Get into the Holiday spirit with this Fall-inspired vegan grilled cheese sandwich! It’s sweet and savory, contains apples and pumpkin, is easy to make, and is the best way to enjoy Fall flavors!
The weather’s been bizarre here in San Diego. We’re experiencing heat waves (beach weather) with random single crisp and cool days or rain in between. Isn’t it suppose to be Fall? Almost Winter? I love the summer and being able to experience beach days in the Fall, but I’m honestly READY for some cooler weather where I can snuggle up with a warm cup of tea, pile on the layers when going outside, and enjoy the crisp cool air on my face. I guess that’s what I get for living in San Diego, ha!
Cooler weather just gets me in the Holiday spirit. So if I can’t get the weather to cooperate quite yet, I’ll have to just turn my kitchen into Fall. After sharing a few of my favorite pumpkin recipes, followed by my go-to bowl of comfort, it’s time for a new vegan grilled cheese sandwich!
Sweet meets savory in this new Fall-inspired grilled cheese! After creating my 15-Minute Pumpkin Butter recipe, I started using it on everything. My favorite was to dip some green apples into it. So when I needed a grilled cheese sandwich to serve with my Creamy Potato Leek Soup a few weeks ago, I knew this was going to be the perfect combo.
I typically make savory grilled cheese sandwiches, but this sweet & savory one is so good and a great twist to change it up! Plus, it screams Fall. The pumpkin flavor comes in by drizzling on some of my Pumpkin Butter, the sour green apples pair perfectly with the sweetness, and the cheese slices seal everything together to make the perfect bite. I highly recommend spending the extra 15 minutes to whip up my Pumpkin Butter recipe, but if you don’t have time, you can leave it out and it’ll still be a delicious grilled cheese due to the maple syrup and pumpkin spice mix.
One of the questions I get often being a vegan is “Can Vegans Eat Grilled Cheese?” YES!!! Absolutely! You need some melty consistency in between any other layers of the sandwich that can bring all the layers together when grilled and that’s it!
Aside from making your own slice-able vegan cheese (which I have yet to do), in the 5 years that I’ve been vegan, my go-to store-bought brand is Follow Your Heart. I love their cheese slices and have found them to be the best for grilled cheese. They have several different varieties, including pepper jack, american, mozzarella, and provolone (and no this is not a sponsored post, nor did I receive free product). Their slices melt well, taste good (the pepper jack fools everyone), have a nice texture to them, and are my favorite when it comes to making grilled cheese sandwiches!
So YES! Vegans CAN eat grilled cheese. If you don’t believe me, try this recipe out along with my Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich. I served the later for 35 non-vegans at our holiday party two years back and it was a HUGE hit! I loved seeing the surprised looks on peoples faces when they realized it was vegan 🙂
How to Make & Devour This Vegan Grilled Cheese:
- Grab your favorite bread
- Layer on your favorite vegan cheese slices
- Add a few slices of green apples
- Whip up my Pumpkin Butter
- Drizzle on some Pumpkin Butter
- Add some maple syrup
- Sprinkle a few pinches of pumpkin spice mix
- Grill to perfection with some vegan butter
- DEVOUR!
- Repeat again the next day with leftovers (my favorite step)
If you need something quick to get you inspired and into the Holiday mood, then try out this easy Fall-inspired Sweet & Savory Vegan Grilled Cheese with Pumpkin and Apples! It’ll only take you 20 minutes (including the time to make the Pumpkin Butter) and you’ll have the perfect tasting, gooey cheesy sandwich!
Tell me in the comments below, what’s the one thing that gets you in the Holiday spirit?
Sweet & Savory Grilled Cheese with Pumpkin & Apple
INGREDIENTS
- 8 slices sandwich bread , sourdough or rosemary bread
- 8 slices vegan cheese , I used Follow Your Heart American Slices
- 2 green apples , thinly sliced
- 3-4 tbsp pumpkin butter , (optional, see notes below)
- 3-4 tbsp pure maple syrup
- pumpkin spice mix
- vegan butter , such as Earth Balance
INSTRUCTIONS
- Work with two slices of bread at a time.
- Add one slice of cheese to one bread (you may need to cut it in half and arrange depending on the shape and size of your bread slice).
- Top with a drizzle of pumpkin butter (if using), maple syrup, and a few pinches of pumpkin spice mix.
- Layer on the thinly sliced green apples.
- Top with an additional slice of cheese (again, you may need to cut it in half and arrange depending on the shape and size of your bread slice).
- Close the sandwich with your other slice of bread.
- Spread a layer of vegan butter on both sides of the sandwich. Grill both sides on a non-stick pan on medium heat or using a panini press. If you're using a pan, make sure to push down on the sandwich as it's grilling, flipping half way through to grill the other side. When you are done, the cheese inside should be fully melted. Turn down the heat while grilling if you need more time to melt the cheese slices.
- Repeat with the remaining slices of bread to make 4 sandwiches and serve hot. Store any leftover pumpkin butter in the fridge and enjoy the next day!
Serena
I love a good pumpkin butter. This combo sounds delish!
Amanda
I love putting fruit in grilled cheese! The sweet and savory combo is so fantastic. The flavors in this sandwich sound perfect for a chilly fall day!
anjali
Thanks! My first time actually pairing a fruit in a grilled cheese, but the pumpkin butter is what really takes it up a notch!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
What a great easy snack of meal!
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ
Two of my favorites on one sandwich…Apples & Cheese! But I would have never thought to add pumpkin. Great idea!
anjali
Oh you need to make it again then…this time with the pumpkin butter! Only 15 minutes to make and it’s so good!
Jasmine
I have yet to try a sweet and savory grilled cheese, this is intriguing!!
anjali
My first time!! And SO SO good, especially with the pumpkin butter!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
I love the flavor combination here. The combination of fruit and cheese has always been a favorite of mine and I bet I will love it with vegan cheese, too!
anjali
Oh you definitely can’t tell that this is vegan 🙂 but regardless, this apple pumpkin butter is a favorite combo of mine!
Julie
I love adding apples to grilled cheese (though I’ll admit we do real cheese, not vegan cheese), but I’ve never thought to add pumpkin. What a great way to bring in another classic fall flavor!
anjali
Awesome! It’s my first time pairing cheese with apples in a grilled cheese and it was delicious! I mainly thought of it because I can’t stop eating green apple slices with my pumpkin butter!
Rashmi Asharam
I honestly don’t know how you came up with this combo!
Its sounds FANTASTIC!
Anna
I’ve got some serious cravings after seeing this recipe! What a great combination of flavours! Perfect for fall!
anjali
Thanks Anna!!
Reshana
Wow! Pumpkin and Apples are the perfect fall ingredients.. I absolutely love this recipe. The thing that totally gets me into the holiday spirit is when all the stores are decorated with all things festive 🙂 It totally gets me into the mood 🙂
anjali
Oh yeah…love going to the mall during the holidays! But if only the weather was cooler!!!
Mel | avirtualvegan.com
Wow what a lovely flavour and texture combo! I would love this! We bought a panini maker earlier this year and it would be wonderful made in there!
anjali
thank you!! Panini makers are the best!
Sarah Newman
Oh my gosh I love this idea! Since being vegan I’ve forgotten about how good the combo of apple and cheese is, but melted and with pumpkin butter?! Even better!! *drool*
anjali
So good!! Especially with the sliced vegan cheese!!