#PumpkinSpiceEverything am I right?  SO many of you guys have requested pumpkin spice recipes for my channel and I’ve created 3 healthy and delicious ways to enjoy pumpkin spice for breakfast.  These are recipes that you can either create the night before and take along with you on-the-go or prepare within minutes for those crazed mornings where you need sustenance that’s filling and nutritious but you don’t have time to prepare a proper meal.

First up is my pumpkin granola.  This one is packed with warm spices with bits of caramelized nuggets of sweetness weaving through toasted oats.  I like to serve mine with ground flax seeds which are more easily absorbed than whole flax seeds and hemp seeds which lend a nutty quality to the granola.  Did you know that oats have more dietary fiber than any other grain?  The FDA also claims that they can be part of a healthy diet to reduce heart disease, lower cholesterol and high blood pressure.  How about that for just eating breakfast?  And with granola as delicious as this one, you’ll look forward to it!

Next is my favorite.  Pumpkin chia seed pudding.  Its creamy decadence defaults to a true pumpkin pie experience.  I’ve literally had this for breakfast the past 4 days straight.  It’s that good.  I’ve experimented with enjoying it cold, at room temperature and warm {gently heated through a bit of extra nut milk in a sauce pan} and I can vouch for all of them.  I like to top my chia pudding with a nutty topping {walnuts, almonds, and pumpkin seeds are especially good here} and dust with ceylon cinnamon aka “real cinnamon.”  Cassia cinnamon is what most folks are familiar with but ceylon cinnamon possesses a much more delicate and sweeter flavor profile.  More importantly, cassia cinnamon contains more coumarin which is a natural compound that acts as a blood thinner.  In any event, the lighter quality of ceylon cinnamon is best used in sweeter applications like desserts vs it’s heavier cousin, cassia.

Lastly is my pumpkin smoothie which has been a wonderful switch up from my regular kale or spirulina smoothies.  It’s been a real treat but still keeps me full with its protein while being satisfying at the same time.  The frozen banana keeps it thick and creamy.  If you want it even thicker, I highly recommend freezing the pumpkin puree.  Both elements eliminate the need for any extra ice cubes which can later water the smoothie down.  This smoothie is also a great way to nix the overwhelming craving for pumpkin spice milkshakes or ice cream as they’ve been bombarding the shelves lately.  My pumpkin smoothie is packed with protein from the milk and yogurt, vitamin A and beta carotene from the pumpkin and is free of refined sugars all while tasting like a dessert drink.

5.0 from 3 reviews

Pumpkin Spice – 3 Healthy Breakfast Recipes

 

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Ingredients

Pumpkin Granola

• 1.5 c rolled oats
• 2 tb brown sugar
• 2 tb raw honey
• 2 tb coconut {or pumpkin oil}
• 2 ts pumpkin spice
• ½ ts kosher salt
• Optional add ins: ground flax, hemp hearts, walnuts/almonds/pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin Chia Pudding

• 3 tb chia seeds
• 1 c milk {nut/dairy}
• ½ c pumpkin puree
• 1 ts pumpkin spice
• ½ ts pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of sea salt
• 2-4 tb honey/maple syrup
• Optional: ceylon cinnamon/pumpkin or nut garnish

Pumpkin Smoothie

• 1 frozen banana
• ¼ c greek yogurt
• 1 ts pumpkin spice
• 1 c milk {dairy/nut}
• 2-4 tb honey/maple syrup {can also sub with dates}
• ½ c pumpkin puree {frozen for a thicker smoothie}

Instructions

Pumpkin Granola:

1. Mix everything together and spread evenly onto a lined baking sheet.
2. Bake at 250 for 1 hour, regularly stirring.
3. Cool and toss in desired add ins.

Pumpkin Chia Pudding:

1. Mix everything together and let sit for 20 minutes. Occasionally stir.
2. Before serving, garnish with desired toppings.

