Tag: pumpkin recipes

Mini Pumpkin Pies for a Crowd

I’m really not much of a freezer person, but there is one recipe that I make every year for the holidays and it’s this one. These mini pumpkin pies are so festive and seasonal, and they’re great to have in the freezer as a pretty and delicious side dish. I always have them on hand for last minute company and they are so kid-friendly too.

What I love about this pie is that it’s very adaptable. If you are nut free, use oats in the streusel in place of nuts. You can make large or mini pies and swap in different types of milk or oils. You can make your own pie dough or pumpkin puree, if you’re so inclined, or go for the easy store-bought variety. In short, stock your freezer and you can thank me later!

Mini Pumpkin Pies with Pecan Streusel

29oz. can pumpkin (not pie filling)
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c almond or coconut milk
3 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt
30 mini pie shells

Topping:
2/3 c flour
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c chopped pecans (use oats for nut-free)
1/3 c oil
Pinch of salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, combine the pumpkin with brown sugar, milk, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the topping ingredients until crumbly. Fill the pie shells with the filling and divide the streusel among the pies. Place on two parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 45-55 minutes, until crust is lightly browned.

OPTIONAL: Melt some cookie butter and drizzle over pies before serving.

FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS: Place the pies in a single layer in the freezer and freeze until solid. Once frozen, you can layer the pies in a pan, with parchment between the layers. Wrap with saran wrap and foil. Bake the frozen tarts until heated through and serve.

Related Recipes:

cookie butter pumpkin pie
pumpkin banana souffle
pumpkin cake

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Pumpkin Banana Souffle

It’s been a while since I’ve updated you on my Paleo journey and I think it’s about time! I first wrote about my diet struggles back in June, and I’ve since completed two (and a half) Whole30’s. The 30-day cleanse is based on the Paleo diet, with some more stringencies to help the body reset it’s natural rhythm. I love what the Whole30 did for me! It completely eliminated my sugar cravings, and got me back on track to a healthier lifestyle. Hundreds of you have jumped on the Whole30 bandwagon and purchased my Paleo 30-day meal plan filled with over 100 Whole30-compliant recipes!

Now while I fully support the Whole30 concept, I think it works best as a 30-day cleanse, which is exactly what it is. It’s too hard to live a Whole30 lifestyle all the time, especially being a foodie and recipe developer. Which is why I’ve transitioned to a mostly Paleo diet – rich in healthy proteins and fats, and limited to natural sweeteners and no-grain alternatives like almond flour.

I find that the Paleo lifestyle is pretty easy to stick to. I eat lots of eggs, chicken, meat, veggies and healthy carbs like sweet potatoes and pumpkin. Of course my spiralizer keeps things exciting with lots of zoodles (zuccchini noodles), veggie fries and cauliflower rice! I try to always think outside the box, preparing burgers with portobello mushrooms “buns”, making eggrolls with an omelette, or sushi with cucumber ribbons. These original recipes can all be found in my ebook, which you can read about in more detail here.

Although I’ve adopted a mostly Paleo lifestyle, I’m still a huge foodie who enjoys eating out, and developing fun and unique recipes for my blog. In those cases, I believe strongly in the principal “everything in moderation,” so I try and give myself a break to enjoy every now and then. I still have lots of weight to lose, and I think it’s time to head to the gym to get that ball rolling (literally!)

My blog is a reflection of my lifestyle, so I thought it was time to bring back some tried and true Paleo/Whole30 compliant recipes for all of my loyal Paleo followers to enjoy. This incredible pumpkin banana souffle is so ridiculously easy to make, you won’t believe how good it tastes! The banana adds all the sweetness you need, so you can eat this without any guilt. I love that I can eat it warm or cold, for breakfast, dinner, or even dessert! It’s nice enough to serve for company, and it’s so versatile too! Top it with some bacon or sausage crumbles, eat it with some roast turkey, or spoon on some coconut whipped cream for a truly decadent treat!

Pumpkin Banana Souffle

1 15oz. can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk (from the top of the can)

Method:

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine. If desired, use an immersion blender to make it ultra smooth, or if you like bits of banana, you can leave it as is. Pour into a greased pie dish, or individual ramekins. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (for ramekins) or about 45 minutes (for pie).

Paleo Variation: Add 1 tbsp maple syrup for some added sweetness and flavor.

Yield: one 9″ pie or 7 individual ramekins.

Other recipes that use pumpkin puree:

pumpkin ricotta pancakes
pumpkin pie smoothie
baked pumpkin oatmeal
pumpkin crisp
pumpkin whoopie pies

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Pumpkin Pot Pie

I was lying in bed one night thinking about how I could take advantage of the adorable little pumpkins that are so bountiful this season (yes, these are the sort of things food bloggers think about when they go to bed at night). I knew I could make my own pumpkin puree, or carve out a spooky design (although I don’t celebrate Halloween), but I wanted MORE. Something fresh, and exciting, and oh yes – warm (have you seen the weather forecast lately?!).

I thought about real comfort food – you know, something I’d want to eat around a fireplace (if I had one) on a cold November night. And it came down to – you guessed it! – chicken pot pie. At first I thought about reinventing the chicken pot pie and making a vegetarian version with pumpkin and autumn spices. That got me thinking about all the winter pumpkins soups that are cleverly served inside the pumpkin – when I realized – I could have my pumpkin and chicken pot pie and eat it too!

This recipe combines the flavor of fresh-roasted pumpkin with creamy parsnips, carrots and mushrooms. It’s seasoned with fresh thyme and sage and topped off with flaky puff pastry for the perfect fall comfort food!

