With fall being well underway, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t let yourself indulge in some yummy treats to put you in the fall spirit. For me, that means pumpkin everything; you name it! If you’re not as big of a pumpkin fan (shh – I’ll let it slide this one time), remember you can always just make these treats without including the pumpkin aspect. Without further ado, here are some fall recipes that you’ll want to whip up as soon as you finish reading this article!
1. Pumpkin Muffins
Since we’re all busy college kids, I figured I would include recipes that are fairly easy and not as time consuming. Luckily, these pumpkin muffins only take about half an hour to prepare!
The ingredients you’ll need are as follows:
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1 package (18.25 oz) package of yellow cake mix
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1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
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1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
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¼ teaspoon ground cloves
The first step is preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Then grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line the pan with paper liners.
Next, you will get a large bowl and mix all the ingredients (cake mix, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves) until smooth. Then place the batter into the muffin cups.
All you need to do from there is bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven. TIP: to make sure the muffins are ready, insert a toothpick in the center of one and if it comes out clean, you know they’re ready!
2. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
If you’re craving some brownies during your next movie night, here’s a super simple recipe that only requires two ingredients!
Ingredients:
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A box of brownie mix
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Chocolate chips (optional)
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1 can (15 oz) of pumpkin puree
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×9 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line with foil and spray afterwards if you want to be extra sure that the brownies don’t stick!
Combine the brownie mix and pumpkin puree in a large bowl. Stir until everything is moist and combined well.
If you’d like an extra chocolatey flavor and your brownie mix doesn’t already have them, feel free to stir some chocolate chips into the mix as well. If you want your brownies to have some extra fall flavor, you can also add 1-2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice to the mix.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-33 minutes, then let them cool and enjoy your brownies!
3. Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
This is the perfect recipe for when you’re having a cozy morning and want to treat yourself!
Ingredients:
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2 tablespoons butter (for frying)
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8 egg whites or 4 whole eggs
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1 cup pumpkin puree
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2 cups vanilla protein powder (whey protein)
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1 teaspoon pumpkin spice (or mix together cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger)
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1 teaspoon baking powder
Start by mixing together all the ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.
From there, heat butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Make sure the skillet is hot enough to add pancake batter!
Using a large ladle scoop, add pancake batter. You can cook four pancakes at a time depending on the size of your skillet. Once a bottom starts to form, flip the pancake (about 5 minutes).
Add whatever toppings you’d like and don’t forget the maple syrup!
4. Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
If you don’t happen to be in the mood for pancakes, another breakfast favorite of mine is cinnamon rolls, especially during fall time. Here’s a fairly easy recipe that incorporates pumpkin (of course!).
Ingredients:
For the rolls:
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1 can of Pillsbury crescent rolls
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½ cup pumpkin puree
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4 tablespoons light brown sugar
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1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Cream cheese frosting:
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3 oz cream cheese, softened
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1 ½ cups powdered sugar
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1 tablespoon milk
The first step is to preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×9 pan with cooking spray.
Take your Pillsbury crescent dough and unroll it into one large rectangle. Press perforations firmly to seal. Next, spread pumpkin puree evenly over the dough. Do the same by evenly sprinkling brown sugar and pumpkin spice over the pumpkin puree.
Begin from the short side of the rectangle and roll the dough up into a log. Cut the roll into 8-9 pieces and place in the baking pan.
Bake the rolls for 20-22 minutes until they turn lightly golden at the edges. Once they’re ready, let them cool for 10 minutes.
While they’re baking, you can work on making the cream cheese frosting. Take a medium bowl and mix together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Whisk in the butter, vanilla and milk. If you feel that the frosting is too thick, you can always add more milk and whisk until smooth. After the rolls have cooled for a little bit, drizzle the frosting over them and dig in!
5. DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte
Ahh, a true fall favorite. I know this isn’t necessarily a “treat,” but I couldn’t resist including this recipe, especially since it only takes around 10 minutes. Plus, it’s perfect to make in the comfort of your own home on days where you’re bundled up inside and just don’t feel like running over to Starbucks.
Ingredients:
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2 cups milk (dairy or non-dairy – up to you)
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2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
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1-3 tablespoons sugar (depends how sweet you prefer your coffee)
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1 tablespoon vanilla extract
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½ tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
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½ cup hot coffee
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Whipped cream (for serving)
Start by adding milk, pumpkin puree and sugar to a saucepan over medium heat. Heat the ingredients until hot, but make sure not to boil. Then remove the saucepan from the heat so you can whisk in the vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and coffee.
This recipe makes 2 servings, so it’s perfect for you to enjoy with a friend! Top with whipped cream and add a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice if you’d like.