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Harvest Bowl (easy to meal prep!)

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overhead image of a meal prep harvest bowl with sliced almonds on the side.

This fully loaded harvest bowl is packed with seasonal ingredients, fresh flavor, and finished off with a dreamy maple dijon vinaigrette! Perfect to meal prep ahead of a busy week, or quickly throw together as an easy meal in under 30 minutes.

maple dijon dressing being poured over a harvest bowl

What You’ll Need to Make a Harvest Bowl

Sweet Potato – Peel and cube two sweet potatoes before roasting. Or, if you’d like, replace the sweet potato with your favorite squash. Peeled and cubed butternut squash, sliced acorn squash, or even sliced delicata squash would all taste great in this harvest bowl!

Chicken – Two boneless and skinless chicken breasts are lightly seasoned, then roasted to perfection! For a vegan option, see the “make it vegan” section below.

Quinoa – Any variety of quinoa is jam-packed with health benefits! It’s full of nutrients, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, fiber, and is a complete protein. Talk about a superfood, eh? Feel free to use whatever kind of quinoa you have handy – white, red, black, or rainbow – they all taste great. Or, if you don’t have quinoa, you can replace it with cooked brown rice, wild rice, buckwheat, farro, or barley.

Kale – Similar to the quinoa, any variety of kale will taste delicious in your harvest bowl. So, use whatever you can get your hands on – curly kale, dino (lacinato) kale, red kale, or even baby kale. Though if using baby kale, no need to massage it, just add straight to your bowl, then toss in dressing.

close-up image of sliced chicken over a meal prep harvest bowl.

Tips and Tricks

  • Don’t skip massaging the kale! This step is super important to achieve nice, and tender kale. Skipping this step will result in tough, and hard-to-chew kale, just all around unappetizing!
  • I highly, HIGHLY, recommend doubling up on the maple dijon salad dressing. It’s seriously the star of this harvest bowl, and you’ll regret not making more. Also, leftovers stay fresh in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three weeks!

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: For a healthy, high protein vegan meal, leave out the chicken. Then, either double up on the sweet potatoes, or replace the chicken with a can of drained then rinsed chickpeas!

Make it Paleo/Grain-Free: Simply leave off the quinoa and you’ve got yourself a totally paleo and grain-free harvest bowl.

two meal prep containers showcasing this harvest bowl recipe.

How to Meal Prep This Harvest Bowl

  1. Roast the sweet potatoes and chicken.
  2. Cook the quinoa.
  3. Make the maple dijon dressing.
  4. Massage the kale.
  5. Divide the massaged kale, cooked quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes and chicken, sliced apples, fried cranberries, and sliced almonds between four meal prep containers.
  6. Store remaining dressing separately.
  7. When ready to eat, remove one of your meal prep containers from the fridge and drizzle with some extra maple dijon dressing – enjoy!
Harvest Bowl (easy to meal prep!)
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Harvest Bowl (easy to meal prep!)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: Main, Lunch, DinnerDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

These fully loaded harvest bowls are packed with seasonal ingredients, fresh flavor, and finished off with a dreamy maple dijon vinaigrette! Perfect to meal prep ahead of a busy week, or quickly throw together as an easy meal in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 1-2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breast

  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil

  • salt and black pepper, to taste

  • 2 cups kale, finely chopped

  • 1 cup cooked quinoa

  • 1 apple, sliced

  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds or pumpkin seeds

  • For the maple dijon dressing:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Place sweet potatoes and chicken breast on a baking sheet, then drizzle with avocado oil, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Toss potatoes to coat, then roast for 20 minutes, tossing potatoes halfway through.
  • While chicken and potatoes roast, make the dressing by adding all dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisking to combine.
  • Place kale in a bowl with half of the dressing, then toss and massage dressing into the kale with your hands.
  • Once potatoes are tender, remove from the oven and assemble bowls with all ingredients – roasted sweet potatoes, massaged kale, chicken, quinoa, apples, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds. Store with remaining dressing on the side, then top with dressing right before eating.

Recipe Video

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Desserts

Healthy (& vegan!) Pumpkin Spice Latte

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a healthy vegan pumpkin spice latte with a cinnamon stick on top.

Learn how to make the best vegan pumpkin spice latte at home! Better (and cheaper) than Starbucks, my pumpkin spice latte recipe is delicious, completely vegan, and refined sugar-free.

vegan pumpkin spice latte being poured into a mug

Ahh, the pumpkin spice latte. It’s perhaps the most beloved beverage of the Fall season, and for good reason! It’s deliciously sweet and spicy, and cozying up with one on a cool Fall day just feels right. People seem to really love the Starbucks version, but it’s loaded with sugar, sodium, preservatives and other ingredients, which you can see here. It’s also super expensive (almost $6 for a venti), so making this healthier version at home just seems like the better option!

