For many people, fall is their favorite time of the year. The crisp air also means we get to enjoy all of the delicious fall comfort foods, and there is no better time for baking than right now. From pumpkin pie, to oatmeal cookies and sweet apple muffins, we’ve put together our top 10 food essentials that we think you’ll need for all of your fall cooking and baking!

1. Vegan butter

Vegan butter is essential when it comes to fall baking. Not only does it add flavor, but it helps you achieve that flaky texture that we all love! It can also help your baked goods rise evenly. Vegan butter is an easy plant-based cooking swap. From cookies and gingerbread, to pastries and pies, make sure to stock up on this item during the Fall season.

Check out these vegan butter recipes:

2. Fall spices

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Muffins

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Muffins

Fall spices are a great way to keep your kitchen cozy and warm. Cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, star anise, pumpkin pie spice, are just some that you should stock up on. You can add them into your baked goods, sprinkle them on top of your fall-inspired drinks, and even add them into your favorite tea!

Check out these delicious fall-spiced recipes:

3. Flours

We all know that flour is an essential baking ingredient. However, if you’re trying to steer away from all-purpose, which isn’t the healthiest option, try swapping it out for plant-based flours. Almond, chickpea, and coconut are some of the most popular, but there is a wide variety to choose from. Just note that when swapping flours in a recipe, it may require some trial and error.

4. Vanilla

Vanilla is a classic baking ingredient that you shouldn’t skip out on this fall. Vanilla is essential in sweet baked goods because it enhances all the other flavors in your recipe. Without it, your pies, and cookies are at risk of tasting just a little bland, and that’s the opposite of what Fall baking is about.

5. Canned pumpkin

Vegan pumpkin cheesecake bread

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bread

While fresh foods are usually always the best choice when it comes to cooking, canned pumpkin will definitely come in handy this fall. Since it can take hours to make your own pumpkin puree from an actual pumpkin, buying it canned is a much easier option during the hectic holiday season. Pumpkin puree is used in a whole variety of fall-themed recipes, making this a must-have ingredient on our list.

Check out these delicious pumpkin puree recipes:

6. Coconut oil

Coconut oil is another essential ingredient in not only fall baking, but vegan baking in general. It’s so great because it’s solid at room temperature, which allows it to work works wonderfully in place of shortening and butters. From frostings and spreads, to cakes and cookies, make sure your pantry is stocked with coconut oil!

7. Vegan caramel

Caramel Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies

Caramel Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies

Caramel is an amazing treat for the festive season. If you’ve never tried a vegan caramel substitute, it’s just as delicious, sweet, and rich as traditional dairy caramel. Whether you make it from scratch at home, to buy it in a store, it’s not only the healthier option, but it tastes spectacular drizzled over ice cream, cakes, and fall-inspired drinks!

Check out these vegan caramel recipes:

8. Apple butter

Cinnamon Apple Roses With an Apple Butter Filling

Cinnamon Apple Roses With an Apple Butter Filling

You can’t have fall without apple butter. Similar to applesauce, it creates a thick, smooth, intense apple-flavored spread. You can use this as a spread, a syrup, or in virtually any fall recipe! Try adding it on top of muffins, waffles, and biscuits!

Check out these vegan apple butters!

9. Cornstarch

Cornstarch is one baking product that vegans just can’t skip. This thickening agent is  most popular in pies, cobblers, and pudding recipes. It also helps to keep the shape and fullness of your baked goods.

10. Vegan cream cheese

Who doesn’t love cream cheese frosting? Vegan cream cheese is an easy swap to make and is a basic that you need for fall baked goods.

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home!

Almond and Date Carrot Cake

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

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