37 Pumpkin Recipes

Why is it that it is only acceptable to have pumpkin everything during the fall? I believe it should be socially acceptable to enjoy pumpkin in all it's many forms all year round. Let's raise up and say "We want pumpkin everyday all year round!" Let me hear you. 

I was looking for some Pumpkin recipes and found a whole bunch. I thought I would share the love. :) Here are 37 delicious, drool-worthy pumpkin recipes from soups to pasta to desserts from some of my favorite blogs and such. I started with desserts because I believe in having dessert first. 

Desserts:

1. No-Bake Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes 

                                                   

2. The Best Pumpkin Cream Cheese- Filled Brownies

3. Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler (Do I have to share?)

4. Clean Eating Pumpkin Ice Cream

5. Pumpkin-Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

6. Slower Cooker Sticky Caramel Pumpkin Cake

7. Pumpkin Creme Brulee (I love creme brulee!!)

8. Oatmeal Pumpkin Creme Pies

9. Pumpkin Cheesecake with Salted Caramel Sauce

10. White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Fudge

11. Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffle (Low Carb!!)

12. Pumpkin Better Than... Cake (a poke cake!)

13. Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting (Good anytime of the year!)

14.Pumpkin Roll (No list would be complete with out a Pumpkin Roll recipe.)

Breakfast:

15. Pumpkin French Toast (yes, please.)

16. Pumpkin Donut Holes

17. The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls (I'm drooling right now.)

18. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes

19. Starbucks Pumpkin Scone 

Pasta:

20. Skinny Pumpkin Pasta Bake

21. Creamy Pumpkin Prosciutto Rigatoni

22. Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Bake

Soups:

23. Pumpkin Chili

24. Low Carb Pumpkin Sausage Soup

25. Creamy Panera Autumn Squash Soup

26. Creamy Parmesan Pumpkin Soup

Breads:

27. Moist Pumpkin Bread

28. Pumpkin Cornbread

Beverages:

29. Crock Pot Pumpkin Spiced Latte (take a sip of that after a long day!!)

30. Pumpkin Pie Frappe (Drink your pie!!)

31.  Best Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte  (save you a bit of money :) )

32. Iced Pumpkin Spice Coffee

33. Skinny Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino 

Extras:

34. Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

35. Homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer (Just another reason to drink coffee)

36. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

37. Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispies (Kids will love these.)

I hope you get your fair share of pumpkin this Fall and everyday of the year. And don't forget to share the love of Pumpkin with those that you love. I hope you have a very happy Fall (and lots of Pumpkin). :)

Peace, Love, Bake on.

                                                   Andrea

Andes Mint Chocolate Poke Cake

I decided to update my last post. I didn't like the name of the recipe, so I decided to rename it. I decided to rename because the ingredient central to this cake that is really featured are the Andes Creme de Menthe Chocolate Mint Baking Chips. I love the Andes Creme de Menthe chocolate mints. Sometimes the best part of going to Olive Garden or some other restaurant is when they give you the  Ande Mints after paying the check. I think they do that so you aren't so irritable about the amount on the bill. It's their incentive for you to come back. They taunt us with those wonderful little chocolate mints. It's both wonderful and sad at the same time. What I am trying to say is that because of the greatness that is Andes mints, I believe they deserve a cake of their own. It's really only fair to them and the world. 
I must also say that even though, I named this cake with Andes Mints in mind, it does taste like thin mints.
When I first saw the original recipes, it called for different ingredients. I made this recipe into my own by just using Andes Creme de Menthe Chocolate Mint Baking Chips. Ultimately it gave the flavor and texture I wanted. Beyond that, it also made the recipe simpler; instead of having to find buy several ingredients for the minty flavored ingredients, I simply had to find Andes Creme de Menthe Chocolate Mint Baking Chips and mint extract. 
When you add your mint extract to the cool whip, I'd recommend that you on the smaller amount and then add more. When I made this recipe the first time, I almost doubled the amount of mint extract. 

