Sometimes I think October should be dubbed "pumpkin month." It seems everywhere I click that bright orange flesh is calling my name with yet another recipe idea. But, thus far this year, nothing has topped a recipe that I discovered last year for Dairy-Free Pumpkin Bread Pudding. Bread Pudding is something I have only indulged in a few times, but this version offers bold and spicy flavors, and condiments (like caramel) that put it over the top. The recipe is by Hannah Kaminsky, blogger at Bittersweet and author of My Sweet Vegan.

Hannah writes, "For ages, some sort of pumpkin bread pudding had been on my “to bake” list, and finally, I can cross that one off for good. Simple as all get-go, I might argue that it’s even better than that ubiquitous pumpkin bread that everyone and their best friend feels the urge to make around this time of year.  Warm, creamy, and comforting, it’s the perfect dessert to ward off those autumn chills while celebrating the season’s bounty. It’s a snap to customize depending on your preference; consider the spices as a mere suggestion, and a handful or two of nuts, chocolate, or dried fruit never hurt anything." Hungry yet? Here is the recipe ...

When I think of Halloween, words like fun, costumes, and of course, candy come to mind, even decades after my trick or treating years have come to a close. But when it comes to special diets (dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, etc, etc, etc), which seem to be scarily common these days, Halloween treats can represent fear and envy more than sugary smiles.

But something began to happen about two years ago. Companies popped up, one by one, offering sweets touted as “for everyone.” In 2006 I published an article called No Tricks, Real Treats for a Non-Dairy Halloween, followed in 2008 by Halloween Just Keeps Getting Yummier for Dairy-Free Kids. You can see that things were starting to get more interesting last year, but it is nothing compared to the offerings for this year. In addition to our 2006 and 2008 Halloween Treat ideas (all of which are still available), enjoy this year’s top ten list (in no special order):

Hannah Kaminsky, author of My Sweet Vegan, has just released her fourth mini e-cookbook, Wicked Treats: Homemade Vegan Sweets without Any Tricks.

Why feel left out of the fun just because you follow a special diet? Wicked Treats supplies you with six delicious homemade candy recipes each with a full color photo (see below for images) and detailed instructions for just $3.00. The recipes include Ghostly Vanilla Fudge, Jelly Bites, Licorice, Peanut Butter Fingers, Rice Crackle Bars, and Tootsie Chews.

Plus, all of the recipes are vegan (dairy-free, egg-free, and gelatin-free), gluten-free (GFCF), and optionally soy-free; perfect for Halloween parties or filling candy baskets with "safe" sweets any time of year!