Pumpkin Smoothie:

1. Blend everything together.

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Have you ever had a dry, crumbly and flavorless scone?  I have.  Countless times.  I decided long ago that I’d banish those to replace them with the words moist, soft, tender, and buttery.  This is exactly what my recipe will bring you.  There are several tips and tricks that I share with you in this video to ensure that you never make a brittle or bland scone ever again.

http://youtu.be/Sy8ZXRKc6KM

5.0 from 2 reviews

Scones + Tips & Tricks

 

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 c unbleached flour
• 1 c sugar
• 2 ts baking powder
• ½ ts fine salt
• ⅛ ts cream of tartar
• ½ c frozen unsalted butter
• ½ c cold whole sour cream
• ½ ts baking soda
• ½ cold egg {1 oz}
• ⅓ c + 1 tb cold pumpkin puree
• 1½ ts pumpkin spice

Glaze

• ¼ c sweetened condensed milk
• ¼ c sifted confectioners sugar
• 1 ts pumpkin spice
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk/sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cream of tartar.
2. Over this bowl, grate in the frozen butter and toss to combine with the dry mixture. Store in the freezer while working on the other ingredients.
3. Scoop the sour cream into a small bowl and sprinkle in the baking soda and stir. Set aside for 5 minutes.
4. After 5 minutes, stir in the egg.
5. In a separate bowl, mix the puree with the spice.
6. Take the large bowl out of the freezer and pour in the other two bowls {with the sour cream and pumpkin}. Mix just to combine.
7. Scrape dough out onto a work surface and lightly press together into a tall lump then flatten. Cut out desired shapes.
8. Bake on a well greased baking sheet at 350 for 19-22 minutes.
9. Cool scones {if it’s too hot, the glaze will not set but if it’s just a bit warm, it will soak in nicely}
10. To make the glaze, whisk everything together and pour a bit onto each scone.

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Love,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~

Though human nature dictates that we always want what we cannot have, this seems particularly true for me when it comes to the realm of all things edible.  Since the move, I can’t seem to find any frozen yogurt {or a Starbucks, for that matter} and after wistfully yearning and salivating over the posts for #pumpkinspiceeverything , I decided to take matters into my own hands and blended two cravings into one.  And with just 5 ingredients and no need for any fancy equipment, how can you say no?

http://youtu.be/mUFW7zMaHT8

5.0 from 2 reviews

Pumpkin Spice FroYo

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Serves: 2-3 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 c whole greek yogurt
• 1 c pumpkin puree {not pumpkin pie filling}
• ¼ c sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tb pure maple syrup/raw honey
• 1 ts pumpkin spice

Instructions

1. In a medium to large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients.
2. Cover with plastic wrap, directly over the surface.
3. Allow to set in the freezer, stirring every couple of hours. The more you stir, the more you break up the ice crystals and mimic the churning process. This will result in a much more creamier product.
4. Before scooping, thaw for 15-20 minutes and serve.

3.2.2807

This is especially delicious with my 3 minute salted caramel sauce.

Love,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~

As promised, today I bring to you a recipe for those pumpkin seeds. Never to be destined for the compost again, there’s a sure fire way to light, crispy {and easily digestible} roasted pumpkin seeds.

https://youtu.be/mGnMKuWdcDM

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds {Extra Crispy}

 

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Serves: 2 Servings

Ingredients

• Seeds from 1 *sugar* pumpkin
• 1 tb melted butter
• 3 tb + 1 ts pumpkin spice

Instructions

1. Clean/wash the seeds.
2. Boil in salted water for 10 minutes.
3. Dry thoroughly {the drier = the crispier}
4. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and toss with melted butter/spices.
5. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, stirring in between.

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{DIY Pumpkin Spice}

The flavor possibilities are endless! Sriracha/honey, garlic parm, curry, cayenne, maple…

Don’t forget to check out tomorrows video!

Love,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~

At my local market, organic sugar pumpkins were on super sale so I just couldn’t resist.  I took this baby home, gutted and stuffed him {seemingly a horrific fate for him but a delicious one for me}!

httpv://youtu.be/bbVgZ-OByv4

Pumpkin Dip

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Ingredients

• 8 oz mascarpone cheese
• 4 tb maple syrup
• 2 tb powdered sugar
• ¼ c pumpkin puree
• ½ tb pumpkin spice
• 1 ts vanilla
• 2 tb cream

Instructions

1. In a bowl, blend everything together.
2. Stuff into a hollowed out sugar pumpkin or bowl.
3. Serve with crackers/biscuits/cookies/fruit.

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And please don’t throw away the emptied pumpkin/seeds.  You can scrape him clean and roast then puree for a simple and delicious homemade pumpkin puree and tomorrow, I’ll show you how to roast the *crispiest* pumpkin seeds ever.

