Pumpkin Recipes! Cake, bread, cupcakes, dip, seeds, griddle cakes and more

Autumn is here!  The perfect time to celebrate the awesome pumpkin.  Don't wait for Thanksgiving to make a pumpkin pie and call it 'done' for the season.  Here are over a dozen recipes from my website that I've posted over the years.  From cakes to cinnamon rolls, pasta to griddle cakes.  There is something here for everyone - as I even have an amazing pumpkin bread that can be served to those doing sugar free or low carb way of eating.    Enjoy!!


Pumpkin Cake with Broiled Coconut Topping
Perfect Pumpkin Bread
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin Cupcakes
Mexican Pumpkin Dip
Flaxseed Pumpkin Bread (sugar free and low carb too!)
Pumpkin Butter Pie
Pumpkin Pie with an Oatmeal Crust
Homemade Pasta
Pumpkin Bars
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin Griddle Cakes
Pickled Pumpkin
Pumpkin Dessert
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Two Ingredient Pumpkin Cupcakes
Pumpkin Pie

Homemade Cream Puffs

Because I'm not a fan of sweets, I find I absolutely love cream puffs and cream horns.  The pastry with just a touch of sweetened cream or puddings is perfect.  Not a smidgen of chocolate or overly sweet sugary confections to be found.  Although you CAN fill them with chocolate pudding, or fill them with whipped cream and drizzle chocolate on top...  if you are a regular reader of my site you know I don't particularly care for chocolate so my filling of choice is usually homemade whipped cream or a mixture of whipped cream and vanilla pudding.

Unfortunately, I can eat 7 of these in one sitting!  Perhaps that is why I only let myself make them about every six months!  (And why I don't have a better photo to post...  they are gone now! Ha!).

Cream Puffs

1 c water
1/3 c butter (not margarine or spreads)
1 c flour
1/8 t salt
1 T sugar
4 eggs

Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl.  In a saucepan over medium heat, bring water and butter to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat/ let stand for 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Place a greased or parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, turn the oven down to 350 and bake another 25 minutes.  Remove and let cool completely.  Fill with your favorite filling of choice.  I love to fill with whipped cream or a mixture of whipped cream and vanilla pudding.

Homemade, Moist Banana Nut Bread w/ cereal flakes too!

Banana Bread

2 c flour
1/2 baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
4-5 mashed, really ripe bananas
2 1/2 cups cereal with flakes;  I used Grape Nut Flakes
1/4 c hot water
2 eggs
1/2 c butter, soft
1 c granulated sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1 t vanilla
1 t lemon juice
1/2 t cinnamon
1 c pecans, roughly chopped

Mix the bananas, hot water and the cereal together and let them sit for a couple minutes to soften.  Add the eggs, butter and sugar, vanilla and lemon juice and mix.  Add the final dry ingredients; flour, soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nuts.  Stir till blended.  Pour into a greased or parchment lined loaf pan.  Bake approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes until done.  Start testing the center at 1 hour with a knife to see if the center is done yet.  The pan you use and your own oven will determine if you need another 15 minutes.  You can cover the top with foil if it's starting to get too brown.  Let cool complete.  Turn out of the pan.  Wrap in foil and refrigerate overnight.  This improves taste and texture of quick breads!

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Pizza Sauce

Olive oil
Butter
1/2 c chopped, yellow onion
1/4 c chopped celery
2 t fresh minced garlic
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 c fresh, diced tomatoes or use diced, canned tomatoes
1 t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
1 t fennel
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 t honey or sugar

Cook the celery and onions in a bit of butter and olive oil in a hot pan til tender.  Add the garlic.  Cook about 1 minute so you don't burn the garlic.  Add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes.  Put into a food processor and pulse for a few seconds.  Put back in the saucepan and add the rest of the ingredients.  Simmer slowly for about 20-30 minutes.  Makes about 2 medium to large pizzas.

TERIYAKI STIR FRY SAUCE - this time for Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

This last time I made it into Beef and Broccoli instead of chicken.  It was incredible of  course.  You simply can't go wrong.  If I had any shrimp on hand I'd use it on that too (mental note to put shrimp on next week's shopping trip...)

 
Teriyaki Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

1/2 c soy sauce
1/4 c sweetener of choice (sugar, natural substitute, honey - although use a bit less for that)
1/2 c water
1 T brown sugar or brown sugar sweetener
1 T ginger
1 T minced, fresh garlic
1 t xanthan gum or corn starch

Beef   (save time & money - but the 'stew beef' already cut at the market)
Broccoli, red peppers, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, snow peas, fresh green beans, cabbage, bean sprouts, etc. etc.    FRESH OR FROZEN (use what you have on hand and make it work!)

Combine and mix your sauce.  Set aside.  If you have time, you can use half the sauce to marinate the beef, but if this is a last second dinner idea, don't worry about it.   Cut up your beef if you haven't bought the 'stew beef' that comes already cut into bite sized pieces.  Cook it in a bit of oil over medium high heat til starting to brown.  Add the vegetables - fresh, frozen, a mixture of both - whatever.  Cook for a bit (I add a splash of water at this point to help steam the veggies).  Then add your teriyaki sauce.  Stir quickly and cook til sauce thickens up and vegetables are as tender as you like them.  I add double the amount of vegetables I want in the end as they cook down.  Also - use as little or much of the sauce as you like.  Taste test it.   Serve over rice if you like - we like it sans rice. 

This particular time I used a fresh bagged stir-fry mix - they were having an awesome sale

LOVE this sauce so much I've taken to doubling the recipe & keeping it on hand ALL the time