*****Warning: If you do not like cake with rich chocolate and mint then you will not like this cake. But that just means more for me. :)

Double Mint Chocolate Cake a.k.a. Grasshopper Cake

adapted from Something Swanky

Ingredients: 

1 chocolate cake mix(& water, oil, and eggs as listed on box)

1- 14.5 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1- 12.8 oz. jar Hershey's Special Hot Fudge Sauce 

2 cups crushed Andes mints 

1- 16 oz. container Cool whip

1/4-1/2 tsp. mint extract 

Green food color (optional)

Directions: 

1. Prepare and bake the cake mix according to directions on box and bake in a 9x13 baking dish for the amount of time labeled on box. Allow to cool completely.
2. Use the bottom of a wooden spoon to poke holes evenly across the entire cake (about 20-30 holes). Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk over the cake, trying to fill the holes.
3. Heat the hot fudge sauce in a small bowl in the microwave. 30-40 seconds should do the trick, you jut want it to soften a little.
4. Crumble half of crushed Andes mints into the hot fudge sauce and mix. Spread the fudge sauce mixture over the cake.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together mint extract, green food coloring, and the cool whip. Spread the whipped topping over the fudge layer.
6. Sprinkle the Andes Mint chips on top. Refrigerate and chill for at least 4 hours (overnight is best).
7. Serve up and enjoy!

If you like thin mints, you'll love this cake. My family does! There is never any left, and when there is a slice left, it isn't for long. The last slice or two is always fought over. 

Enjoy and let us eat cake!

Peace, Love, Bake on.

                                             Andrea 

How to Make a Heart-Shaped Valentine's Day Cake (without a heart-shaped pan)

Any occasion that I can bake up something festive is right up my alley. Valentine's Day is one of those holidays where it's easy to bake up something special.
There's something out there for everyone when it comes to festive bakery treats. The best place to find festive treats to make for Valentine's Day (or really any holiday) is on Pinterest. I love Pinterest. I could talk all day about my love for Pinterest. Anyway, I saw a pin that I thought was really ingenious. It was directions on how to make a heart cake without having to use a cake pan shaped like a heart (those can be difficult to find). So, I thought I was share it with ya'll because something so cute and easy must be shared.

Valentine's Heart Shaped Cake
adapted from BetterRecipes.com

1 cake mix (2- layered or 9x13 size)
Eggs, oil, water (as directed on cake mix)
Frosting
Red food coloring
Sprinkles or other decorations

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix up cake mix according to directions on the package. Divide the batter evenly into an 8 inch greased round and 8x8 greased square pan. Bake for the labeled amount of times on cake mix (or until when a tooth pick comes out clean).
Remove from oven when baked. Cool in pan for ten minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Once cake has cooled, cut the round cake in half. Assemble to cake on a serving tray of some sorts. Use a little bit of frosting to "glue" to pieces together (Follow the picture guide below from BetterRecipe.com) Frost cake and decorate with sprinkles or other candy decorations.
Take pictures at your amazing creation and enjoy!

BetterRecipes.com

I hope my directions don't confuse, but in the likely chance that they do please go to BetterRecipes.com for beautiful photographs and detailed instructions. I hope you have a very happy and LOVELY Valentine's Day!

Peace, Love, Bake on.

                          Andrea 

Pumpkin cupcakes with a cream cheese cinnamon frosting.

My favorite season is fall. The leaves are changing beautiful bright colors, and as they fall and drift through the wind, everything seems magical. I, more than normal, took great notice in the colors of the leaves this year. There were these trees that I passed everyday on my way to school that were this beautiful, bright red. You couldn't help but notice them when you went by. During this time of the year to express the magical qualities that I find in fall, I think of pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin, pumpkin pumpkin. Pumpkin just screams autumn. Above I mentioned pumpkin cupcakes, these little cakes are just scrumptious. Pumpkin cupcakes are fall, all wrapped up into one little delight. So if that wasn't enough to get you to make them, I don't know what will.

Another reason to love these is that this recipe is so super easy to make. If you have a cake mix and pumpkin then you can probably make these. Not a lot of work involved since it uses a cake mix. BONUS! You of course don't have to use the cream cheese cinnamon frosting recipe that I provided but I would highly recommend because it is awesome.  

The cream cheese cinnamon frosting as mentioned above that accompanies these pumpkin cupcakes is absolutely amazing. Cream cheese frosting is amazing with out cinnamon, but you add the cinnamon and it is even more amazing. I could probably just eat it right out the bowl all day long. Pair that with the pumpkin cupcakes, and you have one delicious dessert. So go ahead and make them for Thanksgiving or for just the heck of it. You won't be disappointed. 

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For cupcakes:

1 yellow cake mix

1 can (14-15 oz.) pumpkin puree 

1 cup milk

2 Tbs. oil

5 Tbs. butter, melted

4 eggs

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

For cinnamon cream cheese frosting:

1-  8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

7 Tbs. butter, at room temperature

1 lb. powder sugar (or about 7 cups powder sugar)

1 tsp.vanilla

2 tsp. cinnamon 

Directions:

For cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake holder with liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pumpkin pie spice. Add pumpkin, milk, oil, butter, and eggs to the bowl and mix well until smooth.
3. Fill each lined cupcake holder with batter 2/3 full. 
4. Bake in oven for 10-16 minutes or until when a inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes and then remove from pan and let cool on wire rack or towel. 