Love,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~

I’m one self-professed donut addict but with these soft and tender donuts that are baked, you won’t feel too guilty on your fourth one

httpv://youtu.be/Uj17G0bXbtU

Gingerbread Donuts {Baked}

 

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Serves: 1 Dozen

Ingredients

• 1 c unbleached flour
• ½ ts baking powder
• ¼ ts baking soda
• 2 ts pumpkin spice
• ⅔ c brown sugar
• 4½ tb canola oil
• 1 ts molasses
• 2 room temperature eggs
• 2 ts pure maple syrup
• ½ ts pumpkin spice
• powdered sugar

Instructions

1. In the first bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder/soda, and pumpkin spice.
2. In the second bowl, cream together the sugar, oil, and molasses. Drop in one egg at a time.
3. Combine the two bowls, taking care not to over mix.
4. Fill a donut baking pan and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.
5. In a third bowl, whisk together syrup, spice, and enough powdered sugar for a thick glaze consistency.

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{Homemade Pumpkin Spice}

Loving Autumn,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~

If you made my pumpkin spice frappuccino, you probably have some of that luscious syrup left over.  I like to store mine in a mason jar in the fridge and use it to liberally douse vanilla bean ice cream, spike my mug of hot something or another in the mornings, and have even used it for a gorgeous pumpkin spice buttercream.  Another use for it is to whip up the easiest ice cream ever!  2 ingredients, no eggs, churning or special equipment required.  No muss, no fuss.

httpv://youtu.be/ObDpIBCj5AE

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream {2 Ingredients}

 

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Serves: 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 c heavy cream
• 1 c homemade pumpkin spice syrup
• Optional: 2 ts vanilla extract and 2 tb sweetened condensed milk*

Instructions

1. Whip the heavy cream using a whisk.
2. When bubble float to the top, stream in your syrup.
3. Whip until soft peaks form (when you lift the whisk up, the peak of the cream softly wilts).
4. Smooth into a baking dish and freeze overnight.

Notes

Does not include chilling time.
*These are not necessary but do help further break up any ice crystals

3.2.2925

Alternative Pumpkin Ice Cream:

Ingredients:

• 2 c heavy cream
• 1 1/2 c pumpkin puree
• 1 c brown sugar
• 1 ts freshly grated ginger
• 1 1/2 ts pumpkin spice
• 1 ts vanilla
• 1/4 ts fine salt
• 2 ts Grand Marnier (optional)

Instructions:

1. Whisk everything together.  Pour into an ice cream maker (prepare per manufacturer’s directions).

How about enjoying a scoop or two of this with a fat slice of pumpkin roll cake?

Love,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~

Soft, moist and stuffed with real pumpkin flavor, a perfect pumpkin roll cake is well within your reach with the right tools and technique.  In todays video, I demonstrate just how to achieve it.

Ideally, you want your pumpkin roll without any unsightly cracks or tears and the right ratio of cake to filling.  The cake should have a soft and tender crumb and when you cut into the log with a sharp serrated knife, {wiping between each swipe} it should be compactly coiled without the filling oozing out everywhere.  Pinterest also tells me that you can easily cut into a cake with floss.  Thanks Pinterest.

Today, I show you precisely how this is possible to achieve in my video, going through each step with you because I’ll be honest, my first attempt at a jelly-roll style cake was a cake-tastrophe.  #Caketastrophe hashtag nouglypieces because I gobbled it all up before anyone could see.  It tasted just fine but the aesthetic was horrendous and I wasn’t about to serve shredded bits of cake piled high on a platter to anyone.  Lesson learned.  Part of what I learned is that cakes are a lot like pets, if that makes any sense. They all have different but very specific needs.  Without the proper attention, they refuse to cooperate but with specialized training {and in this case, I quite literally mean you have to train this cake} they will finally yield the most desirable results.

