Lately, all I want to do is wear overalls and pick apples and hang out with animals and my (imaginary) husband and kids on our (imaginary) farm. I’ve been craving land and ocean and unpolluted skies and quiet more than anything else. I want to hear the wind in the grass along the side of the road, the air touching the leaves and moving along the surface of the water. More than all the zing of this sweet and wild city I live in—with hundreds of movie theaters and the best restaurants at my fingertips—I just want quiet.
More on that when we explore Idaho next week, but suffice to say I am truly a country girl at heart. I grew up in the middle of ranch land and vineyards, and that first, elemental imprint of environment is calling me—hard. I’ve spent my post-high school life weaving in and out of cities and suburbs and islands in the middle of nowhere, always keen to find the place that feels most like home.
This weekend was my friend Chad’s and my second annual apple picking(/*ahem* fall photoshoot) journey to Yucaipa, a town nestled in the San Bernadino mountains east of LA. And contrary to popular belief about SoCal and its has plenty of moody color and weather to offer. It even snows in the winter. And the land bears gorgeous fruit.
Chad and I set out determined to cram as much denim as we could onto our bodies and into the faces of everyone around us. I feel we succeeded quite royally, and this absolutely adorable horse thought so, too. We picked Fuji, Arkansas Black, Rome, and Granny Smith apples, and I came home pumped to use them in a million things.
This milkshake is a twist on the traditional modality of shoving baked apples, butter, flour, and sugar into one’s mouth—a much healthier, and, in fact, vegan, twist. Made with fresh vanilla walnut milk, and topped with maple coconut whipped cream and a salty peanut crumble, it tastes like frozen apple pie but is clean enough to be breakfast.
Have I solved all your problems yet?
photo by Chad Callaghan
No, not quite? How about a semi-shirtless (vestless??) pic of Chad to help you out. And more milkshakes. Do these do the trick?
Yup, that should do it!
Get the recipe for these perfect Vegan Apple Pie Milkshakes on today’s Intuitive Eating with Kale & Caramel.
And ps, you’re so very welcome for that semi-shirtless picture of Chad. Please don’t come back expecting one every week, because I will likely disappoint. But there will always be more vegan milkshakes. I swear on the graves of all of Chad’s shirts.
VEGAN APPLE PIE MILKSHAKES WITH SALTY PEANUT CRUMBLE!
Ingredients
Vanilla Walnut Milk
- 1/2 cup walnuts soaked overnight in pure water
- 2 cups water
- pinch vanilla bean or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt
Salty Peanut Crumble
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup chopped roasted salted peanuts or almonds
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon raw virgin coconut oil melted
- 1 pinch sea salt
Maple Coconut Whipped Cream
- 1 can coconut cream (or full fat coconut milk, made without guar gum), chilled in refrigerator
- 1 tablespoons maple syrup
Vegan Apple Pie Milkshakes
- 7 ice cubes cracked with the back of a spoon
- 1 1/2 cups walnut milk or milk of choice
- 3 medium apples sliced and frozen (2 peeled, 1 with skin on)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon ground vanilla bean or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 pinches sea salt
Instructions
- The night (or 8 hourbefore you make these, soak walnuts in pure water. After soaking, drain the water and place nuts in blender with other nut milk ingredients. Blend until completely smooth. No need to strain, since the milkshakes will appreciate the extra creaminess.
- Open can of chilled coconut cream from the bottom, so you can pour out the liquid that’s separated from the creamy stuff at the top. Scoop out the cream and place in a large bowl. Add maple syrup and whip on medium with an electric beater until creamy and whippy. Keep in fridge until ready to top milkshakes.
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- In a medium bowl, mix ingredients for salty peanut crumble. Spread on a small baking sheet and bake for 4-7 minutes, removing when edges start to brown. Stir gently, and let cool.
- Remove frozen apple slices from freezer and place in blender with all milkshake ingredients. Blend til smooth. Top with maple coconut whipped cream and salty peanut crumble. Enjoy!
- (You’ll have extra crumble and whipped cream—store in airtight containers for up to a week in the fridge and enjoy with other treats!)
