Fall Favorite Healthy Pumpkin Recipes
A few weeks ago I shared my favorite fall coffee orders (check that out here). A good ol’ pumpkin spiced latte is a favorite, of course, but I view it as more of a treat than a nutritional staple. There is a lot more spice than pumpkin!
Don’t get me wrong: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and turmeric are great too. But pumpkin itself is a far-too-often overlooked recipe ingredient.
Pumpkin is a nutrient-dense food, meaning it packs a lot of nutrients into one 50-calorie cup.
Like all whole-food vegetables, pumpkin is full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Pumpkin is good for the same reasons we are told to eat carrots as a kid. It is high in beta-carotene, which our body uses to make Vitamin A. It is also high in immunity-boosting Vitamin C.
Depending on your nutrition goals, you could consider pumpkin puree as a substitute for fat or eggs in baking recipes. It’s a quick way to lower calories, reduce fat, and pump up the fiber in your baked goods.
There are so many ways to add pumpkin to your day. I created a resource with six different to show how versatile this superfood ingredient can be. Whether for breakfast, snacks, or desserts, pumpkin makes a delicious addition.
Yes, of course, I have a classic pumpkin bread recipe as well. This reminds me of Starbucks’s pumpkin loaf but has MUCH better metrics to plug into MyFitnessPal! It uses whole grain oatmeal instead of refined flour, maple syrup as the sweetener, and sneaks in two scoops of protein powder.
Not nutrition-related, but I love that it uses a WHOLE can of pumpkin. I’m so annoyed by recipes that only use one cup and then I’m left with extra to use up. No worries. This recipe uses 15 ounces of pumpkin puree! Although if it didn’t I have five other ideas for healthy pumpkin recipes.
Scroll to the bottom of this post for your healthy pumpkin recipe collection.
PUMPKIN PROTEIN BREAD
Ingredients:
2 cups old-fashioned or quick cooking oats
1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or just cinnamon)
2 Scoops vanilla protein powder
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside
Add all ingredients to a blender and blEnd until smooth and well combined. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (If the top of the loaf is browned, but the center is not baked all the way through yet, simply cover the top with foil and let the loaf continue to bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.)
Let loaf cool completely in loaf pan. Store bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator
This pumpkin bread recipe is just too quirky not to share. I promise it works and it is a favorite!
Give it a try and check out my other healthy pumpkin recipes by clicking the link below.