Without further ado, I bring you two of my favorite things.  Pumpkin and cake because ’tis the season for pumpkin!  If I had any reservations at all for trading sunny days for cooler weather, the bounty of spice, warmth, and pumpkin-y goodness completely eradicates those.  I like to usher in autumn with pumpkin spice ice cream or pumpkin spice frappuccino in one hand and a plate piled high with these pumpkin rolls in another.  I invite you to celebrate the occasion with me by whipping up a batch of this soft and delicious cake, stuffed with spiced cream cheese frosting.

https://youtu.be/wbgIsVdwip0

5.0 from 4 reviews

Pumpkin Roll Cake

 

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Serves: 15 x 10 pan – 4-6 Servings

Ingredients

• ¾ c unbleached flour
• ½ ts baking powder
• ½ ts baking soda
• 1½ ts pumpkin spice
• ¼ ts fine salt
• 3 room temperature eggs
• ½ c brown sugar
• ¼ c granulated sugar
• 2 ts pure vanilla extract
• ⅔ c pumpkin puree

Filling:

• 8 oz room temperature cream cheese
• 4 oz room temperature unsalted butter
• 1 tb heavy cream
• 1 ts pure vanilla extract
• 1 ts pumpkin spice
• ¼ ts salt
• Powdered sugar (to taste)

Instructions

1. In the first bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt.
2. In the second bowl, crack in the eggs and blend them together with both sugars.
3. Splash in the vanilla and blend in the pumpkin.
4. Combine the first and second bowl slowly. Stir until just combined and don’t over mix.
5. Line a cookie sheet with parchment and evenly spread the batter.
6. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes.
7. While the cake is baking, create the filling by blending the cream cheese, butter, cream, pumpkin spice, salt, and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. {I only added in about ½ c sugar but how much is up to you}
8. When the cake is baked, lift out of the pan and roll to “train” the cake to stay in the rolled shape. Allow to cool.
9. When the cake is completely cooled, peel off the parchment and spread the filling all over, leaving about an inch of a border all around. Re-roll (as tightly as you can without tearing) and slice to serve.

3.4.3177

The first day of autumn also marks my daddy’s birthday so there’s even more to celebrate so cheers to all things wonderful to come!

Love,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~

I spent part of the weekend making 10 lbs of kimchi.  No more wild parties and sleepless nights for me.  I’m ok with that {or at least with the fact that it will only now occur once in a blue moon}

The highlight of the weekend: Sunday supper with the family.

Followed by the best episode of Breaking Bad this season!

A dinner to cap off a long work week and a final farewell to the bounty of plump Summer peaches.  Check out my peach upside down cake here.

A breakfast of champions…{I kid, but they sure are damn delicious}!

Kim-Bap and pumpkin spiced everything!  Why not make your own pumpkin spice frappuccino?

I hope that you and yours enjoyed the weekend!

Comin’ at ya with another video soon!

Love,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~

Chai Cupcakes

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Ingredients

• ½ c unbleached Cake Flour
• ½ ts Baking Soda
• ½ ts Baking Powder
• ¼ ts fine Salt
• ½ ts ground Cinnamon
• ¼ ts ground Cardamom
• ¼ ts ground Ginger
• ¼ ts ground Nutmeg
• ¼ ts ground Cloves
• 1 grind of Black Pepper
• ¼ c granulated Sugar
• ¼ c Brown Sugar
• 2 tb softened Butter
• 2 tb Apple Sauce*
• 1 room temperature Egg
• ¼ c warm Buttermilk
• 3 Chai Tea Bags
• ½ ts Apple Cider Vinegar

Instructions

1. Sift all of your dry ingredients into your first bowl (excluding your spices).
2. In a separate cup, steep your tea bags for at least 5 minutes. Scoot in all of your spices and let it sit.
3. In your third bowl, cream together your Sugars and Butter. Slowly stream in your Egg.
4. Still working with your third bowl, spoon in your Apple Sauce (if you’re using it) and also slip in your spiced tea mixture. Next, dribble in your Apple Cider Vinegar.
5. Lastly, you want to marry your first bowl with your third bowl–sprinkle in your dry mixture in about 3 separate additions, taking care not to over mix.
6. Bake at 350 for 17-22 minutes for standard size Cupcakes.
7. Cool and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Notes

*you can omit the Apple Sauce and use ¼ c soft Butter instead. Also, it’s best to grind your own, whole spices in a spice grinder (it makes for a beautifully spiced cake).

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You can top with Buttercream, or my favorite thing to top everything with!  Cream Cheese Frosting.

Dust with Pumpkin Spice or Cinnamon, take a HUGE bite!! (or 3, 6, 12…) and you’re ringing in Autumn the right way, I assure you

Love & Warm & Spicy Kisses,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~