GUYS! It’s FINALLY that time of year! Pumpkin spice time!!! And when I say that, I don’t mean pumpkin spice latte time. I mean literally it’s pumpkin EVERYTHING time!

I’m a huge fan of anything pumpkin. Whether it’s pie, muffins, soup, roasted pumpkin seeds. Really I’ll use pretty much the entire pumpkin. And then when we mix in all those delicious warm spices to take pumpkin to a whole new level, well that just makes my mouth water even more. I mean the pumpkin spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger) + pumpkin = match made in heaven! Because realistically, without them, pumpkin itself wouldn’t be so good. It’s got a very mild flavour, and you can hardly notice it if it’s mixed in with other ingredients. When we think of dishes with pumpkin, for the most part, we’re just thinking about the pumpkin spices.

Confession time. even though I waited until the beginning of October to blog about pumpkin recipes, I’ve actually been eating so much pumpkin since well… probably the end of August. I decided to play with some new recipes to share, and I’m happy I started when I did, because some of these recipes took three to four tries before I got them right!

Since I’ve had so much pumpkin puree sitting in my fridge, yesterday I decided to experiment and whip up a pumpkin pie Greek yogurt bowl. To say it was amazing is an understatement.

You will be able to find the recipe for this breakfast bowl under the “breakfast” menu. Personally it tasted like dessert to me, but I don’t think many people would agree it belongs in the dessert section. Healthy dessert maybe?

Speaking of healthy desserts. That’s been one of my projects for this post. It wasn’t my intention to create a “healthy” pumpkin dessert, but it just happened when I started playing around with crafting a recipe for gluten free pumpkin squares. I need something that’s Ashley-friendly for thanksgiving, while everyone else eats my uncle’s amazing homemade cherry cheesecake, and homemade pumpkin pie. Neither of which are celiac friendly. Thankfully, I love to bake, so I don’t mind the challenge, or making something for myself.

Now, when I say “healthy dessert” I mean it has a lot less sugar in it than most desserts. But, the maple whipped cream that you slather on top counteracts the “healthier” choice.

Now that I perfected this pumpkin square recipe, I actually don’t miss pumpkin pie. I love the oat base instead of the pastry, and I added pecans to the base for an extra crunch, and nuttiness. And then the top is similar to a regular pumpkin pie filling. It’s smooth, creamy, and soooo yummy.

That’s what the end result looks like once you get the maple whipped cream on there. Mouth.is.watering.

And these are great to bake in advance! Because they actually get tastier as they sit in the fridge. Mostly because the spices have time to get to know the pumpkin a little better… and when the marriage of flavours happen… well it’s heaven in every bite. <— super cheesy. But true.

So, what else have I been into that involves pumpkin?

Well last week for breakfast I ate apple and pumpkin oatmeal muffins all week. Specifically, this batch.

I love muffins. They super easy to whip up, because they aren’t as finicky as other baked goods. You literally just keep the dry ingredients in one bowl, and mix all the wet ingredients together, and once they’re both done, you pour them together, give them a quick stir, and pop them in muffin tins. And voila! You have breakfast for the whole week! (A delicious one might I add).

I grew up surrounded by British people, who love butter. Slathered on anything that is bread-based. Muffins are no exception.

Not a word of a lie, that picture describes Brits compared to everyone else with their butter use. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen my grandpa put 1/4 lb of butter on one little piece of baguette.

Saying all this, I happily inherited that love for butter, and these muffins saw plenty of it.

Back in the day when I first started dating Mr. FIL, he used to tease me when I put butter on my muffins. Then he tried it. Now he can’t go back. Eight years later. He now smothers all his muffins in butter. All thanks to me 🙂

…if you’ve never tried it, you should. I warn you though… there’s no going back.

The last recipe I want to share with you is one of my favourite pumpkin recipes, and probably the first one I ever made, using pumpkin puree. Thanks to good old celiacs disease, I can no longer eat them. But, I have tried them, many times, and they are absolutely delicious….

Drum roll please….

Pumpkin oat chocolate chip cookies for the win!

These cookies are a little more dense than your average cookie. They border on the “cake” side, but they are super moist, soft, and SO good. Did I mention chocolate also goes great with pumpkin?