And would you look at the festive autumn design on these beauties? These pretty pumpkin packages (say that three times in a row!) are as good to look at as they are to eat. They’d make the perfect appetizer for your Thanksgiving meal!

Pumpkin Pot Pie

6 small sugar pumpkins
extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper & allspice, to taste
1 medium onion, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 parsnips, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 container button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup flour
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups diced chicken (roasted, grilled, or leftover from your chicken soup)
2 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp fresh sage (or 1 tsp dried)
s&p, to taste
1 pkg puff pastry, cut into squares (or 6 puff pastry squares, plus additional for decorating)
1 egg + 1 tbsp water, for eggwash

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the tops off the sugar pumpkins and remove the seeds. Brush the insides of the pumpkins with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and allspice. Bake, flesh side down, until tender, about 30 minutes*.

Saute the onion in olive oil until golden and add garlic. Saute until fragrant. Add the carrots, parsnips and mushrooms and continue to saute until tender. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and continue to saute for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer until thickened. Stir in the diced chicken, thyme, sage, salt and pepper.  Ladle the filling into the pumpkins and cover with a square of puff pastry. Cut leaves out of extra puff pastry and glue it to the squares with egg. Brush the remaining puff pastry with egg and bake until golden, about 20 minutes.

*Don’t let the pumpkin get too soft or it will start to fall apart. You still want it to hold it’s shape (keep in mind that it will also be cooking for an additional 20 minutes when it’s covered in the puff pastry).

VARIATION: You may use turkey instead of chicken.

Related Recipes:

veal shepherd’s pie with celery root mashed potatoes
leftover turkey pot pie
chicken pot pie Passover croquettes

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Pumpkin Ricotta Pancakes with Cranberry Syrup


I bet you didn’t think it could get any better than good old pumpkin pancakes. How about pumpkin ricotta pancakes with some cranberry maple syrup to top it off? Thanksgiving heaven, wouldn’t you say? This is fair warning: you might want to get yourself some tissues. There’s going to be some drool involved.


I love pancakes. Any flavor suits my fancy. Blueberry corn and Speculoos Spiced are favorites, but gimme some cheese and I call ’em latkes. These old cheese latkes with raspberry sauce were my idea of a deconstructed donut. This year, I decided to get into the Thanksgivukkah spirit with some pumpkin flavored pancakes with a generous dose of ricotta and autumn spices. Whip ’em up on Chanukah or Thanksgiving morning – better yet – lunch, or even dinner (I am not beyond eating pancakes for dinner)…


I’m gonna go all Pioneer-Woman on you and throw in some extra photos for your drooling pleasure. I don’t know what was better, getting to eat these, or photographing them. They almost look too good to eat, don’t they?


Go ahead, dig in. These babies won’t last long…


Now open up WIDE, there’s a mouthful of flavor on that fork…


Be generous. Slather on that buttery goodness…

Pumpkin Ricotta Pancakes

3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 c brown sugar
8 oz. ricotta cheese
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of ginger
pinch of cloves
butter, oil or cooking spray, for frying

Method:

Add the eggs, milk, brown sugar, ricotta, pumpkin and vanilla to a bowl and mix to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated, but still slightly lumpy. Heat a skillet and grease with butter or oil. Add 1/4 cup of batter and fry until golden brown on both sides. Continue with remaining batter, adding additional butter or oil, as needed.

Nothing goes together quite like pumpkin and cranberries – two fall favorites that complement each other like yin and yang. There’s also no better topping for pancakes than pure sweet maple syrup. Why not combine the  two to make cranberry maple syrup over pumpkinlicious pancakes – a perfect pairing for the autumn holidays!

Cranberry Maple Syrup

1 cup maple syrup
1 cup cranberries
1 cinnamon stick
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp lemon zest

Method:

Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, until cranberries burst, about 10 minutes. Crush the cranberries with a fork or spatula and continue to simmer until thickened, 5-10 minutes.

Related Posts:

cheese latkes with raspberry sauce
healthy baked pumpkin oatmeal
pumpkin banana bread

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Pumpkin Crisp

My local supermarket has been out of canned pumpkin for months. With the arrival of fall, and pumpkin season, I was excited to finally see it on the store shelves, except, it wasn’t. When I asked the store manager about it, he told me that he hadn’t realized that canned pumpkin is only produced once a year, and he hadn’t stocked up the previous year. He was anxiously awaiting 200 cases, but they hadn’t made it on time. I knew I had to get my hands on the stuff for this easy and delicious recipe. Of course i had some fresh pumpkin waiting at home, but I had them set aside for pumpkin soup and candied pumpkin. I made my way to another supermarket and was happy to see the big orange can smiling back at me.

This recipe is pretty much a pumpkin pie, but without the crust, and with the addition of a crispy topping. I like it much better because who really eats that frozen pie crust anyway? I always find it leftover on the plate! This sweet side dish is, well, easy as pie, and perfect for the coming of fall. You can serve it buffet style, or scoop it into little glasses with a bit of whip cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon to top it off.

Tell me, what’s your favorite pumpkin recipe?

Pumpkin Crisp
adapted from a food.com recipe

29 oz. can pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 cup sugar
3⁄4 cup soy milk
3 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (optional)

Walnut Crisp Topping:

3⁄4 c packed brown sugar
3⁄4 c oats
3⁄4 c chopped walnuts
2 tbsp flour
1⁄4 tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp melted butter/margarine or canola oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 350˚. Whisk together pumpkin, sugar, milk, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla until smooth. Spray a pie dish with cooking spray and pour mixture inside. Mix topping until incorporated and sprinkle over pie. Bake for approximately 45minutes, until topping is golden brown.

VARIATION: for a festive dish, pour filling into mini pie crusts and top with walnut crisp. Bake until pie crust is golden.

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