Pumpkin Gone Wild! Top 10 Ways to Use Pumpkin

Do you hear those crisp leaves crunching underneath your feet as you walk to your car in the morning, holding your favorite brand of pumpkin coffee in your hand? Are apples the only fruit that you pack in your lunch for the next month, yet you know you won’t get sick of them? Then you love fall, too. But before we go too far into fall, let’s focus on the hallmark food of the season: pumpkin.

Pumpkin pie and bread are great…but it’s time to mix it up a bit. Enjoy…

10. Pumpkin Pie Martini

Don’t tell me you didn’t think we’d have some form of booze on here. I know, some of your are cringing thinking of “ruining” a glycerin-induced regular martini with the sweet taste of pumpkin. Well then you go ahead and drink your regular martini. The rest of us will enjoy the pumpkin…and not feeling like we have to call poison control.

Recipe: Life’s Ambrosia

9. Pumpkin Pie Dip

There is a dip that neighbors make every year for fruit. It has cream cheese, sugar, and peanut butter in it. I’m not complaining, but I think they could also mix it up and try this pumpkin dip. I’ve had this before, and in addition to fruits and graham crackers – pretzels are a great instrument in carrying the dip. Plus – sweet and salty.

Recipe: The Girl Who Ate Everything

8. Pumpkin Tagliatelle

There’s a restaurant in Philly that makes the best pumpkin pasta I’ve ever had. And I’m dead-set on returning this fall. However, for those of you that can’t enjoy it at the restaurant: this tagliatelle looks awesome. Used the right way, pumpkin adds a buttery, nutty flavor to the pasta. Yum.

Recipe: The Little Things

7. Pumpkin-Caramel Mousse Cakes

Pumpkin. Caramel. Mousse. I’m sold.

Recipe: Bakers Royale

6. Pumpkin Tiramisu

Typically, tiramisu is something that people either love or hate. Honestly, I don’t know how anyone could hate something that includes ladyfingers dipped in coffee. But for those of you who do…this pumpkin tiramisu takes the bitterness out of it with the sweetness of pumpkin.

Recipe: Savoring Every Bite

5. Pumpkin S’more Pudding

We all know I love marshmallows. So why not combine marshmallows with chocolate and pumpkin? I tried a pumpkin s’more the other day (pumpkin butter on the graham cracker) and it was awesome. I have a feeling though, that this is probably better. Gooey, chocolatey, and pumpkin(ey?).

Recipe: Healthy Food For Living

4. Pumpkin Blizzard

I could eat ice cream at any time. I don’t care if it’s 10 below zero—the first place I’ll go to get dessert is still the freezer. I’ve tried a wide array of pumpkin ice creams, and they do not disappoint. However, what if you could take that same taste, put it in a glass, and blend it up with vanilla wafers in it? Yes…I know Dairy Queen makes them too. But not everyone is so blessed to have one near them.

Recipe: Dulce Dough

3. Pumpkin Rice Pudding

I used to gag at the thought of rice pudding. But now, this is really the only kind of pudding I enjoy.  These look awesome. First off, the decision needs to be made: do I eat the candy (wax) pumpkin first, or save it to cleanse my ever-refined palate afterwards? That would be my hardest decision, because I’d have no problem destroying one cup of this.

Recipe: Created By Diane 

2.Pumpkin-Oreo Cheesecake

If you’ve learned anything about me so far (I know, we go way back), you know that (1) I love sweets and (2) I love me some Oreos (and of course – beer). So what’s not to love about bite-sized pumpkin Oreo cheesecakes? …maybe that they are bite-sized?

Recipe: Bru Crew Life

1. White Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Cups

One question: why hasn’t Reese’s decided to mass produce these? A hard shell of white chocolate (decorated for the festive occasion) encasing creamy, delicious, autumn-flavored sweet goodness of pumpkin. Made for me? I welcome both the sugar high and stomach-ache that will follow afterward.

(Recipe: LivLifeToo)