Whether you’re sprucing up your front porch for fall with a few pumpkins, carving pumpkins with the kids to celebrate Halloween, or mixing up your favorite pumpkin recipe, one thing’s for sure–fall and pumpkins go hand and hand!
Why do we love pumpkin in our recipes?
Not only do pumpkins bring the taste of fall to our palates, they also have big health benefits too. We have recipes below, but we wanted to point out a few key reasons why we love pumpkin as a key ingredient in our meals.
Here are the nutrition facts:
- The fiber, potassium, and vitamin C your body obtains through eating pumpkin supports heart health.
- Pumpkin is one of the top sources of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant. Consuming foods rich in beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer, offer protection against asthma, and delay aging or body degeneration.
- Some studies show that pumpkin helps control diabetes as the compounds in the seeds and pulp help to absorb glucose into the tissues and intestines.
- Pumpkins are a fantastic source of fiber, which we Americans don’t typically get enough of. Fiber slows the rate of sugar absorption into the blood and promotes regular bowel movements.
- Pumpkins boost and protect immune system health with their high content of vitamin C and beta-carotene.
- According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, one cup of cooked, boiled, or drained pumpkin contains:
- 1.76 g of protein
- 2.7 g of fiber
- 49 calories
- 0.17 g of fat
- 0 g of cholesterol
- 12.01 g of carbohydrate
- This same amount of pumpkin provides:
- More than 200% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of Vitamin A
- 19% of the RDA of vitamin C
- 10% or more of the RDA of vitamin E, riboflavin, potassium, copper, and manganese
Pumpkins are a tasty and nutritious way to feed your family this fall! If you happen to give one of these recipes a try and it turns out to be a smashing success, tell us about it! (And, don’t forget: if you have any leftover pumpkin waste, consider composting it!)
Our favorite fall pumpkin recipes your family is sure to love
We’ve gathered a few of our favorite fall pumpkin recipes. Any of these pumpkin recipes can be prepared using your own-grown pumpkins, pumpkins you picked from a patch, or canned pumpkin from the grocery store.
Creamy Pumpkin-apple-bacon Soup For A Chilly Day
- 1 15-ounce can of pumpkin (or create your own pumpkin puree mixture)
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- ½ cup of cream
- ½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
- 1 apple, cubed
- 1 teaspoon of butter
- 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
- A handful of cooked and crumbled bacon pieces
*Best enjoyed on a chilly autumn day for supper
- Simmer pumpkin, broth, cream, and spice together while continuously whisking for five minutes.
- Cook the cubed apple in butter separately until soft.
- Top soup with cooked apple and bacon.
Pumpkin Alfredo For A Cozy Homemade Dinner Date
- 10 sage leaves
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 cup of pumpkin
- 1 cup of cream
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 12 oz of cooked pasta
- Grated parmesan cheese
*Pair with a great bottle of wine and some fresh baked bread for a great home-cooked dinner date with your significant other.
- Briefly saute sage and butter in a large skillet
- Whisk in pumpkin, cream, and nutmeg
- Simmer for five minutes
- Toss sauce with cooked pasta of your choice and top with grated parmesan
Pumpkin Pancakes For A Lazy Fall Morning
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon baked soda
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar.
- Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a separate bowl.
- Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture, just enough to combine (don’t over mix, clumps are ok!)
- Heat and lightly oil a griddle or frying pan over a medium-high heat.
- Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately ¼ cup for each pancake.
- Brown on both sides and serve with toppings of your choice. (We like butter, maple syrup, and sometimes walnuts!)
*Wake your entire family up to the mouth-watering smell of these delicious pumpkin pancakes
Pumpkin Spiced Latte To Spice Up Your Workday
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ bup brewed espresso
- Wisk ½ cup milk, sugar, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over low heat. Simmer for 5 minutes and then whisk in the remaining ½ cup milk.
- Pour milk mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove pulp.
- Return milk mixture to saucepan and return to a simmer, whisking for 2 minutes.
- Add espresso and whisk for about a minute or until foamy.
*Forget Starbucks, whip up your own pumpkin spiced latte. You’ll instantly be in the fall mood and energized for the day to come.
Twice Baked Pumpkin Potatoes For Half-time On Game Day
- 4 potatoes
- ½ cup pumpkin per potato
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheddar
- ½ stick of butter
- 2 chopped scallions
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch of nutmeg
*These make for a yummy half-time snack on game day!
Looking for more of our favorite family friendly recipes? See our school lunch recipes straight from the garden.
- Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.
- Halve and scoop out the flesh
- Mash with pumpkin, sour cream, cheddar, butter, scallions, salt, and nutmeg
- Spoon back into the potato skins and bake for another 20 minutes.
While these fall pumpkin recipes will get both you and your kitchen ready for cooler weather, the rest of your house will likely need some help preparing. Put your house in the best hands in this fall season. Schedule a service with us today!