In the pas few weeks, we’ve been trying really hard to create the perfect Halloween treat/desert that would also be great for your eyes but by accident, we tried Hot For Food's pumpkin pie jars and we literally fell in love, so we’ve simply decided to share her recipe with you. 
This dessert is delicious, not too sweet and it is also vegan! It contains pumpkin, which is high in zinc, a mineral that is essential to keeping your retina healthy. It is also rich in Vitamin A that is great to help protect your cornea and allows you to see under conditions of low light and it is also full of Vitamin C, which reduces the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Finally, pumpkin also contains a lot of lutein and zeaxanthin. These powerful antioxidants filter out harmful, high-energy wavelengths of light, acting like a sunscreen for your eyes! 
Hotforfood is Lauren Toyota’s blog. Prior to launching hot for food and dreaming of running a vegan empire, she was a MuchMusic VJ and nationally recognized TV host and producer for nearly 10 years. If you enjoy delicious and incredibly satisfactory vegan recipes, you should definitely take a look at her blog and her YouTube chanel ! Her vegan cookbook is also available on her website.  Enjoy!
- - - - - -
After your through making a magnificent thanksgiving feast do you seriously have time to worry about dessert too?! I know, you're saying "ain't nobody got time for that!" And often people just serve store bought pumpkin and apple pies. But you definitely have 10 minutes to make a super awesome homemade creation that will impress everyone... yes, you do! 
All you need is a can of pumpkin pie mix, a can of vegan whipped coconut cream, and 10 minutes to bake a very simple, easy crumble topping. A child could make this dessert so you have no excuse!
This dessert idea was inspired by some of the new vegan ready whipped cream products now available in Canada. Look for gay lea's coconut whipped cream and so delicious coco whip! If you're a purist then feel free to go ahead and make your own coconut whipped cream, which is also pretty easy.
You can make this recipe super easy by purchasing pumpkin pie mix in a can, which already has sugar and spices in it.
INGREDIENTS - makes 4 x 250 ml jars
-1 can pumpkin pie mix (farmer's market organic brand is great!)
-1 can gay lea real coconut whipped cream 
-2 tbsp maple syrup
-1/2 C pecans
-3/4 C all-purpose flour (or oatmeal for gluten-free option)
-1/2 C brown sugar
-1/3 C vegan butter
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
 
(make if not using a ready made can of pumpkin pie filling)
Homemade pumpkin pie filling: 
-1 can pure pumpkin puree
-1/3 C maple syrup
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp nutmeg
-1/2 tsp all-spice
-1/4 tsp vanilla powder (or vanilla extract)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Pre-heat your oven to 325 F. 
2. In a mixing bowl whisk together pumpkin pie mix with 2 cups of coconut whipped cream and maple syrup. Chill in the fridge until the crumble is ready.
Or if you're making the homemade pumpkin pie filling, then stir all the ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate until the crumble is ready. 
NOTE:  it's optional to combine the coconut whip with the pumpkin pie filling. It makes it creamier and sweeter, but also tastes just as good if you keep them separate. 
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roughly chop pecans and in a mixing bowl combine them with all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cold vegan butter. Just use your hands to combine and crumble the mixture until it's sticking together.
4. Lay it out evenly on the parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 mins. Watch closely as it can burn easily. Allow the crumble to cool before assembling the dessert.
5.To assemble add some of the chilled pumpkin mixture to the bottom of your serving jars/glasses, then add a layer of crumble, then a layer of coconut whipped cream, then pumpkin, crumble, and top with coconut whipped cream, and a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg on top, if desired. 
You could prepare these in the morning and keep them refrigerated until ready to serve.