From the minute Labor Day was behind us, we knew the pumpkins were coming out. Pumpkins are everywhere we look and pretty much in every recipe we see — from coffee to soup to entrées to desserts. On October 26th, we get to amp up the celebration because it’s National Pumpkin Day!
You’re probably stocking up the pantry with lots of canned pumpkin purée but why not make your own? Not only can you use pumpkin purée to add natural sweetness to dishes, but just one-quarter cup can act as an egg replacement in baking. The only thing better than cooking with pumpkin is cooking with pumpkin pie spices. They naturally complement the squash – think nutmeg, cinnamon, chili powder, cumin, and allspice. Pumpkin pie spice works in both sweet and savory dishes. Pumpkins also give us pumpkin seeds and here are 12 Recipes with Pumpkin Seeds that will remind you never to throw them away.
Need ideas about what to do with your pumpkins? Check out These 15 Ultimate Pumpkin Recipes are the Only Ones You Need and then try these 20 recipes that show everything’s coming up pumpkins.
1. Pecan Pumpkin Spice Pinwheel Bites
Use wraps in a whole new way with this recipe for healthy Pecan Pumpkin Spice Pinwheel Bites. To make these, simply mix spiced pumpkin purée onto wraps, adorn them with some crunchy roasted pecans, rolls, and slice! You’re six ingredients and 20 minutes away from a simple, tasty, and oh-so-seasonal treat.
2. Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Chili
If you’re on the fence about cooking with pumpkin, this Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Chili will definitely have you joining the fan club. It’s perfect for those of us with busy lives and for those of us with limited kitchen skills. Plus, it’s rich, delicious and oh, so satisfying. You’ll be a pumpkin lover with just one bite.
3. No-Bake Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake
Delicious spiced pumpkin, creamy cashews, and maple syrup … you really can’t go wrong with this No-Bake Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake. Once you’ve made the creamy filling, simply set it atop the sticky date-nut crust and pop it into the freezer! The hardest part is waiting for it to set, but trust us, the results are well worth it!
4. Pumpkin Spice Empanadas With Apple Cinnamon Cranberry Filling
![Pumpkin Spice Empanadas With Apple Cinnamon Cranberry Filling [Vegan, Gluten-Free]](https://i0.wp.com/www.onegreenplanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/pumpkinnadas.jpg?resize=640%2C399&ssl=1)
These lovely little Pumpkin Spice Empanadas With Apple Cinnamon Cranberry Filling are the perfect no-guilt nibble to offer your family and friends. The crust is crisp on the edges, yet tender, and delicately pumpkin-flavored with a touch of pie spices, while the filling is bursting with cinnamon infused apples and tart cranberries. They are also just too cute! Sweet and neat little mini pies, no forks necessary. If you’re looking for a last-minute appetizer or dessert idea, look no further!
5. Healing Pumpkin Turmeric Soup
It’s easy to get caught up with all of the different flavors and textures of food and forget that at the end of the day, food’s most important role is to fuel and nourish our bodies. This Healing Pumpkin Turmeric Soup is a delicious immune boosting dish to help prevent yourself from getting sick as the season’s transition. It’s made with pumpkin, coconut cream, vegetables, and plenty of fresh ginger and turmeric. Top these with roasted sunflower seeds or some coconut bacon to add a savory touch to the soup’s sweetness.
6. Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars
These Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars are perfect if you love the pumpkin and chocolate combination. It would be safe to say it runs a close second only to the peanut butter and chocolate combination. Not only do these bars have a chocolate crust, but a creamy pumpkin filling loaded with chocolate chips. And best of all … They’re healthy and super easy to make!
7. Pumpkin Tempeh Veggie Burgers
When it comes to making veggie burgers, the sky is the limit. This meaty Pumpkin Tempeh Veggie Burger is made from a combination of pumpkin purée, tempeh, and kale, so it’s packed with flavor and nutrition. The herbs are standard and could be substituted for whatever you like best because the real star flavor is liquid smoke. These burgers freeze fantastically, making them great options for a mid-week meal when you don’t necessarily have the time to cook.
8. Pumpkin Protein Scones
Why not start your day off with a delicious dose of pumpkin? These tasty, protein-rich Pumpkin Scones are perfect for a crisp Fall morning with fresh coffee. Made with pumpkin purée, maple syrup, plenty of spices, and a bit of almond milk for moistness, these treats taste great plain, with a bit of powdered sugar, or with some spiced pumpkin glaze.
9. Pumpkin Oatmeal Streusel Bars
Combine the delicious, robust flavor of pumpkin with the texture of chewy oatmeal cookies with these Pumpkin Oatmeal Streusel Bars. Made with pumpkin purée, old fashioned oats, coconut sugar, and pecans, they are a yummy combination of sweet, salty, chewy, and firm. These bars make the perfect mid-day pick-me-up, after school snack, dessert, or even holiday dessert.
