All the best pumpkin spice recipes

Now that Halloween has eclipsed Bonfire Night as the main autumn celebration, all things pumpkin spice are taking over. But there’s no need to go to your nearest coffee shop, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the combination at home. 

Here are ten pumpkin spice recipes to get you going… 

As pumpkins, squash and gourds have come into season, rich shades of orange abound and so it’s time for pumpkin and squash with everything! This pumpkin spiced smoothie has a glorious cheerful colour which will brighten up a dull morning, with the sweetness of the roasted butternut tempered by the tartness of gloriously red berries.

I could buy a ready made pumpkin spice mix, but by mixing my own I can adjust the proportions to my taste: for example, I prefer less cinnamon to most commercial blends. This blend uses cinnamon, powdered ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves, and allspice. As always with spices, it’s a good idea to make sure they’re fresh and not from a dried out dusty pot found at the back of the cupboard. 

Fancy something Pumpkin Spice for a weekend morning? You should give these waffles a go. Serve them with maple syrup for an indulgent brunch or loaded with vanilla ice cream later on in the day for dessert. 

Do you like your sweet biscuits to be soft or hard? I prefer soft. Here’s a recipe for a deliciously squidgy biscuit with those pumpkin spice flavours that has the added advantage of using almond and coconut flour, so it has a low glycaemic index. It’s a vegan and gluten free recipe too! 

I think it’s nice to keep a little elegance in Halloween. I also like using flowers and seasonal, natural ingredients and accents. This white pumpkin cocktail is perfect for the party host or hostess who wants to keep their Halloween cocktail party classy and whimsical. I suggest using a simple, seasonal, flowery wisp for a garnish with this cocktail. 

I love overnight oats.  If you like oatmeal, but don’t have time in the morning for more than grabbing a jar out of the fridge, then overnight oats are for you. And if you love fall and its warm and snuggly flavours then these Pumpkin Pie Overnights Oats are definitely for you.

I love pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin spice in baking. Here, I’ve added the spice mixture to churro batter. These are definitely an indulgence; I’m not sure that the traditional chocolate dipping sauce is needed at all, but they’re still delicious. 

These cookies are light and delicious and topped with a mouth-watering maple glaze for a double dose of autumn flavours. This recipe does make a lot of cookies using only one egg, so it’s perfect for an autumn party. 

Finally a savoury recipe; a hearty vegetable based soup. The cinnamon in the pumpkin spices is a traditional accompaniment to apple; normally found in a pie, I love the idea of using these flavours in a soup. A delicate touch with the spices is needed, though. I don’t want my soup to be overpowered. 

I can’t really do this list without a nod to where the whole pumpkin spice thing started; flavoured coffee. Here’s a recipe to make it at home, but this is a vegan version using cashew milk. 

Helen Best-Shaw, is a freelance food & travel writer, recipe developer & photographer. She has been blogging at Fuss Free Flavours for over 10 years

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