Pumpkin Fever — 11 Favorite Vegan Recipes and Fun Ideas

Orange you glad it’s pumpkin season?

I love the turning of the leaves to all the beautiful colors but I have to admit that I don’t relish the prospect of cooling temperatures and shorter days. Mainly because cooling temps lead to cold mornings and freezing nights and shorter days mean it will very soon be getting dark at 4:30. OK, no more negativity! Summer all year round sounds perfect to me but the best part of fall is seeing PUMPKINS everywhere!  I don’t know what it is about seeing pumpkins that makes me so happy—the ridiculously bright color or seeing giant ones piled up in huge boxes or maybe it was looking forward to seeing Charlie Brown and the Pumpkin Patch every year as a child. We do have pumpkin fever! I used to think (in my omnivorous days) that pumpkins were just for looking at and using for decoration. Now I realize how wrong that kind of narrow-minded thinking was!  If all you’re doing with pumpkins is everything BUT eating them, you’re missing out, candy-corn breath!

Pumpkin are not just smile-makers but they are extremely healthy and versatile….loaded with vitamins and fiber: potassium, iron, Vitamins A and E, beta-carotene which helps prevent heart disease, eye diseases and cancer. The seeds are a superfood:  protein, zinc, potassium and magnesium!

Stock up on cans of organic pumpkin puree so that you can incorporate pumpkin into lots of your recipes.

Vegan American Princess’ Favorite Pumpkin Recipes

1  Pumpkin Muffins

from chicvegan.com & Megan Teet

Ingredients:

• 2 Cup Bob’s Red Mill Oat Flour
• 1 1/4 Cup Sweetener or sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 Cup canned Pumpkin
• 2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Cup So Delicious Almond Plus Original Milk
• 1/4 Cup Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil
• 1 Container Vegan Cream Cheese
• 1/2 Cup sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix dried ingredients in large mixing bowl.  Make well in dried mix.
3. Mix wet ingredients in smaller bowl then pour into well.  Mix well.
4. Wash smaller bowl then add cream cheese, 1/2 cup sweetener and cinnamon.  Mix together well.
5. Line muffin tins with paper cups or spray with Pam.
6. Split batter between all 12 cups.
7. Using a smaller spoon, take a spoonful of cream cheese mixture and squish down into the middle of batter and scrape off with your finger.  This is the messy part.
8. Bake for 25 minutes.  Let cool and enjoy!

Makes 12 Muffins

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2    Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from Sara Bakes

makes 18-20 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cups flour

• 3/4 cup instant oats
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup organic brown sugar
• 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Sift together flour blend, oats, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
4. In large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree, brown sugar, sugar, coconut oil and vanilla.
5. Add the flour mixture and mix until combined.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips.
7. Drop tablespoon-size scoops of cookie dough onto prepared baking sheet. Slightly flatten to 2-inch circles.
8. Bake for 9-11 minutes.
9. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 3-5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Store in air-tight container.

*If you don’t have instant oats, you can also pulse  rolled oats in blender until course.

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10 servings

 adapted from fitting into vegan

Ingredients

• 1 can Pinto Beans
• 1 cab Black Beans
• 2 Cans Tomato Sauce
• 1 Container Pacific Foods Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
• 1 Can Pumpkin
• 1/2 Large Onion
• 1 Pkg Whole Mushrooms, washed and chopped small
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, washed and chopped small
• 3 Medium Carrots, washed and chopped small
• 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 1 Tbsp Cumin
• 1 Tbsp Black Pepper
• 2 Tsp Thyme
• 1 Tsp Paprika
• 1 Bunch Kale, washed and chopped

Method

1. Rinse beans and pick through taking out skins or bad beans.  Pour beans into large pot.
2. Add all ingredients except kale.
3. Bring to a boil them turn to lowest setting for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. Add kale 30 minutes before done.  Stir throughout.
5. Portion out and enjoy!

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4   Mummy’s Favorite Vegan Pumpkin Soup

from VegNews by John Schlimm

Ingredinets

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 10 cups vegan vegetable broth
• 1 28-ounce can pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish
• 1 cup Toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish

Method

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. Add broth, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
2. Raise heat to medium-high. Add pumpkin and potatoes, stirring and returning to a boil. Reduce heat again and add salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and parsley. Cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool completely.
3. Purée mixture with an immersion blender, or, in a standing blender, purée in small batches. In a pot over low heat, reheat soup, stirring often. Serve hot, garnished with parsley and sprinkled with pumpkin seeds.

