Mini Vegan Pumpkin Pie Brownies

It's fall!  You know what that means...pumpkin season!  I've been slightly obsessed with finding ways to use pumpkin in absolutely everything: pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin chai, pumpkin bisque, pasta with pumpkin alfredo, and now?  I think the easiest way to turn someone on vegan food is through vegan baked goods.  

So I have three words for you.  Pumpkin.  Pie.  Brownies.   And they're so little, you can eat them in one bite.  A rich, fudgey chocolate brownie topped with a lightly spiced pumpkin pie layer just like grandma used to make (sans milk, eggs, or any other nonsense).  What's not to love?  

With and without chocolate chippers.

Mini Vegan Pumpkin Pie Brownies
makes 48 bébé brownies

Brownie Layer:
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup applesauce
3/4 cup coconut palm sugar
2 large flax eggs (2 tbsp flaxseed + 6 Tbsp water)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Glamour shot.

Sift your dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, make your flax eggs.  Set aside.  Cream together your coconut oil with the coconut sugar and applesauce.  Add the vanilla and flax eggs, whisk.  Combine your wet and dry ingredients until no clumps remain.

Pumpkin Pie Layer:
1 cup pumpkin puree 
2 tbsp cornstarch 
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut palm sugar
3 tbsp non-dairy milk (I used homemade almond-cashew milk)
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp allspice)

Whisk together the cornstarch and non-dairy milk.  Add your pumpkin.  Add the remaining ingredients and whisk till smooth and the sugar is pretty much dissolved (about one minute).

Time to assemble these lil' dudes!  Drop the brownie batter by the tablespoon into your mini muffin tin (lined with mini-muffin liners!)  Now, do the exact same thing with your pumpkin pie batter.  It's easy to get really excited and overfill the little tins, but control the urge--these rise, and you'll run out of batter!  You can sprinkle mini chocolate chips or additional cinnamon on top before you bake these bite-sized delights at 350 for 20 minutes.  Enjoy the mingling smells of cinnamon and cocoa goodness.  Allow them to cool (or chill in the fridge) before serving alongside a hot mug of your favorite chai or some ice cold almond milk.  Till next time!