It’s Pumpkin Season, Punkin’!

Isn’t it interesting how well-loved the pumpkin is? Especially in the current season of fall, the pumpkin is donned and adored throughout the United States. We love it’s look, flavor, and general being. It’s as if the pumpkin has its own personality and vibe. You needn’t look any further than the mass market stores, like Target or the beloved Starbucks to find the pumpkin infiltrating culture. If you listen to those around you, you’ll even hear the endearing term “punkin'” from time to time. Who doesn’t love adorable babies in a pumpkin costume at Halloween being called this?

As for me, I actually really do love pumpkins. Their beauty in variety is astounding, and I actually love the flavor of real pumpkin. Here in the United States, we typically use the canned, pureed form of pumpkin. Which, I’m not saying is bad, but I’ve eaten my fair share of fresh roasted pumpkin, and it’s so much more delicious. This was not something I ate as a child, as I grew up as a canned user, but I ate it a lot during my time in Australia.

My Introduction to Australian Food Culture

The three months I spent in Australia were incredible. Those days of my life are some of my favorite to date. I was 21-years-old, unattached to anyone and anything, and spending my time as a student teacher at a small private school, or a college, as they called it. Right up there with the weather I loved and friendships I made, my love for the Australian food culture began and grew immensely with each day I was there.

Fairly quickly, I learned how different American culture is in terms of food. The grocery shopping experience was eye-opening in a good way, and I learned a thing or two that still serves me to this day. My host family consisted of a host mom and dad and their two small children. Cooking a beautiful and scrumptious dinner nightly was routine for the family. We sat down at the table, had amazing conversation, and ate our food with joy every single night.

She was (and I’m assuming still is) a brilliant cook. Not fancy or full of fanfare, but always gave her best effort and produced a fulfilling and unique meal. She made excellent pasta, risotto, and roasted vegetables. And can you guess what roasted vegetable was my favorite? Pumpkin! The way the vegetables were roasted was new to me, coming from a family who typically used canned vegetables, or doused everything in butter. Her way was simple, yet perfect.

The Roasted Pumpkin

If it seems I’m giving creating too much hype about the roast pumpkin, it’s possible I am. I mean, it’s nothing mind-blowing, or necessarily unheard of. But in my opinion, that’s what makes it so special, and oh-so-yummy. The pumpkin was fresh, meaning straight from the fruit (yep, it’s a fruit), cut into large chunks, and roasted in the oven at a high temperature. For flavor, my host mom used extra virgin olive oil, fresh cracked pepper, and sea salt. That’s it. Like I said, nothing difficult. I found it so satisfying, and inevitably, I never looked at (or ate) pumpkin in the same way.

This method of roasting vegetables stuck with me in the best kind of way. I ditched my butter-and- Crisco-using ways, and joined forces solely with olive oil. You can be sure that if you’re eating some of my roast vegetables, it’s pretty much the same old olive oil, herbs, and spices remedy. Frequently, I use a few other herbs and spices to literally “spice up” my vegetables according to the meal. However, there are times I still resort to the ease of salt, pepper, and olive oil. I credit my host mom to this revelation, and am forever grateful for her ways!

The Ways We Love Pumpkin

As I’ve stated above, fall is the perfect time for all things pumpkin. Not only is it truly harvesting season for pumpkins, the color lends itself to our surroundings. It’s so steeped into our culture, everyone seems to love it as much as the holidays itself. Today’s weekend fall outings are now spent at local farms and pumpkin patches. Kids are offered the joy of picking their own from a plethora of the pumpkins. Houses are decorated in all colors, shapes, and sizes of pumpkins, real and fake. It’s as if pumpkins have not only slipped into our culture, but found its way into our hearts and bellies.

Finding its way into my belly has certainly happened. I have recently been experimenting with different pumpkin recipes. Usually we purchase a few cans of pumpkin, four or five real pumpkins, and call it a fall. In the past, we have carved pumpkins and roasted the seeds. We’ve also used the baking pumpkins for their yummy insides. But this year, for whatever reason, I have only relied on the canned stuff for all of my creations.

So far, I’ve made pumpkin cookies, muffins, soup, pasta, and pancakes. To say we’ve been loving it is an understatement! One of my children didn’t like pumpkin before, and now claims to love it. I guess that’s the power of the pumpkin! Collectively, we’ve decided that the pumpkin pancakes are our favorite. We love pancakes in general, but this recipe I’ve created (and mastered, I dare say), is so comforting and fulfilling, it’s like putting on a warm sweater and sipping a cup of cider by the fire. All very fall-ish things to do.

Maple Pumpkin Pancakes

So to celebrate the season, here is the tried-and-true pumpkin pancake recipe I’ve mastered this fall. Being a person who doesn’t love things overly sweet, I’ve loved adding maple syrup to these to give the sweetness some depth and richness. I’m also a huge fan of using sugar and sweetener replacements whenever you can. You can frequently hear me telling friends and family to ditch the processed white sugar and use raw cane sugar, agave syrup, maple syrup, or stevia as a lovely replacement.

Other additions to make these pancakes different from all the rest out there: additions of allspice, coconut milk, allspice, and flax seed. Personally, I feel that flax seed helps to lighten the density of pureed pumpkin, and the coconut milk is a fabulous compliment to its flavor. The allspice adds a nutty, subtle spice that’s too good to ignore. I generally use a blend of quality GF flour (like Bob’s Red Mill), and almond flour. I love the texture and nutrients almond flour adds.

The Recipe

Maple Pumpkin Pancakes

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/8 cup raw cane sugar
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup oil (I prefer grape seed oil)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Preheat your skillet to low-medium heat, and add a dash of oil. Mix the dry ingredients first. Mix all of the wet ingredients except the pumpkin. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, folding it a few times. Add the pumpkin, and thoroughly combine. If it’s too dry, add either warm water or more coconut milk. Pour and flip when they’re light brownish orange and fluffy.

Note they may be thicker/more “doughy” in the middle than traditional pancakes. Serve with butter, powdered sugar, syrup, nuts, or chocolate chips. For GF, use GF flour. Already DF, and if you need vegan, use flax eggs instead of regular. You could also add 1/4 cup protein powder, just omit 1/4 cup of the flour.

I hope you enjoy these! It truly brings my heart joy to make and create recipes that not only are delicious, but easily shared. Whatever you do this fall, make a point to include a pumpkin or two. It may be the focal point of your porch, or the fulfilling morsel of your sweet tooth. Whatever it is, I guarantee it will bring you some sort of happiness and comfort. Here’s to you, punkin’!