10. Pumpkin Sage Rigatoni With Shiitake Bacon
Say “hello” to Pumpkin Sage Rigatoni With Shiitake Bacon – the perfect fall pasta dish. Pasta is served in a rich pumpkin sauce with mushroom bacon and vegan Parmesan. Not only does it taste delicious, but the aesthetic appeal of this dish just screams fall. Creamy pumpkin sauce, hearty pasta, kale, and smoky Shiitake bacon — everything blends seamlessly together and gives both a savory and sweet flavor profile.
11. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Need the perfect dessert to bring to a fall event? Try these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies! Sweet, decadent maple cream cheese frosting is sandwiched between two fluffy pumpkin cakes. Not only do you get the fantastic flavors of pumpkin and maple together, but you also get the warm flavors of cinnamon and cloves baked into the cakes! Yum.
12. Lentil and Pumpkin Tagine Stuffed Peppers
Sometimes it’s the simple dishes that give the most glee. Case in point, these Lentil and Pumpkin Tagine Stuffed Peppers. Stuffed with hearty lentils and steamed pumpkin, along with green beans and rice, they’re bright, colorful, warm, and comforting. They’re easy to whip up for dinner and so filling, you won’t even need sides — but save room for dessert.
13. Mini Pumpkin Spice Orange Layer Cake
Warm, spicy, sweet, and zesty, this Mini Pumpkin Spice Orange Layer Cake is the cake to make for all small fall gatherings. The cake is a blend of all-purpose and spelt flour, which gives it a wonderful, heartier texture that pairs perfectly with the autumnal spices. Finally, it’s topped with a rich raw almond frosting that’s like the best buttercream you’ve ever had. The recipe is versatile, so you can make one mini cake or six cupcakes.
14. Pumpkin Spice Pastry Log
This Pumpkin Spice Pastry Log is a moderately healthy breakfast or dessert that is sure to become a seasonal favorite. Flaky pastry dough is filled with a date sweetened pumpkin purée, crunchy walnuts, and decadent cream cheese. It pairs perfectly with a cup of black coffee or would be a nice sweet treat served warm to end a fall meal.
15. Pumpkin Gnocchi in Spiced Butter Sauce With Lemon Cashew Cheese
This Pumpkin Gnocchi in Spiced Butter Sauce With Lemon Cashew Cheese is an elegant entrée that will definitely impress everyone. Luscious homemade pumpkin gnocchi blanketed in richly spiced butter sauce and lemon cashew cream … Who wouldn’t want that for dinner? Only people who don’t like pumpkin – or happiness.
16. Pumpkin Halwa Puff Pastry Tarts
Pumpkin Halwa is a traditional Indian dessert that is essentially mashed pumpkin spiced with saffron and sugar. This recipe for Pumpkin Halwa Puff Pastry Tarts takes this tasty pumpkin dessert and nestles it into a tiny puff pastry. These little tartlets are perfect party treats.
17. Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
These Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Swirl Brownies will make you think of words like rich, ooey-gooey, and decadent. They’re made with bars of dark chocolate, cacao chunks, and rich cacao butter that make these brownies a trifecta of chocolatey heaven. The pumpkin adds a soft, gooey pumpkin layer to an already sweet, fudgy bottom layer. You’re gonna love ’em.
18. South Indian Mashed Pumpkin
In this South Indian dish of Mashed Pumpkin, yellow pumpkin is cooked until tender in a pot tempered with curry leaves and spicy mustard seeds. As it cooks, onions, spicy chiles, and turmeric are added to the pot and cooked until the pumpkin is tender enough to be mashed. This side dish is spicy and best paired with rice and your favorite curry.
19. Pumpkin and Adzuki Bean Masala Curry
This recipe for lightly spiced Pumpkin and Adzuki Bean Masala Curry is hearty and wholesome, with soft bites of pumpkin cooked in curry sauce, adzuki beans, and creamy coconut milk. It’s seasoned with garam masala and a bit of fresh ginger for a touch of spicy flavor. Serve this with some greens, such as kale, ladle it over a bed of brown rice.
20. Pumpkin Cheesecake Bread
This Pumpkin Cheesecake Bread was created for everybody with an affinity for all things pumpkin. The bread is packed with spices and pumpkin purée — which gives this bread a high moisture content, so if you prefer a dryer bread, simply omit the flax egg. The bread is wrapped around a cheesecake filling and topped with a simple icing and crunchy toasted walnuts.
It’s pumpkin season and with these 20 amazing recipes, you’ll find yourself stocking up on these orange beauties.
Lead image source: Pumpkin and Adzuki Bean Masala Curry
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Oh, yeah! Thank you so much! This is why I love autumn: pumpkin in everything!! While I know most of these recipes – I\’m a pumpkin freak – I was pleasantly surprised with the South Indian Mashed Pumpkin and a few others! Health and wellness in a dish! Thank you!
Cassidy,
Content Editor at http://www.healthcaresalariesguide.com