Thirty million. That’s the number of pumpkin recipes a casual search will find on the internet. Now that it’s full-on fall, we’re skipping right over pie recipes to sample some of the more intriguing pumpkin preparations.
Start the day with a Pumpkin Pie Green Smoothie from the expert juicers at Hummusapien. Chia seeds and spinach make this green drink extra healthy.
Anyone can throw a handful of seeds into a bowl of granola and call it breakfast. For something different, here’s an interesting Hot Pumpkin Cereal with ricotta cheese and flax seeds, from the health-focused site Very Well.
Brunch demands something special. We can’t wait to try Pumpkin Bacon Grits with Poached Eggs from Running to the Kitchen.
In searching for pumpkin sandwiches (with cheese from Macheesmo) and pumpkin cookies (with chocolate chips from Foodie Crush), we discovered something even more fabulous: pumpkin-sandwich cookies with cinnamon cream cheese, from Land O’Lakes.
More than 6 million of those 30 million pumpkin recipes are for soup. Check out Chipotle Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Chorizo and Caramelized Apples from Half Baked Harvest. Nutmeg adds a nice depth of flavor to the Sweet and Savory Pumpkin Soup recipe with Maple Sugar at Food and Wine.
Serve up a Creamy Pumpkin Spaghetti with Garlic Kale from Pinch of Yum. Or dish up a Pumpkin Cream Chicken Casserole from PaleOMG. Hummus remains trendy, and never more so than in this smoky White Bean Pumpkin Hummus. The recipe comes from My Bacon-Wrapped Life, but it’s vegan. (Seriously, are these names creative or what?)
If you need to polish off the last of summer’s gin, try a Pumpkin Spice Gin Sour from VinePair. You’ll need to plan ahead to make Flo’s Pumpkin Cocktail; first, infuse vodka with spices, then blend it with a fresh pumpkin-and-coconut puree. Worth the wait, and the effort.
Pet parents will want to try Tuna Pumpkin Biscotti Cat Treats or Puppy Pumpkin Puffs. Both recipes come from Paw Culture.
As we turn back the clocks and days grow shorter, we’re planning to partake of all things pumpkin. But what if, despite the tastiest recipe, you don’t actually enjoy the flavor of pumpkin? We have good news for you, too: That’s what scented candles are for.