Pumpkins aren’t just for Halloween! These versatile vegetables are an excellent source of vitamin A and dietary fiber. To demonstrate different ways you can incorporate this seasonal superstar, we have four easy recipes to make with pumpkin.

Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 egg (large)
• 3/4 cup pumpkin (canned)
• 2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen chopped)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Sift together dry ingredients (flour through allspice) and set aside.
3. Beat oil, eggs, and pumpkin together until well blended.
4. Add the wet ingredients (pumpkin mixture) to the dry ingredients all at once. Stir until moistened.
5. Fold in chopped cranberries.
6. Spoon into paper-lined muffin cups.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Pudding

Ingredients

• 1 can pumpkin (15 ounces, or 2 cups cooked mashed squash such as Hubbard)
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon cloves)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk (1% low-fat)
• 1 vanilla pudding (instant, 3.5 oz (small box))

Directions

1. Remember to start by washing your hands. In a large bowl mix pumpkin, salt and pumpkin spice together.
2. Slowly stir in milk and mix well. Add instant pudding mix and stir for 2 minutes until it thickens. Refrigerate until serving time.

Baked Pumpkin

Ingredients

• 1 small pumpkin (small, peeled and cut into cubes)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place pumpkin cubes in a baking dish and sprinkle with sugar and salt.
3. Cover pan with foil and bake until soft.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 6 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup pumpkin (canned)
• 1 3/4 cups milk, low-fat
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

1. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a medium bowl, combine egg, canned pumpkin, milk and vegetable oil, mixing well.
3. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Batter may be lumpy. (For thinner batter, add more milk).
4. Lightly coat a griddle or skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium.
5. Using a 1/4 cup measure, pour batter onto hot griddle. Cook until bubbles begin to burst, then flip pancakes and cook until golden brown, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Makes about 1 dozen 3 1/2 inch pancakes.

Notes

If you don’t have pumpkin spice on hand, don’t worry - it’s just a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. In this recipe, you can substitute 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon each of ginger and cloves for the pumpkin pie spice.