What You’ll Need to Make a Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte

  • Milk: Regular milk works fine, but I used almond milk. Check out the section below for alternative dairy options.
  • Pumpkin Puree: Sweet and savory, pumpkin puree plays a starring role in Thanksgiving desserts and drinks, including this fall-favorite latte. Make sure you’re buying pure pumpkin puree, and not pumpkin pie filling!
  • Maple Syrup: My pumpkin spice latte recipe only uses natural maple syrup to sweeten it, instead of refined sugars.
  • Vanilla Extract: Many recipes do not call for vanilla, but to me, it’s a must for added depth of flavor.
  • Pumpkin Pie Spice: Pumpkin pie spice is a delicious combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, an allspice that works really well with this recipe.
  • Espresso or Strong Coffee: If you need a major boost to get you going in the morning, I definitely suggest making this with 2 shots of espresso, but brewed, strong coffee works fine too!
two pumpkin spice lattes in mugs with a mini pumpkin on the side.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

  • Make it Dairy-Free: You can use regular milk if you’d like, but for this recipe I used almond milk. Others prefer coconut milk or oatmilk – the choice is yours!
  • Make it Caffeine-Free: If you need caffeine-free, use your favorite strong decaf variety.

Tips on Making Pumpkin Spice Latte

  • You can use granulated organic sugar instead of maple syrup if you don’t want to go the refined sugar-free route. 
  • If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can use ½ teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch each of nutmeg, ground ginger and ground cloves.
Pumpkin Spice Latte (Vegan, Refined Sugar-Free)
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Pumpkin Spice Latte (Vegan, Refined Sugar-Free)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DrinksDifficulty: Easy
Servings

1

serving
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

5

minutes
Total time

10

minutes

Learn how to make the best vegan pumpkin spice latte at home! Better (and cheaper) than Starbucks, my vegan pumpkin spice latte recipe is delicious, much easier and quicker to make, and completely vegan and refined sugar-free.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups milk (I used almond milk)

  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree

  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

  • 2 shots espresso, or ½ cup hot coffee

Directions

  • Heat milk in a small saucepan over low heat.
  • Once simmering, add in the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds or until frothy then remove from heat.
  • Divide the espresso or coffee between two mugs, then pour the pumpkin-spiced milk over the top.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Optional: top it off with vegan whipped cream or a cinnamon stick!

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MORE DELICIOUS & HEALTHY DRINK RECIPES

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30 Minutes or Less

Healthy Vegan Apple Cider Donuts

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healthy vegan apple cider donuts on a sheet of parchment paper, one with a bite taken out.

Is there anything that screams Fall more than apple cider donuts?! If you’ve never tried making homemade baked donuts before, these apple cider donuts are a must-make for this Fall season!

close-up image of healthy vegan apple cider donuts stacked on top of each other.

Not only are these apple cider donuts incredibly soft and fluffy, but it contains no dairy or eggs, is baked instead of fried, and is adorned with crunchy and sweet cinnamon sugar topping that is absolutely mouth-watering. Fall isn’t complete without apple picking and a batch of these vegan donuts!

healthy vegan apple cider donuts on parchment paper with a bite taken out.

MAIN INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE VEGAN APPLE CIDER DONUTS

  • Apple Cider – Apple cider, whether store-bought or homemade, is going to create the delicious apple flavor we’re looking for in this recipe.
  • Rolled Oats – I love baking up my gluten-free treats with oats! Not only is it inexpensive, but they’re super easy to acquire. 
  • Flax Eggs – A flax egg is a vegan egg substitute and helps bind all the ingredients together!
  • Baking Soda & Powder – Baking soda and powder give the batter that quick inflation in the oven that creates the cake-like fluffy donuts we’re looking for.
  • Cinnamon – This ingredient will be used for making not only the donut, but of course, the cinnamon sugar!
  • Nutmeg – Known for its spicy, nutty flavor, nutmeg perfectly complements the sweet & warm cinnamon in this recipe.
  • Vegan Butter – I typically use the Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks in my vegan/dairy-free baked goods. Though any vegan butter will work here, just be sure to melt it completely before adding it to this recipe. 
  • Coconut Sugar – I use coconut sugar when making the cinnamon sugar, but you can opt for organic cane sugar if you prefer.
healthy vegan apple cider donuts stacked on top of each other, with a bottle of milk on the side.

ADJUST THIS APPLE CIDER DONUTS RECIPE TO YOUR DIET

  • Add Dairy: Although I use dairy-free butter, you could substitute it for melted coconut oil or regular butter if you’d like! You can also use regular eggs instead of flax.
  • Add Gluten: You can try using 1 cup of all purpose flour instead of oat flour.

TIPS FOR MAKING BAKED VEGAN APPLE CIDER DONUTS

  • Bring the wet ingredients to room temperature before you combine them with the flour and other dry ingredients.
  • Don’t be alarmed if you see bubbles starting to form after mixing the wet and dry ingredients. It’s just the baking soda and powder reacting the way they’re supposed to. 
Baked Vegan Apple Cider Donuts (Gluten-Free)
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Baked Vegan Apple Cider Donuts (Gluten-Free)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertsDifficulty: Medium
Servings

12

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

Is there anything that screams Fall more than apple cider donuts?! If you’ve never tried making homemade baked donuts before, these apple cider donuts are a must-make for this Fall season!