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5   Pumpkin Patch Hummus

By John Schlimm , VegNews

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and thoroughly drained
1 14-ounce can pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or more to taste
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cup pumpkin-flavored vodka
Toasted whole-wheat pita bread, for serving
Vegetable sticks, for serving

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except pita and vegetable sticks.
2. With an immersion blender, purée for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula.
3. Serve with pita and vegetable sticks

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6   Vegan Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

Ellen Francis, Vegan American Princess

Ingredients

• 3 cans (16 ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (16 ounce) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (16 ounce) corn, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (16 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/4 cups chopped onion
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 cups vegetable broth

Method

1. Puree in food processor until smooth: 2 cans of the black beans and the 1 can of diced tomatoes. Set aside.
2.  In soup pot: olive oil, onion, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.  Cook on medium heat and stir until the onion is soft and translucent.
3. Stir in black bean & tomato puree from the food processor.
4. Stir in remaining can of black beans, vegetable broth, can of pumpkin puree.  Mix until well blended.
5. Simmer for 25 minutes or until thick.
6. Optional: top with toasted garbanzo beans, garnish with cilantro
7. Makes 4 large portions or 8 small portions

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7   Garlic Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes with Spinach

from Oh She Glows

Ingredients:

• 7 red potatoes, scrubbed & chopped (or Yukon Gold variety)
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-1.5 cups pumpkin puree, to taste
• Two handfuls spinach, stems removed & chopped
• 1/2 cup Almond milk

• 2 tbsp Earth Balance

• 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, or more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Paprika, for garnish

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and boil potatoes for 18 to 22 minutes or until fork tender.

2. Drain and place in a very large bowl.

3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over low heat in a skillet and sauté garlic for about 1 minute

4. Drain and mash potato chunks in the large bowl with a fork. Mix in pumpkin puree, spinach, almond milk, Earth Balance, black pepper, and salt. Makes 5-7 servings.

5. Best served immediately- the potatoes tend to get a bit watery (from the pumpkin) if they are put in the fridge.

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8   Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ellen Francis, Vegan American Princess

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• salt
• garlic powder

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Clean seeds pretty well
3. Toss pumpkin seeds in a bowl with the melted oil and salt and garlic.
4. Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on baking sheet.
5. Bake for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.
6. Check occasionally to  make sure they don’t burn.

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9   Caramelized Skillet Diced Pumpkin

Ellen Francis, Vegan American Princess

Ingredients

• 2 cups diced pumpkin
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp maple syrup ( or brown sugar or dark agave)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Method:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and add the diced pumpkin.
2. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, being careful not to crush the pumpkin cubes.
3.  Remove from the heat and stir in the maple syrup and cinnamon.

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 10  Easy Vegan Stuffed Pumpkins

1. Cut small pumpkins in half, scoop out the seeds (save them!),
2. Brush with olive oil and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour.
3. Serve stuffed with quinoa or rice and cooked mixed vegetables.

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11   Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

makes 2 servings

from Care2/GreenLiving

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond milk (or your favorite soy-free milk alternative)

• 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup of good, strong coffee (or two shots of espresso, if you have access to an espresso machine)
• maple syrup, to taste

Method

1. In a small saucepan, heat the first four ingredients on medium low heat, stirring constantly. You want to heat the milk and dissolve the pumpkin puree, but you don’t want it to boil. Stir until it’s heated through and there are no pumpkin lumps remaining.

2. Divide the coffee between two large mugs. Top off with the pumpkin-milk mixture, and sweeten with maple syrup to taste, if you want

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Click here if giving out vegan candy is important to you ….check out the selections at the Natural Candy Store  

Click here for Dr. Neil Barnard’s Recipe for Stuffed Peppers with Squash, Black Bean & Rice..using pumpkin seeds

 Some people use pumpkins in pretty creative ways…

like asking someone to the Homecoming Dance

by carving them, putting lit candles inside and setting them up outside at night! 🙂

 

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xox Ellen