October is Non-GMO Awareness Month. And we're celebrating with these Bite Size Apple Pies, featuring the newly Non-GMO Project verified GO VEGGIE Vegan Cream Cheese !
GMOs, and particularly GMO labeling have been a hot topic over the last couple of years. It's something we are very passionate about and fortunately, it's an issue food companies are increasingly paying more attention to.
GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are plants, animals or microorganisms that have had their genetic makeup altered, resulting in unstable combinations of genes that do not happen in nature. They have an impact on the environment and on farmers and their safely is most definitely questionable.
There is no mandatory labeling for GMOs in the US, which means, unless you are consuming products that are 100% organic or are verified and labeled Non-GMO , there is no way to know if GMOs are present.
For more information and a list of high risk crops, click HERE.
We've been working with GO VEGGIE or a few years now, and we are proud to announce that their entire line of Vegan Cream Cheese is now now Non-GMO Verified! And still, cholesterol, lactose and gluten free, and lower in saturated fat and calories than dairy cream cheese.
And to celebrate, we've created these cute little Bite Size Apple Pies, filled with sweet, rich cream cheese with a touch of cinnamon and maple syrup, topped with tart organic apples. The perfect little treat to welcome fall.
Enjoy!
Bite Size Apple Pies
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 pies 1x
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 ½ tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup GO VEGGIE Plain Vegan Cream Cheese
- 2 tbsp water
- For the cream cheese filling:
- â…” cup GO VEGGIE Plain Vegan Cream Cheese (the remainder of the 8oz containter)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp confectioners' sugar
- ½ tsp natural vanilla extract
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- For the apple topping:
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 organic Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ cup walnut halves, chopped
Instructions
- To prepare the pie crust, combine flour, sugar and salt in the food processor. Pulse 3-4 times, add coconut oil and cream cheese and pulse a few more times, until the mixture starts to look like coarse corn meal. Add water and continue pulsing until the dough comes together to form a ball. Divide the dough into 6 pieces
- Coat 6 cups of a muffin tray with cooking spray. Evenly press each piece into a muffin cup, so the dough comes all the way up the sides. Refrigerate for 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 350F
- Prick the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork and bake for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool
- While the pie crust cooks, prepare the cream cheese filling. Combine all in the ingredients in a medium bowl and whip together using a hand mixer. Refrigerate until ready to use
- To prepare the apple topping, melt coconut oil in a non stick skillet. Add the diced apples and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add water and maple syrup and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Add chopped walnuts and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool
- To assemble the pies, fill each cup with cream cheese mixture and top with apples
Notes
All the components of these pies can be prepared in advance. Assemble right before serving
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Kosher / Vegan
Ritu Ahuja says
Wow!! beautiful presentation. Looks delicious 🙂