Ingredients

  • For the donuts:

  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 2 flax eggs, see Notes

  • 1 cup apple cider

  • 1/2 cup creamy almond or peanut butter

  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, optional but makes for fluffier donuts

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • For the cinnamon sugar:

  • 1 cup coconut sugar

  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon

  • 6 tablespoons dairy-free butter, melted

Directions

  • Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit and grease a donut pan.
  • Add the rolled oats, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to a blender. Blend until oats are ground into a flour.
  • Add in the flax eggs, apple cider, almond butter, coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Blend until a smooth batter forms.
  • Carefully fill your donut molds with the batter, I used a cookie scoop to keep things neat.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes and pop out of the molds onto a cooling racks, allow to cool completely before proceeding to the next step.
  • Combine the coconut sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl – set up an assembly line with the donuts, bowl of melted butter, bowl of cinnamon sugar, and a cooling rack.
  • Gently dip each donut in the butter before transferring and coating in the cinnamon sugar, place on a cooling rack while you finish up the rest. Once all are coated, store in a sealed container on either the counter for two days or the fridge for up to one week .

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Flax Eggs: To make one flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flax meal with 3 tablespoons of water and let sit on the counter for five minutes to thicken.
  • Storage: store in a closed container at room temperature for 2-3 days, in the fridge for 1 week, or in the freezer for 1 month.

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OTHER VEGAN AND GLUTEN-FREE DESSERTS

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30 Minutes or Less

Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

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Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

For an easy, one-bowl, and HEALTHY dessert – look no further than this gluten-free apple crisp! Loaded with fresh apples, plenty of cinnamon, and sweetened with maple syrup. The perfect fall sweet treat, this gluten-free apple crisp is also vegan and dairy-free!

gluten-free apple crisp in a pie dish with vanilla ice cream on top and an ice cream scoop on the side.

What You’ll Need to Make Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

Apples – I used organic pink lady apples in this gluten-free apple crisp recipe, but really any apple will work. My favorites for baking are honeycrisp, pink lady, or granny smith. Honeycrisp have a nice hint of sweetness, and retain their shape when baked. Same goes for pink lady, they’re just a tad more tart than honeycrisp. And granny smith are great for my ultra-tart lovers! They’re perfectly balanced by the maple syrup in this recipe.

Maple Syrup – I LOVE using refined sugar-free sweeteners, such as maple syrup, in all of my healthy desserts. Maple syrup works especially well in this gluten-free apple crisp because it gives the dish a deeper, almost caramel flavor. It’s simply to-die-for!

Lemon Juice – Adding lemon juice to any fruit tart truly takes it to the next level. It brings out the freshness of the fruit, and rounds out the sweet flavors with a hint of acidity. If you don’t have lemon juice, you can use a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in its place.

Rolled Oats – Avoid steel-cut oats for this fruit crisp. Rolled oats are the perfect size, texture, and will bake up beautifully. Any kind of rolled oat will do – either instant, quick cook, or old fashioned!

Coconut Oil – Most gluten-free apple crisps are made with butter, but to ensure ours is dairy-free and vegan, I use coconut oil instead. It does just as good of a job at holding together the crumb topping, but is more nutritious than butter! However, if you’re not a fan of coconut oil, or simply don’t have any on-hand, feel free to use 1/4 cup of cold butter instead.

A spoon scooping gluten-free apple crisp out of a pie dish.

Tips and Tricks For Making Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

  • This gluten-free apple crisp is best served WARM with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! I used Oatly’s vegan vanilla ice cream, but use whichever you like best.
  • Use a fork to mix together the crisp topping. A fork will better cut through the solid coconut oil, forming a crumbly mixture. Or, if you don’t feel like dirtying another utensil, go ahead and use your hands to break up the coconut oil instead!
close-up image of gluten-free apple crisp in a pie dish with a spoon in it.

Adjust This Gluten-Free Apple Crisp Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Nut-Free: Replace the nuts with an additional 1/2 cup of oats, and replace the almond flour with 3 tablespoons of coconut flour!

Make it Paleo: For a paleo apple crisp, replace the oats with an additional 1/2 cup of almond flour plus 1/2 cup of chopped nuts. Just as tasty, and totally grain-free!

Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
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Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

5 from 2 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes
Total time

0

minutes

For an easy, one-bowl, and HEALTHY dessert – look no further than this gluten-free apple crisp! Loaded with fresh apples, plenty of cinnamon, and sweetened with maple syrup. The perfect fall sweet treat, this gluten-free apple crisp recipe is also vegan and dairy-free!

Ingredients

  • For the apples:

  • 4-5 apples, peeled and sliced

  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • For the crisp:

  • 1 cup rolled oats

  • 1/2 cup almond flour

  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

  • pinch of salt

  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, solid

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
  • Add all apple ingredients to a large bowl, and toss together until evenly coated. Transfer apples to a 9-inch baking dish, and spread into an even layer.
  • Add all crisp ingredients to the same bowl you used for the apples. Use a fork to mix together, until a crumbly mixture forms. Sprinkle crisp topping evenly over the apples.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes or until apples are soft, then let cool slightly before serving.

Recipe Video

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