It may still be sweltering where I live, but I’m at least making sure it tastes like fall with these creative recipes that give us all kinds of ways to use canned pumpkin. From breakfast to dessert to dinner, these recipes rely on simple store bought canned pumpkin puree (read: no sorting through sticky pumpkin guts, yay!) that you probably already have tucked away in the pantry.
So here’s to enjoying the flavors of fall–even if we have to enjoy them it in shorts and t-shirts.
Top image: Slow cooker pumpkin spice lattes | The Kitchn
Related: 5 easy, savory pumpkin dinners that have nothing to do with pumpkin spice.
Serve it for breakfast
It’s official: Dutch babies have all but taken the place of pancakes in our household. And why wouldn’t they, with less hands-on time and none of those first-one-in-the-pan duds that always seem to happen to me. I can’t wait to try Chrystal’s take on the dish with this gluten-free pumpkin spice Dutch baby from her site Gluten Free Palate. Just use regular flour if gluten isn’t a problem for your family.
DIY Pumpkin Spice Lattes
Does anyone else feel cozier just looking at these slow cooker pumpkin spice lattes from the Kitchn? I know I do. Plus, the idea of having ladle-able, serve-yourself PSL lattes at my next holiday sounds like the perfect way to show great hospitality–while embracing my inner basic PSL-loving self.
related: Save money with these 9 Starbucks copycat recipes that you can make at home.
Take the cheese out of the mac n cheese
If you’re looking for a healthier way to add pumpkin to your menu, check out this vegan pumpkin mac and cheese at Lindsey Eats LA. It looks like the ideal kid-friendly, nutritious weeknight meal , just with more fall spirit!
Mmmm…oatmeal
My son has been really digging the oatmeal for breakfast recently, and I’m always looking for ways to spice it up for both of us. So this slow cooker pumpkin spice oatmeal at The Lemon Bowl jumped out at me immediately. Plus, it’s ready when you wake up in the morning, so there’s no forcing a hungry toddler to wait 20 minutes while you boil water. Winning.
Related: All the pumpkin spice recipes you actually want to eat.
Exotic soups
I love a good pumpkin soup, and this oh-so simple Thai coconut pumpkin soup at Just a Taste is making me will the cool weather to come even more. It’s delightfully light, comes together with 15 minutes of prep, and tastes like heaven on a slice of crusty, buttered bread.
Not pumpkin pies…whoopie pies
So many things to love about these pumpkin whoopie pies — starting with the name whoopie pies. They may be a little (or a lot) decadent, but for me, sometimes it’s worth the sugar intake to completely surprise and delight my kid. And I think he’d go crazy for these treats. Thank you for this recipe, My Baking Addiction!
Cake FTW
If you’re expecting temperatures in the 90s even into October like we are in Nashville (le sigh), give this pumpkin icebox cake from Life made Sweeter a try. It’s the perfect treat for your next pumpkin-carving party. Besides freshly roasted pumpkin seeds, obviously.
