I'll confess: I'm obsessed with fall. I love seeing the leaves change colour, wearing cute and cozy sweaters, and pumpkin spice lattes. I'm the type of person who decorates the entire place for Christmas as soon as it's November 1st—aka the most festive girl you'll ever meet.
That said, I also love baking festive treats. There's just something so magical about baking things that are seasonal or holiday-themed. It's fun, it's tasty, and it makes me happy.
This year, I was insistent on baking some pumpkin-themed desserts. It all started when I went through my overnight oats craze and was told to try pumpkin spice overnight oats. I bought a can of pumpkin purée to try it out, and honestly, they weren't for me. Pumpkin for breakfast in oat form just wasn't super appealing.
I was left with a huge can of pumpkin purée, and I had no clue what to do with it. One day, in the midst of a boring lecture, I decided to recipe-hunt and see what could be done. Hallelujah, I came across a pumpkin sugar cookie recipe. I gave those a try and they were incredible. Since then, I've been on a pumpkin cooking frenzy. Now I'm ready to dish (haha) on all the fun recipes I've been making, all with one can of pumpkin purée.
1. Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
These cookies are the first things I made with my pumpkin purée. They were easy to make, soft, and not too sweet. I ate a couple and then went upstairs. When I came back down, my housemates had gobbled up most of them! If that isn't proof that they're incredible, I don't know what is.
2. Pumpkin Loaf
I love the Starbucks pumpkin loaf, so I decided to give this recipe a try and see if I could fulfill that craving without needing to leave the house. Mission accomplished. This one was also housemate-approved, and fun fact: I actually made it in my toaster oven!
3. Pumpkin Shortbread Cookies
I made these ones at home over Thanksgiving weekend with my mom. They're from an amazing website where all the recipes are for two people. This means less ingredients, less mess and easier baking (although we wished we'd made more because they were that good).
4. Pumpkin Scones
I also made these ones with my mom at home. I love the pumpkin scones from Starbucks, especially paired with a soy pumpkin spice latte. I wanted to try making these so I could eat as many as I wanted and share them with my family on Thanksgiving. They were a success, and it felt like a huge baking accomplishment.
5. Pumpkin Muffins
Obviously my mom and I were super busy Thanksgiving weekend because we also made these! I love all kinds of muffins, but I'd never had nor made a pumpkin muffin before. Luckily, they turned out amazingly and my family and I enjoyed eating them with coffee for breakfast.
Whether you want some yummy comfort food or just want to impress your family back home, I can vouch that every single one of these recipes tastes incredible—even for that friend who crinkles their nose and says "I'm not really into pumpkin."
Happy baking!