9 Creative Pumpkin Recipes For Fall Festivities

Looking for a fun and creative pumpkin recipe to enjoy with the cool fall weather and the changing color of the leaves? Me too!

Of course you have the quintessential pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread recipes, but those get tired and old after a couple of times. Try some of these creative pumpkin recipes to switch it up a little bit this fall…

 

 

The great thing about many pumpkin recipes is that if they’re not already vegetarian (and many times, vegan) friendly, they’re easy to convert.

The only ingredient you’re likely to see that would disrupt the vegetarian qualification of a pumpkin recipe is good ole’ butter. The easy fix for that is to substitute Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks.

Boom. Problem solved. Keep on cooking…
 

Now for the recipes…

BPA-free pumpkin pie

I know, I know, I said that we weren’t going to use the tired old pumpkin pie recipe…But this isn’t your standard recipe. This one isn’t going to give you cancer. Mother Nature Network says,

Since the hormone-disrupting chemical known as BPA is found in nearly all canned food in the US, skip the canned ingredients this holiday season and use these eco-friendly alternatives. For Thanksgiving, we made this recipe from Diamond Organics, substituting fresh, homemade pumpkin puree for canned.

Check out MNN’s article for a great idea on how to get around the ever-nasty canned evaporated milk too.

Mocha pumpkin cheesecake

This one comes via my friends at The Daily Green. Check out their post for all the detailed how-to, but here’s what you’ll need:

5 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 cups finely crushed chocolate graham crackers
3 tablespoons finely ground coffee beans
3 packages (8 ounces each) Neufchatel or Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup organic sugar
5 large organic eggs
2 cups cooked pumpkin puree or 1 can (16 ounces) solid pack pumpkin
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
4 tablespoons hot strong coffee
chocolate-covered coffee beans or chocolate-covered raisins

Once again (and henceforth), substitute the Earth Balance Vegan Butter Sticks for the butter and this recipe will be much better for you too.

Ridiculously good pumpkin spice cookies

This one comes from the ever awesome Derek Markham and his blog Natural Papa.

1 cup cooked pumpkin (cut in half, scoop out seeds, place cut side down on baking sheet and bake at 350 until soft. Peel and mash or blend the pumpkin.)
1/2 cup coconut oil (or butter, or even olive oil)
3/4 cup unrefined sugar (or maple syrup or honey)
Egg replacement equivalent for 2 eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

When you head over to Derek’s post for the more detailed instructions and variation ideas, be sure to thank him…he’s been experimenting with this recipe for years to get it just right! Thanks for sharing it with us Derek!

Pumpkin seed brittle

We’re going back to The Daily Green for another great pumpkin recipe with this one. Here’s what you’ll need:

7 1/4 ounces hulled pumpkin seeds (these are the green ones)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil, plus additional for coating spatula
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pound 6 ounces granulated sugar
12 ounces water
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Once again, hit The Daily Green’s post for the detailed preparation instructions.

Pumpkin patch pancakes

Who says that scrumptious desserts should get all of the pumpkin fun? The World Wildlife Federation has a great recipe for pumpkin patch pancakes to share! Check it out:

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (editor’s note: or the pumpkin puree we talked about above)
1 3/4 cups milk or soy milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
nonstick cooking spray
whipped cream or whipped topping substitute

Thanks WWF! This is a great recipe! Yummmm.

Spicy Santa Fe pumpkin chowder

This unique pumpkin recipe idea comes from the ultimate eco-chick, Starre Vartan, at Greenopia.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon red curry paste
1 15-oz can pumpkin (or squash–or homemade pumpkin puree)
1 15-oz can
Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles
1 heaping cup roasted corn kernels
1/2 cup Frontera Jalapeno- Cilantro Salsa
1 cup light broth
1 14-oz. can coconut milk
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Chopped cilantro, to taste- dried or fresh
1 teaspoon raw agave nectar
Juice from 1 fresh lime

At Greenopia’s article, you won’t only find the more detailed directions, you’ll find 2 more creative pumpkin recipes: Pepita fettucini with spinach and cranberries & Pumpkin bread pudding. Don’t miss out on those!

Roasted pumpkin seeds

We’re going back to Mother Nature Network one more time to find out how to turn the seeds from your jack-o-lantern into a toasty treat!

1. Separate the pumpkin seeds from the pulp while it’s all still wet. Once the pulp and the seeds dry, it’s more difficult to separate them.
2. Rinse the pumpkin seeds under cold water to remove any remaining pulp stuck to them.
3. Toss the seeds in a small amount of olive oil or other healthy oil (like canola).
4. Sprinkle with salt or other seasonings (see suggestions below).
5. Bake at 325°F for 25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.
6. Allow to cool. Store in an airtight container. 

Seasoning suggestions:

1/4 tsp salt, 1/16 tsp garlic salt, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce for each cup of seeds
1 tablespoon of seafood season (like Old Bay) for each cup of seeds
1/8 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper for each cup of seeds
Tabasco sauce and salt – adjust to your taste
Italian seasonings, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper – adjust to your taste
Pumpkin pie seasoning – adjust to your taste

Pumpkin ravioli with broth and beans

One of my favorite food
and recipes blog, Herbivoracious, came up with this one:

1 sugar pumpkin, about 3 pounds, halved, seeds and pulp removed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small white onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
3 leaves fresh sage, chiffonade or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
salt to taste
optional: a bit of cinnamon, clove, or smoked paprika

I love how detailed all of their recipes and instructions are at Herbavoracious. Check out their post on this one for all the details.

Chocolate chip pumpkin muffins

Why is there no link for this recipe? Because it’s coming right out of my wife’s cookbook. It’s SOOOO complicated. Are you ready?

1 bag of dark chocolate chips
1 box of spice cake mix
1 can small can of pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree

See, I warned you…VERY complicated!

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix together until they form a thick batter type substance (which will be until you can no longer see any of the spice cake mix in powder form).

Spoon out the batter into muffin tins and bake in the oven for 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

So there you have it. 9 of the best and most creative pumpkin recipes in existence. Which ones are your favorite? Do you have a unique pumpkin recipe of your own? If so please share in the comments…because now we’re all hungry!