My Fall Vice: Pumpkin Spice
It feels like as soon as fall begins, you can literally feel the pumpkin spice permeating the air and inundating your senses. I love trying products with this seasonal flair, admittedly some of which work better than others, and incorporating the flavor into my own recipes.
To me, using pumpkin spice without the actual pumpkin is a little blasphemous, so all these recipes contain some form of pumpkin. You can break down a whole pumpkin (props to you!) or use canned pumpkin puree.
DIY Pumpkin Spice Mix
First things first, it’s so easy to make your own pumpkin spice mix. My favorite comes from Oh She Glows because it’s super cinnamon-y, but feel free to add whatever you like and scale up the recipe!
Ingredients:
4 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Original Recipe: http://ohsheglows.com/2015/10/25/homemade-pumpkin-pie-spice-mix
Pumpkin Hummus
This is inspired by some amazing seasonal hummus I had over the weekend. It was served with pita chips, but I was literally just eating it plain by the spoonful! This pumpkin flavor tends to overtake the chickpea flavor, but the sweet-savory combo works really well. This recipe is adapted from Food Faith Fitness, who recommends pairing this with cinnamon tortilla chips.
Ingredients:
1 cup chickpeas
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp pumpkin spice
2 tsp Coconut oil melted + additional for drizzling, if desired.
Preparation:
Drain the chickpeas and gently squeeze each chickpea until the thin, papery skin comes off. Repeat with remaining chickpeas
Add the chickpeas, pumpkin , maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice and 2 tsps of coconut oil into a small food processor and process until smooth. You may need to stop the processor and scrape down the sides every so often to get everything smooth and mixed, depending on how strong your processor is. Mine took a good 5 to 6 minutes of blending.
Drizzle the hummus with additional melted coconut oil, if desired.
Original Recipe: https://www.foodfaithfitness.com/the-best-hummus-recipe-pumpkin-hummus/
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts, and nothing beats pumpkin cheesecake! This recipe is even better because it comes together relatively quickly and doesn’t require an oven.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 (8oz) packages cream cheese (I use light)
1 cup heavy whipping cream (35%)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups pure pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
whipped cream for garnish if desired
Preparation:
Combine graham crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Press firmly into the bottom and 1″ up the sides of a 9″ springform pan (I line mine with wax paper so it’s easier to get out!). Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and cream and beat with an electric mixer until smooth, about 3-4 minutes. Add sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon and vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy.
Pour filling into pan, smooth the top, cover lightly with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, about 6-8 hours.
Garnish with whipped cream if desired and serve.
Original Recipe: https://www.thereciperebel.com/no-bake-pumpkin-cheesecake-recipe-video/
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Ok, I had to include the beloved favorite that started the entire pumpkin spice craze. But this version is way better than the ones you can get at a coffeeshop and includes actual pumpkin! Yes this is more work than just going around the block, but it’s so worth it.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons pumpkin purée
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, plus more to garnish
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 cups whole milk
1 to 2 shots espresso (about 1/4 cup), or 1/3 to 1/2 cup strong coffee
1/4 cup heavy cream, whipped into firm peaks
Preparation:
Heat the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and a generous helping of black pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it’s hot and smells cooked, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the sugar. Add the sugar and stir until the mixture looks like a bubbly, thick syrup.
Warm the milk. Whisk in the milk and vanilla and warm gently, watching carefully to make sure it doesn’t boil over.
Blend the milk. Carefully process the mixture with a hand blender or in a traditional blender (hold the lid down tightly with a thick wad of towels!) until frothy and blended.
Mix the drinks. Make the espresso or coffee and divide between 2 mugs. Add the frothed milk and pumpkin mixture. Top with the whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, or nutmeg if desired.
by Kathy Wang