to-cook” list. It would make for a wonderful holiday breakfast dish over the holidays!

And for all my  student friends out there, I know y’all are trolling the internet, because it’s finals week, and everything feels better than studying. So, troll on through this site, and definitely book mark this recipe! This french toast bake is worth getting out of bed for.

Happy baking, and come back soon!

love, a rented kitchen

Toast Ingredients:

• 1 day old French bread, diced
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (Not pumpkin pie filling!)
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla
• 1 Pumpkin pie spice

Streusel Ingredients:

• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ⅓ cup chopped pecans
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
• ½ cup cold salted butter, diced

Directions:

1. Spray a 9 x 13 inch casserole pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Arrange the bread in the pan evenly and set aside.

2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the remaining wet ingredients- milk, cream, sugar, eggs, pumpkin, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well, and pour over the bread. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or preferably, overnight.

3. Preheat the over to 350˚F.

4. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, pecans, and pumpkin spice. Add in the butter, using your fingers or a fork, until small clumps form.

5. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the toast, and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked through. Add a layer of aluminum foil over the top if the toast layer browns too quickly.

Notes and Tips!:

• Yield: 6-8 servings
• Source: Little Spice Jar
• Like this recipe? Try these other dishes from A Rented Kitchen! (recipe links below photos):

Blueberry Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Dark Chocolate Chip Scones

Sweet Potato Biscuits with Maple Butter

• Blueberry Cinnamon Coffee Cake
• Dark Chocolate Chip Scones
• Sweet Potato Biscuits with Maple Butter

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Pancakes

On this day last year: Mini Okra Frittata Cups (2012)

GUYS. Yesterday was the first official day of fall- September 23rd.

It has been circled on my calendar for weeks now, because fall is a beautiful, wonderful, delicious season.

Welcome to it.

In celebration of fall, I thought it only appropriate to share this incredibly scrumptious sweet potato pancakes. If you like pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, sweet potato biscuits, or anything delicious, you’ll love these.

Dig in, do your happy dance, enjoy every bite, and celebrate- because it is the start of a new season, and new starts are always good.

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 Cup sweet potato puree
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• Chocolate Chips (as many as you want!)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the first five ingredients- flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients- egg, milk, brown sugar, and sweet potato puree.
3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well mixed.
4. Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or griddle over medium high heat.
5. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, dole out batter onto the skillet, and cook for about 2 minutes per side. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes and Tips!: 

• Source: Weelicious
• Like this recipe? Check out these other delicious A Rented Kitchen Pancake recipes! Guaranteed to make your mornings better. (Recipe links found below photos!):

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Pancakes

Whole Wheat Apple Spice Pancakes

Cinnamon Apple Pancake Rings

• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Pancakes
• Whole Wheat Apple Spice Pancakes
• Cinnamon Apple Pancake Rings

Blueberry Bunt Cake

On this day last year: Homemade Pigs in a Blanket (2013)

Some people are culinary saints- those who have gone before us and paved the way with delicious holiday treats, birthday cakes, kitchen secrets, and recipe cards so worn down you need a magnifying glass to read them.

There are a lot of culinary saints in my life. People who have taught me their ways and passed down their kitchen secrets- all of whom I am so very grateful for.

This recipe is one of those inherited from a saint. When my family moved to Kansas City, in the dead of winter, from warm sunny Florida, this cake showed up on our door. It was baked by a woman in our church who is known for her skills in the kitchen, and whom we have been eternally grateful for ever since.

Moving states is hard. Moving to Kansas from sunny Florida is harder. Moving as a middle schooler is the hardest. Eating delicious cake is not hard.

Therefore, this recipe goes out to all of those culinary saints- the people who have shared their time, energy, recipes, and coffee cakes to neighbors, friends, family, and strangers. This world is better for it.

And if you think you have the world’s best coffee cake recipe, and you haven’t tried putting blue berries, cinnamon, and sour cream in it- try, try again. I know sour cream may sound strange, but this cake is so moist and light that you will have a haaaard time stepping away from it. Just trust me on this one.

