5 Healthy Pumpkin Recipes You Have to Try

Pumpkin everything is everywhere – and we aren’t complaining! Whether you’re stocking up with everything pumpkin from Trader Joe’s, perfecting that pie recipe before Thanksgiving, or ordering a PSL on the daily, you will love these healthy pumpkin recipes. You can even whip up one for every meal – dessert too (of course)!

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Neda, of Healthy with Nedi (you may remember her from this post), contributed this yummy recipe saying, “Oatmeal is a great comfort meal for the fall. The pumpkin puree mixed with pecans is absolutely to die for. Get cozy and warm up with this delicious breakfast!”

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup almond-coconut milk ( I like to use Califia Farms)
1/2 cup gluten-free oat
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
10 drops stevia

Toppings:

1 tbsp maple syrup
5-6 pecans

Directions:

1. In a medium sauce pan, combine the almond milk, oats and chia seeds. Stir well and add in the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and stevia.
2. Cook on stove until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
3. Serve in a bowl, topped with maple syrup and pecans.

Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

Recipe featured here

Ingredients (serves 4):

1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (3/4 for men)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg white
1/4 cup steel-cut oats
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon Truvia sweetener
1/4 cup sugar-free pancake syrup
1/2 tablespoon Pumpkin Seed Granola (see recipe below)
1/2 banana sliced (men only)

Directions:

1. Add all the ingredients except syrup, granola, and banana (men only) to the blender and blend until smooth.
2. Heat a nonstick griddle or skilled coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Ladle about 1/4 cup of pancake batter per pancake onto griddle or skillet. Once pancake tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked, they are ready to flip. Cook both sides. Serve immediately. Top with syrup, granola, and banana (for men).

Pumpkin ChickpeaPasta

Neda says “One of my favorite tweaks to high-carb pasta is substituting it for chickpea pasta! Chickpea pasta is high in protein at 25g, high in fiber at 13g and low in carbs offering 1/2 the net carbs of regular pasta. You can actually eat this without feeling bloated and it tastes amazing with this hearty, vegan-pumpkin sauce.”

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 cup water or vegetable broth
1/2 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 cup coconut milk
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pack chickpea pasta ( I like to use Banza)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for 2 minutes, until translucent. Add the curry, cumin, and vegetable broth, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the pumpkin purée, coconut milk and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a soft boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and thickens.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta as per box directions. Drain pasta and toss to the pumpkin sauce. Mix well and serve with parmesan cheese.

Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Sage

Photo by Valorie Darling, featured here

Ingredients (Makes approximately 5 ½ cups of soup)

1 15-oz. can organic pumpkin (BPA-free)
1 yellow onion, chopped
Himalayan pink salt and ground, black pepper to taste
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 14-oz. can organic, full fat coconut milk (BPA-free, gum-free)
16 oz. organic chicken broth (homemade or sodium-free boxed)
3/4 cup fresh sage leaves, loosely packed

Directions

1. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and add 1/2 cup fresh sage leaves. Sauté until golden, turn off heat, and set Crispy Sage aside.
2. Next, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add onion, shallot, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste, and sauté until vegetables are tender.
3. Once vegetables are tender, add chicken broth to vegetables and bring to a boil over medium heat.
4. Once chicken broth reaches a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and add pumpkin and coconut milk to chicken broth and vegetables, simmering uncovered and stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
5. After soup has simmered for 10 minutes, turn off heat and remove soup from stove. Add 1/4 cup fresh sage to cooked soup and use an immersion blender to blend soup. Alternatively, pour into a blender and blend until creamy and smooth.
6. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
7. Pour soup into bowls and sprinkle each bowl with a few crispy sage leaves.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie

Photo by Charla Storey Photography, featured here

Ingredients (Makes 4 mini pies):

Crust:
1 cup cashews
7 pitted Medjool dates
Dash of sea salt
1 tbsp cacao powder

Filling:
2 15 oz. cans pumpkin puree {organic & BPA free}
4 tbsp 100% pure maple syrup
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 heaping tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp chia seed

Directions:

1. For the crust, blend cashews in blender. Then add the dates and sea salt and blend. Then add in the cacao powder and blend again.
2. Roll out crust with rolling pin on parchment paper.
3. Press crust into mini pie molds. I used the mini round tart pans from Williams-Sonoma. Place molds in freezer while you mix together the filling.
4. For the filling, simply mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
5. Take mini pie molds with crust out of the freezer. Scoop the pumpkin filling into each of the molds.
6. Place mini pumpkin pies in the fridge for a couple hours or leave overnight.
7. Take out & enjoy!!

What are your favorite fall recipes?