These are my next challenge to make gluten free. But for now, I’ll just bake them for other people. I took a batch to work a few weeks ago, and I’m pretty sure the container was empty before lunch.

I’m so happy I finally got to share all these pumpkin recipes, because pumpkin is one of my favourite fall foods. And as promised, you will not find a recipe for a pumpkin spice latte. Because, let’s be realistic, it tastes like a cup of sugar with a drop of coffee…just sayin’. I mean that in a nice way 😉 (don’t want to offend any pumpkin spice latte lovers).

Stay tuned for more pumpkin recipes this month, because I really am not done yet. Next I’ll be moving on to savoury dishes. There are many pumpkins hanging out on my front porch right now for display purposes… but only for a few more weeks. Cause then they’ll be roasting in my oven, and then moving into my belly.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

(recipes posted below my cheesy memes)

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Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie Bars with Maple Whipped Cream

These pumpkin pie bars are absolutely delicious. Top it with some maple whipped cream, and it's the perfect fall dessert that'll satisfy pumpkin cravings!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 32 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Servings 9 bars

Ingredients

For the base:

  • 1/2 cup GF oat flour
  • 3/4 cup GF quick oats
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 6 tbsp butter

For the filling:

  • 1 1/4 cup pure pumpkin NOT pumpkin pie filling
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup cane sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ginger
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground clove

Maple Vanilla Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. In a large bowl, add the oat flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, pecans and cinnamon. Add the butter, and using two knives, "cut" the butter into the mixture until it is crumbly. Press the mixture into the base of the baking dish, and bake for 12 minutes, until it's lightly browned. Let cool for 15 minutes.

  3. To make the pumpkin "filling" add all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour over the crust, and bake for 18-20 minutes. To tell if it's done, give it a small shake, if the middle doesn't jiggle, it's ready.

  4. Let cool on the counter for 10-15 minutes, then chill in the fridge for 2 hours before slicing.

To make the maple vanilla whipped cream

  1. Pour the whipping cream into a large mixing bowl. With an electric hand mixer, mix on high speed until the cream starts to get light and fluffy. (About 5-7 minutes). Add the maple syrup and vanilla, and beat a few minutes longer, ensuring it's nice and light, and it can form peaks. 

    Adjust the sweetness to your taste preference. 

    Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

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Harvest Apple and Pumpkin Muffins (Gluten-free)

These muffins are warm and inviting. Made with pumpkin, shredded apples, and a blend of warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, it's a lovely muffin to enjoy with a hot cup of tea.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 cup oat GF flour* (see notes)
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 2 tbsp organic cane sugar OR brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie filiing
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1 apple shredded

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

  2. In a bowl, combine the first 9 ingredients (all the dry ingredients) give it a stir and set aside. In another large bowl, add the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla extract, and apple sauce. Whisk together until smooth. Add the shredded apple and stir until just combined.

  3. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir until everything is incorporated and there are no lumps.

  4. Grease a muffin tin with coconut oil or butter. Fill each muffin tin equally until all the batter is used up. Bake for 20-23 minutes. You can test with a toothpick, poke the middle, if it comes out clean, they're done.

  5. Let the muffins rest for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and let them finish cooling on a baking rack.

Recipe Notes

*you can make your own oat flour by placing rolled oats or quick oats in a food processor. Pulse until it is smooth with no oat pieces.

*if you aren't gluten free, feel free to substitute regular all-purpose flour for this recipe.

Feel free to get creative and add some walnuts, cranberries, or pecans to the batter before baking.

 

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Pumpkin Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you love pumpkin, and soft chewy cookies, this recipe is for you. All the flavours of fall in one cookie. These cookies are delicious fresh from the oven, but get even better as they sit.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings 2 dozen

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup quick oats
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie filling
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large cookie sheet. Set aside.

  2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Set aside.

  3. In another mixing bowl, whip together butter and sugars until smooth and creamy. About 2 mins. Add the egg, vanilla and pumpkin puree, and mix on low speed until the mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

  4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture into the wet mixture, and blend until the dough has formed and is smooth. Mix in the chocolate chips.

  5. Form dough balls the size of ping-pong balls, (about 2 tbsp) and place balls on greased cookie sheet, about 1-2 inches apart. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges.

  6. Let cookies rest on baking tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

    Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

 

 

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