By TMoM Team Member Rachel Hoeing
It’s officially time to pull out the pumpkin recipes! For those who just can’t get enough of pumpkin this time of year, I have listed some of my favorite recipes using pumpkins below. From savory, to tummy-warming, to nutritious, to sweet … we’ve got an assortment of delicious pumpkin recipes for you to enjoy!
Sticky Caramel Pumpkin Cake- slow cooker style!
Thanks to Julia C for this yummy recipe!
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1⅓ cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs, at room temperature
½ teaspoon salt
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon
1 jar (16 oz) caramel sauce or ice cream topping
Instructions:
Coat 4½ quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray, turn to “high.”
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in mixing bowl.
Beat sugar and butter in large bowl with electric mixer for about 3 minutes, until light.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.
Add packed pumpkin, blend until well mixed.
Gradually add flour mixture and beat at low speed for a minute or so until smooth.
Spread evenly in slow cooker and cover.
Cook on high setting 2 hours or until center-inserted tooth pick comes out clean.
Let cake stand, uncovered 10 minutes.
Invert onto wire rack, invert again onto serving plate.
Drizzle half of caramel sauce over cake. Serve warm with additional sauce.
Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake
Thank you to Momsanity for this healthy selection!
Ingredients:
¼ Cup Pumpkin Puree
One scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
½ Frozen Banana
1 tsp. Stevia (or other sweetener of your choice)
½ Cup – 1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk (the amount here depends on how thick you like your shake)
Dash of Cinnamon
Dash of Nutmeg
5-7 Ice Cubes
Instructions:
Throw all of the ingredients in a blender and pulse until mixed.
Note: You can use fresh or canned pumpkin puree. Just be careful if you’re using canned pumpkin – make sure it is 100% pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. There is a HUGE caloric and sugar difference between the two.
Weight Watchers Pumpkin Bar Recipe
A big thanks to my friend, Ann H, who had us all fooled with this low-point recipe!
Ingredients:
2 spray(s) cooking spray
20 item(s) gingersnap(s)
2 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup(s) fat free sweetened condensed milk, divided
6 oz low fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg(s), beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup(s) packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup(s) canned pumpkin
3/4 cup(s) aerosol whipped cream
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9- X 9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
In a food processor, combine gingersnaps, butter and 2 tablespoons milk; process until completely blended. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish and press down crust with fingers to form a crust. Bake crust for 10 minutes; remove from oven and let crust cool for 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 325°F.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, combine remaining 2 tablespoons milk, cream cheese and egg until well-blended. Add vanilla extract, cinnamon, brown sugar and pumpkin; blend until smooth. Spoon pumpkin mixture over crust and smooth into an even layer; bake until center sets and a knife inserted in center of bars comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool. When cool, cover and refrigerate overnight. Cut into 12 bars and serve each with a tablespoon dollop of whipped cream. Yields 1 bar per serving.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Thank you to my friend, April B, who bakes these every fall season and is kind enough to share.
Ingredients:
For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
For the muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
1¼ cups vegetable oil
For the topping:
½ cup sugar
5 tbsp. flour
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Instructions:
To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.
To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.
To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving. (It may be hard to resist immediate consumption, but the cream cheese filling gets very hot!)
Julia’s Butternut Squash Soup
I know what you’re thinking … butternut squash is not a pumpkin … but I have found that it is considered a pumpkin in some parts of the world, and I just couldn’t resist sharing this amazing recipe with you! I learned how to make this from Julia Chandler at a cooking class at Southern Home and Kitchen a few years ago.
Ingredients:
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Ground sage*
Salt & pepper to taste
One butternut squash, peeled and chopped
4-6 cups chicken stock
1 apple, any type you prefer
Heavy cream
Instructions:
Sautee carrots and garlic in olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add sage, salt & pepper, stir until fragrant. Add butternut squash and apple, mix in, then cover squash about an inch with stock. Bring to a boil, let simmer until squash and apple are fork tender. Remove from burner and puree with a hand blender, or transfer in batches to blender or food processor. Return to pan, then add cream to desired consistency and taste, simmer but do not boil. Garnish with crème fraiche, chives, or pumpkin seeds, and serve!
*Vary it as you like! Switch sage to curry for a delicious curried butternut squash soup, or add fresh herbs, caramelized onions for sweetness, play with it!
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