I know know all of you are fans of pumpkin but if you are I want to share a few of my recipes. In my family I’m the only one who adores pumpkin. The kids love carving them but that is about as far as their fascination goes. Mine goes BEYOND and I’m not afraid to say it. Two of my new favorite recipes are a single dish baked pumpkin oatmeal and a single serving pumpkin protein pancakes. I’ve been messing around with pumpkin for the last month and some things turned out and some things did not. Pumpkin can definitely be tricky to bake/cook with. Too much and things fall apart quickly. Too little and “whats the point?” If you can’t taste it that no fun either. Pumpkin is a great source of fiber. Fiber is SO to our diet. Now I’m no nutritionist but I have done enough research on fiber that I’m convinced next to water, Fiber is the next best thing we consume and we don’t get nearly enough. We should get 30-50 grams of fiber everyday. A 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree has 7-9 grams of fiber (depending on if its fresh or canned). Pumpkin is also rich in vitamins and minerals: A, C, B2, E, potassium, copper, manganese, Iron as well as small amounts of magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, folate and several B vitamins. Its a great antioxidant.
Sometimes finding HEALTHY ways to include pumpkin in your diet can be tricky. I love to make my own pumpkin puree. It can be a lengthy process but 1 pie pumpkin (done right) can produce up to 3 cups of puree. The best trick I can give on making your own pumpkin puree is to use a cheese cloth to strain it. I sometimes will just let the cheese cloth filled with pureed pumpkin sit in a colander over the sink for an hour or two just to get as much of that excess water and liquid out.
Onto some wonderful tried and true HEALTHY Pumpkin recipes. Both recipes are single serving- 1 serving.
Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
1/4 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1/2 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
1 TBLS Stevia (cup for cup Stevia)- can also substitute maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/4 cup oat milk – can substitute almond milk
Mix all ingredients and place in a greased baking dish such as a Ramekin (I just use my small sauce pan that is oven safe). Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. I like to add some whipped cream to the top before I eat. YUMMY!
Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
1/2 Cup Kodiak (or similar) Protein Pancake Mix
3 TBLS Pumpkin Puree
1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 TBLS Stevia (cup for cup Stevia) or substitute maple syrup
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup water
Mix all ingredients cook on stovetop over medium heat. Think low and slow. These pancakes are very dense (and keep you full for a LONG time) so you want to make sure they rise up and cook through the middle. A dollop of whip cream is perfect- no syrup needed on these!