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5 Pumpkin Recipes Your Kids Will Love

kid at pumpkin patch
Photo Credit: Thinkstock

With the arrival of fall, one can expect to see a change of color in the leaves, windy cool days and pumpkins galore! In addition to making great Halloween decorations, pumpkins are just plain tasty. One of the benefits of pumpkin, is that it's packed with fiber, light on calories and helps you stay fuller for longer. This versatile vegetable can be used to make soups, side dishes and even breakfast. Pumpkin can be an intimidating and unfamiliar ingredient for most kids, however, these simple recipes will turn even the pickiest of eaters into pumpkin fans. Start your day the fall way with these simple pumpkin recipes!

Pumpkin French Toast In A Mug
Serves 1
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup of puree pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• salt
• 1/2 tablespoon of unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 slice of white bread
• 1 tablespoon of semisweet chocolate chip

Directions

  • Whisk together the milk, puree pumpkin, maple syrup, cinnamon, egg and a pinch of salt in a large mug until combined.
  • Spread the butter evenly on one side of the bread. Cut the bread into bite-sized pieces and then add them to the mug, submerging the bread into the liquid. Next, add and stir the chocolate chips into the mug.
  • Finally, microwave the bread mixture on high power for 2 minutes, pausing every 30 seconds. Let the French toast cool for one minute before serving. An easy on the go breakfast that you can double or triple up to make in multiple mugs for the whole family.
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Total Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 and 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup of orange juice
• 2/3 cup (120g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
  • Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with a non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves together until combined.
  • In another bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar and brown sugar together until combined. Then whisk in the pumpkin, oil and orange juice.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a spatula or a wooden spoon gently mix together both mixtures. Be careful not to overmix, a few lumps is acceptable. Pour in the chocolate chips and carefully fold into the mix.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes.
  • Check the bread at 50 minutes and insert a toothpick to test if the bread is ready. The inserted toothpick should come out clean with only a few small crumbs.
  • Apply a foil to the top if the top looks a good shade of golden brown but the inside still needs a few more minutes to finish cooking. When finished, set the bread aside to cool before removing and slicing. The bread will stay fresh at room temperature, in an airtight container, or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 and 3/4 cups of milk or almond milk
• 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup of chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup

Directions

  • Combine milk and oats in a small saucepan over medium heat.
  • Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until you reach a desired consistency, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Stir in pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla until heated through, about one minute.
  • Garnish with pecans, maple syrup and serve immediately.
Pumpkin Spice Twists
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cans (8 oz) crescent rolls
• 2 cups of puree pumpkin
• 6 tablespoons of butter, melted
• 6 teaspoons of pumpkin spice
Cream Cheese Icing:
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
  • Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Unroll crescent dough and lay down as 4 rectangles, 2 triangles intact, on a baking sheet.
  • Spread pumpkin onto 1 of the rectangles. Place a rectangle, 2 triangles intact, onto the top of the pumpkin.
  • Brush melted butter on top of one rectangle and sprinkle with the pumpkin spice. Once completed, cut the rectangle in strips with a pizza cutter.
  • Twist each strip a few times and sprinkle with remaining pumpkin spice.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes. In the meantime you can make the cream cheese icing.
  • Beat together in a large bowl, the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer.
  • On a low speed, gradually add the powder sugar until smooth. Then add the vanilla extract.
  • Once finished, transfer the mixture into a zip-lock bag, close it, then snip the corner off and garnish a finished pumpkin spice twist. Simple recipe to grab on the go.
Pumpkin Pancakes With Cinnamon Maple Syrup
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cups of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 7 1/2 ounces of puree pumpkin
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 orange, zested and juices
• butter, for cooking pancakes
• Powdered sugar, for garnish
• 2 Cinnamon Sticks
• Maple Syrup

Directions

  • Wisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
  • Combine the pumpkin, milk, eggs, orange juice and zest in another bowl. Mix together the wet and dry ingredients until smooth.
  • Preheat the griddle and add small pats of butter. Spoon the batter onto the griddle once heated to the desired size. When the top of the pancakes become prevalent with holes, flip and cook until each side is a golden brown.
  • For the syrup, simply heat the maple syrup with a cinnamon stick or two in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the syrup becomes hot, remove from the stove and allow the flavor to steep. For best results, let steep for about 30 minutes.
  • Transfer the pancakes to a serving plate, dust with powdered syrup and garnish with cinnamon maple syrup. This adds a great twist to your normal routine of pancakes that the whole family will love.
Merissa Principe is a teacher and a freelance travel blogger from NYC. Teaching early childhood education has provided Merissa an opportunity to travel all over the world and live in new places. Be sure to follow her at Citygirlriss.wordpress.com for all things travel, beauty, fashion and New York City.
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