The fall season is flying by and Thanksgiving is upon us! If you like pumpkin as much as I do, it’s time to get cooking because pumpkin is only in season for a short time.
I love all things pumpkin (well, almost. I’ve never made pumpkin pasta, so the jury is still out).
By the way, do you know the difference between canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie filling? Canned pumpkin typically contains one ingredient: cooked, pureed pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling, however, can include a mixture of cooked, mashed winter squash that’s flavored with spices like cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves, and a sweetener.
Pumpkin desserts and pumpkin chili are on my favorites list for today! The following tried-and-true recipes get a thumbs up at our house; here they are in no particular order:
Pumpkin Chocolate Loaf – Absolutely delicious! This loaf is dense, chocolatey, and moist. Add a few non-dairy chocolate chips or walnuts, if you’d like. I usually make ‘mini-loaves’ of this recipe for gift-giving.
Pumpkin Walnut Raisin Cake – A yummy, spicy cake that can also be made into bread or muffins.
Pumpkin Raisin Muffins – This one has been in my collection since 2009! I’ve been making it ever since – it’s that good.
Pumpkin Chili – With most pumpkin chilis I’ve tried, you really can’t taste the pumpkin. This recipe provides a slight taste of pumpkin, and the fire-roasted tomatoes give it a nice kick (but not TOO hot). Delicious as-is, or you can serve it over a baked potato or sweet potato.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies – Someone brought these to our potluck back in 2015, and they’re great if you enjoy a cake-like cookie. The recipe calls for 1 cup of non-dairy chocolate chips, but I use much less and still have lots of chips in each cookie. Do as you wish!
Impossible Pumpkin Pie – What’s great about this recipe is that the entire thing is made in the blender, and the crust forms on its own as it bakes! I use a 7 x 11 glass Pyrex baking dish which doesn’t need to be sprayed with oil, and also let it bake about 15 minutes longer than suggested. The pie will “set up” in the fridge.
Need a Whipping Cream to top that pie? Try this easy recipe:
Combine these ingredients in a blender:
1 15-oz. can of pears (in water or juice), drained but save the juice. 1-1/2 cups raw cashews, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Blend at high speed until very smooth, adjusting texture by adding more nuts or a bit of pear juice. Refrigerate.
Enjoy!
PS: Here’s another crowd-pleasing dessert: How to make Raw Apple Crumble
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