Pumpkin Spice Recipes

We are jumping on the pumpkin spice train to celebrate the Big Easy™ Cafe by Ernie Els (Toast Link) opening inside the Stoops Family Adult Services Building. Cafe Manager Jen Wilson has four pumpkin-spice treats to make with your family and friends.

Ginger Snap Parfaits

At our house, we love the fall and mixing our favorite pumpkin pecan butter (often a bit too sweet) with non-dairy plain yogurt or plain Greek yogurt. Layering this pumpkin yogurt mixture with plain yogurt and homemade gingersnaps is often the perfect combination of creamy, crunchy, and delicious!

Ingredients
¾ Cup Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
2 Cups Flour
½ Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Cinnamon
½ Tsp Ground Ginger
1/3 Cup Molasses
2 Tsp Baking Soda

Directions

1. Cream Butter and sugar
2. Add Egg and mix
3. Add dry ingredients and stir
4. Heat molasses, add soda, and stir
5. Add to Flour mixture and stir
6. Roll dough into small balls and space out evenly on a buttered cookie sheet
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes
8. Remove from pan carefully and cool on a rack or paper towels

Pumpkin Cheese Roll

We make this every year on Thanksgiving, and there’s never a single bite left. It packs just as much pumpkin love as a pumpkin pie, but the cream cheese icing swirled into the middle with the spongy-style cake makes it absolutely irresistible.

Ingredients For the Cake
¾ Cup Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
2 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tsp Ginger
½ Tsp Nutmeg
½ Tsp Salt
3 Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
2/3 Cup Canned Pumpkin

Ingredients For the Filling
1 Cup Confectioners’ Sugar
8 Oz Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
1 Tsp Vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 15x10x1 pan. Line the pan with waxed paper and butter and flour the paper, as well.
2. Combine the dry ingredients (flour to salt)
3. Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl until thick and fluffy, and add pumpkin.
4. Stir in dry ingredient mixture
5. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly with a rubber spatula
6. Bake for about 15 minutes or until springy and cooked
7. Loosen the cake around the edges when you remove it from the oven. Invert it onto a clean paper towel, dusted with confectioners’ sugar. (This will help the cake not to stick.)
8. Peel off the wax paper and trim the edges about ¼”
9. Roll up the cake from the short side and cool with the seam side down. This helps so that when you fill it, it holds its shape
10. Whip up the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and sugar in an electric mixer
11. Unroll the cake, spread it with the cream cheese filling, re-roll it, and refrigerate

Pumpkin Bread

Someone in our family is always making this recipe and giving the other loaf to a friend or family member who’s had a tough week or needs extra holiday love. These loaves freeze beautifully and also make excellent pumpkin bread pudding, which we frequently enjoy with vanilla ice cream or, if you’re a non-dairy person, our new favorite, Oatly Vanilla.

Ingredients
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
¾ Cup Vegetable Oil
¼ Cup Butter
3 Large Eggs, Slightly Beaten
16oz Canned Pumpkin
3 Cups Flour
½ Tsp Ground Cloves
1 ½ Tsp Cinnamon
1 ½ Tsp Nutmeg
¾ Tsp Ginger
1 Tsp Baking Soda
½ Tsp salt
1 ½ Tsp Baking Powder
1 Cup Raisins
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts (Optional)

Directions

1. Beat Sugars, oil, and softened butter to blend
2. Mix in eggs and pumpkin.
3. In a large bowl, mix flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, salt, and baking powder
4. Stir in pumpkin mixture in two additions.
5. Mix in nuts and/or raisins if desired.
6. Pour batter into two greased loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie Hummus

Pumpkin hummus is a healthy and slightly sweet way to get a little bit of protein into your day, but it can be a bit sinful at the same time. It’s delicious spread on a gingersnap or a carrot chip, and its creamy consistency is a winner with everyone in our house!

Ingredients
16 oz Chickpeas
8 oz Organic Pumpkin Puree
2 oz Vegetable Oil
1 Tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 ½ Tblsp Agave
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
Pinch of Salt

Directions

1. Rinse and drain the chickpeas
2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the chickpeas, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, agave, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt.
3. Process the ingredients until smooth and creamy in consistency. Adjust with some oil or water if necessary, and season to taste.

Thank you, Jen, for your fabulous fall recipes. We are a closed campus; however, if you are on our campus, stop in for our cafe for some homemade happiness (menu)!