9 Delicious Pumpkin Foods to Try This Fall

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Fall is here and you know what that means: pumpkins. Lots and lots of pumpkins. They look great sitting on your porch with a goofy face carved into them, but pumpkins are just as awesome on your plate (or in your bowl or in your cup…)—though you’ll want to choose the smaller varieties to cook with, as they’re much tastier than the jack-o-lantern kind.

Not only are pumpkins extremely versatile to cook with, but they’re also packed with tons of good-for-you nutrients like vitamin A and they’re a great source of fiber. If you’re ready to look beyond the Pumpkin Spice Latte and serve up a pumpkin-rich menu, here are a few dishes to inspire you.

Chili
Warm and filling, chili is a classic fall staple that you can make even more festive by incorporating pumpkin. Pumpkin adds a slightly nutty flavor to the chili, making it even more scrumptious than usual.

Bread
If you want to treat your family to something sweet, try baking up a batch of pumpkin bread. More like banana bread than, say, baguette or rye, pumpkin bread is extra tasty when you mix a few handfuls of frozen cranberries into the batter. To make it extra decadent, top it off with a cream cheese icing—cream cheese and pumpkin are a match made in heaven.

Rice
Pumpkin rice is a Caribbean dish that offers a nice alternative to plain, bland rice. Mix pumpkin and onion into the rice, adding a little ginger and thyme to bring out the flavor of this standout side dish.

Pancakes
Pumpkin pancakes are the perfect way to start off a chilly fall morning. Adding pumpkin puree to your pancake batter makes your pancakes moist and slightly sweet. Top them off with a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Tea
Pumpkin chai is the tea-lovers answer to pumpkin spice lattes. David’s Tea offers a blend that tastes like pumpkin pie in tea form, with hints of caramel, cinnamon, and cloves.

Chutney
If you’re looking for a seasonal twist on chutney that isn’t overly sweet, scope out a recipe for pumpkin chutney. A combination of pumpkin and apples is so perfectly fall—you’ll want to scoop it on everything.

Brownies
Chocaholics will know that chocolate goes with pretty much every food under the sun, so it shouldn’t be surprising to hear that chocolate and pumpkin are a match made in heaven. Enjoy the dreamy duo in the form of a brownie – swirled together, the pumpkin and fudge cake are the perfect treat for Halloween.

Dip
If you fell in love with the cream cheese/pumpkin combo while sampling pumpkin cake, then you’ll want to try this different take on the pairing. Mix pureed pumpkin with cream cheese for a decadent dip, best served with apple slices or cinnamon pita chips.

Ice Cream
Ice cream fans, behold: pumpkin ice cream is just as tasty as it sounds. Try a pure pumpkin ice cream, or check out variations like pumpkin pie ice cream or pumpkin cheesecake ice cream. The possibilities are endless… and truly delectable.