THere’s one reason Starbucks starts ramping up PSLs in mid-August and the aisles of Target are already turning orange: Fall is the best. All of the TV shows are back on (as if you needed another excuse to stay inside), the weather provides the perfect backdrop to wear your favorite sport, and then there’s the food.
Summer may be great for backyard smoothies and burgers, but fall brings cravings for nutritious, set meals. Hearty chilies, steaming soups, large noodle bowls … The whole autumn season is prime time for the whole spectrum of home-style cooking. Pumpkin is an ingredient that works great in these type of dishes due to its hearty nature. With an earthy and slightly sweet taste profile, it goes well with as many sweet as savory dishes.
Pumpkin is also great for immune support as it is full of vitamin C. It’s also a good source of vitamin A (important for eye health) and fiber. If you’ve never cooked with pumpkin before, you might be wondering what to do with it – other than cake, of course. This is where these ten healthy pumpkin recipes come into play. Bookmark this page and you will have a recipe list that you will come back to over and over again all fall.
10 Healthy Pumpkin Recipes To Try This Fall:
1. Vegan pumpkin muffins
Combine one of these vegan, gluten-free pumpkin muffins with your PSL and you will be in pumpkin heaven. It is made with the warming spices that serve as the backbone of autumn baking: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla. If you’re short on time, use canned pumpkin puree instead of fresh pumpkin – it tastes just as delicious.
Photo: sweet potato soul
2. Vegan pumpkin waffles with pumpkin spice syrup
Waffles are the perfect weekend breakfast and they bring the whole autumn mood to the table. Pumpkin is mashed and mixed with flour, alternative milk, and warming spices to make the batter. The pumpkin puree is also used to make the syrup, mixed with water, coconut sugar and warming spices. It’s pumpkin-on-pumpkin indulgence.
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Get the Recipe: Vegan Pumpkin Waffles with Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Photo: Bren Herrera
3. Pumpkin spice hummus with roasted walnuts and sage
Cook your pumpkin filling and pair it with hummus to add an extra layer of flavor (and nutritional benefits) to the protein-rich snack. Balsamic glaze, lavender reduction, sage, warming spices and walnuts are added to make the taste really robust. Eat it with french fries or vegetables, or work it into a meal and combine it with rice, couscous, or vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Hummus with Roasted Walnuts and Sage
Photo: Very good cookbook
4. Pumpkin in Tacha (candied pumpkin)
Candied pumpkin can be served as a sweet side dish or enjoyed neat as a snack. The pumpkin is cooked with warming spices and brown sugar syrup. Then condensed milk is drizzled over it. They will lick your plate clean.
Get the Recipe: Calabaza en Tacha (Candied Pumpkin)
Photo: Flora and Vino
5. Pumpkin and quinoa bowl
In addition to the pumpkin, this hearty dish also contains Brussels sprouts and quinoa – plenty of gut-healthy fiber in one meal. Pumpkin and quinoa are cooked together with vegetable broth and coconut milk, which makes the dish creamy and slightly sweet. Top off with roasted pumpkin seeds for crunch and more pumpkin.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Quinoa Bowl
Photo: jar of lemons
6. Fried pumpkin salad
This is another recipe that uses both the pumpkin flesh and seeds to fully use the pumpkin. Simply roast the pumpkin slices and serve with vegetables, seeds, walnuts, pomegranate seeds and blue cheese. Drizzle with heart-healthy olive oil and you have a filling lunch.
Get the Recipe: Fried Pumpkin Salad
Photo: Candice Kumai
7. Pumpkin mac-and-cheese
When Candice Kumai took her famous pumpkin mac-and-cheese to the Well + Good (pre-COVID) offices, it was gone in about 10 seconds – it’s that good. The pumpkin makes it extra rich and creamy.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Mac-and-Cheese
Photo: Low Carb Yum
8. Hearty pumpkin casserole
This casserole is cheesy, filling, and prepares your body for bedtime. (Did you know the magnesium in pumpkins is linked to good sleep?) If you don’t eat everything in one sitting, you can freeze the leftovers to enjoy later – they’ll last for months.
Get the recipe: hearty pumpkin casserole
Photo: Gimme Some Oven
9. Pumpkin cookies with cream cheese glaze
Pie isn’t the only dessert you can make with pumpkin; the pumpkin also makes delicious cookies. These are made with cream cheese frosting, but the cookies themselves are so delicious they taste great even without them.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Photo: Clean and tasty
10. Pumpkin pie bars
These pumpkin pie bars are full of protein (made from eggs) and are perfect for breakfast * or * dessert. The list of ingredients is simple and the recipe is as simple as cake.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Bar
Do you love these healthy pumpkin recipes? Get more healthy recipe ideas on Well + Good’s Cook With Us Facebook group.
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