For Frosting:

1. Using electric mixer, in a large bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy and smooth. Next add the butter and mix with mixer until light and fluffy.
2. Add the vanilla and mix. Combine in powder sugar 1 cup at time, so that it doesn't make a huge mess. Mix until smooth.
3. After adding all the powder sugar, add the cinnamon. Mix until well blended.
4. Frost cupcakes or pipe frosting on with piping bag and tip. I used the Wilton 1M tip. 

Enjoy! Everyone in my family loved these cupcakes, They each came back wanting another one. I plan on serving these at Thanksgiving dinner. They will easily fit in with any Thanksgiving meal. Or eat them anytime like I am sure my family and I will. 

Have a very happy Thanksgiving!

Peace, love, bake on.

                                             Andrea 

Cream cheese frosting

Who all loves cream cheese? I love cream cheese. Though my dad doesn't like it in desserts such as cheese cake, he does like it in dinner foods, such as dips, like Chicken Buffalo Dip. And he does not like cream cheese frosting, he hates it. But I love it. One of the many differences between my dad and I. 

For Easter this year, I made many desserts including a carrot cake and with carrot cake, you must have cream cheese frosting. So I decided to share my cream cheese frosting with you. It is super easy and yummy! So here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces cream cheese(1/2 cup)
• 4 ounces butter, softened (1/2 cup)
• 2 cups powder sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Directions:

• Using mixer beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Mix in powder sugar until smooth. Add vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. Enjoy!

It's that easy. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. I do quite often. If you want it to be thicker add a half cup or more of the powder sugar to make it thicker. 

Thanks and enjoy!

                      Happy Easter! 

                            Andrea 

Cookie Dough Cupcakes

So everyone loves chocolate chip cookies and everyone loves cake, so why not combine to make something everyone will extremely love? You can with this amazing recipe. And why stop with just the cookie dough cupcake, when you can also have an amazing cookie dough frosting to pair with it. 

I was recently looking for some fun cupcake recipes for my sister's birthday and my birthday. And instantly thought of cookie dough cupcakes. I had made them once but I didn't really like the concept of the recipe, so I looked for a new one and I found one that I like. I found this recipe, courtesy of the Tidy Mom. From that recipe though I conjured up my own version of this recipe. 

Okay, so here is how you make them.

For the Cookie dough cake batter you will need:

• 3 sticks of butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups  brown sugar, packed
• 4 large eggs
• 2 2/3 cups  all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp.  baking powder
• 1 tsp.  baking soda 
• 1/4 tsp.  salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips ( semisweet or bittersweet)

For the cookie dough frosting you will need:

• 3 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3 1/2 cup powdered or confectioners sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 3 tbs. heavy cream
• 2  tsp. vanilla extract

For the cookie dough filling, you will need:

• Refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough from store, rolled into balls.
• Or your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe rolled into balled ( after they are rolled into balls, put them in freezer for 2-3 hours so that it is firm)

Instructions for the cake: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the sugar and butter, using a mixer cream them together until it's light and fluffy ( about 3 minutes). Add eggs, one at time, beating well after each addition and scraping the the sides after each one as well. 
3. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium sized bowl.
4. Alternating add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl with the milk on low speed, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until it is incorporated.
5. Blend in the vanilla extract.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.
7. Divide batter into 24 cupcake liners. 
8. Drop one rolled cookie dough into each cupcake liner filled with the cake batter. Do not push the cookie dough down.
9. Bake in oven for 18-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean when inserted into cake portion of cupcake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans, after transfer to wire rack to cool.

Instructions for frosting:

1. Beat butter and brown sugar with a mixer on high speed until creamy and fluffy.
2. Mix in the powdered sugar until smooth. 
3. Beat in the flour and the salt.
4. Mix in the cream and vanilla extract until smooth and combined. 

I used a 1M tip to pipe frosting onto cupcakes. You can further decorate by sprinkling cupcakes with mini chocolate chips and with a small cookie. 

These were the cupcakes I made for my sister's birthday. She took them to school to share with her class. I sprinkled the cupcakes with blue icing sugar and a little decoration that was the theme for her cookie dough cupcakes. These cupcakes were a hit for everyone who ate them and I am sure they will be hit with you too!

As usual good luck and have a great day! And if it's your birthday, I hope it's a good one!

Peace, love, bake on.

 Andrea

Fun Fact about me: I share my birthday with my younger sister and we are 7 years apart.