Love, a rented kitchen

Cake Ingredients:

• 1 cup white butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup dairy sour cream
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all purpose four OR cake flour
• 1 cup oat flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup blueberries, rinsed and dusted with flour
• Powdered sugar for dusting the top

Filling Ingredients:

• ½ brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup nuts- chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Thoroughly grease and flour a bunt pan or tube pan.*
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and white sugar. Add the eggs, and then fold in the sour cream and vanilla.
3. Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
4. Fold in the blueberries.
5. Stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped nuts, and set aside.
6. Pour 1/3 of the batter into the bottom of the pan, and then sprinkle half of the brown sugar filling over top.
7. Add another 1/3 of the cake batter to the pan, and top with the remaining half of the brown sugar filling.
8. Pour the remaining 1/3 cake batter into the pan, and using a knife, gently swirl the brown sugar filling and batter together.
9. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until light brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean.
10. Allow to cool in the pan. Once cool, sift powdered sugar over the top, serve, and enjoy!

Notes and Tips!:

• To flour a bund pan, sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of white flour along the bottom of the greased pan, and shake the pan around until all sides have a thin coat of flour. This will help the cake slide out of the pan easier once cooked.
• Like this recipe? Try these other delicious bread options from A Rented Kitchen (recipe links below photos!):

Vegan Pumpkin Oat Bread

Orange Glazed Poppy Seed Bread

Lemon Lavender Loaf

• Vegan Pumpkin Oat Bread
• Orange Glazed Poppy Seed Bread
• Lemon Lavender Loaf

 

Sweet Potato Hash Browns

On This Day Last Year: Healthy Mexican Sweet Potato Skins (2014)

I haven’t posted a sweet potato recipe since November. For those of you who know me, that’s Crazy Talk! I LOVE sweet potatoes!

Thus, I am super excited to share this delicious sweet potato hash brown recipe with you. It’s seriously delicious, and such a fun breakfast recipe!

This recipe is paleo (you’re welcome my paleo friends!). This recipe is also fairly straight forward, which means you can have fun with this! I added garlic to some of these hash browns, for some I added a little cinnamon, and for others I sprinkled the top with some shaved Parmesan. No worries though, these hash browns are delicious enough that you do not need to add anything extra! You will love them either way!

So, whether it’s potluck for dinner, or breakfast in bed, this recipe will be a hit!

Enjoy, and Happy Eating!

With love,

Sarah

Ingredients

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1/2 cup almond flour*
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• ¼ cup green onions, chopped (plus some for garnish)
• ¼ cup coconut oil*

Directions

1. Pierce one of the sweet potatoes several times around with a fork. Wrap it in a damp paper towel, place it in a small bowl with ½ an inch of water, and microwave for 7-9 minutes, or until soft.
2. Let this sweet potato cool off for five minutes, and then peel the potato, and mash the flesh in a medium sized bowl.
3. Clean and peel the other sweet potatoes, and then grate them with a box grater using the largest holes available.
4. Combine the mashed and grated potatoes, with the eggs, almond flour, sea salt, and green onion into a large bowl.
5. Heat the coconut oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Drop the sweet potato cakes into the skillet using a ¼ cup measuring cup, and flatten with the back of the measuring cup. Cook the cakes for about five minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
6. Once cooked, move to a plate with a paper towel to help drain the oil.
7. Serve hot and enjoy!

Notes and Tips!:

• Source: Bravo for Paleo
• Don’t have almond flour or coconut oil? All purpose and regular olive or vegetable oil will also do the trick!
• Like this recipe? Try these other delicious breakfast dishes! (Recipe links found below!):

Sweet Potato Crusted Spinach Quiche

Red Pepper Quiche Cups

Cinnamon Apple Pancake Rings

• Sweet Potato Crusted Spinach Quiche
• Red Pepper Quiche Cups
• Cinnamon Apple Pancake Rings