Dr. Katie’s 5 Favourite Pumpkin Recipes
Post-Workout Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 1 scoop vanilla protein of choice (I use Iron Vegan sprouted protein)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/2 frozen banana, chopped
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (or milk of choice)
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 5-6 pitted medjool dates
- splash of pure vanilla extract
- Optional: add a few ice cubs for increased thickness
Instructions:
- Starting with liquids first, pour all ingredients into your Vitamix or blender of choice and blend until smooth. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients:
- 3 cups freshly roasted pumpkin, or one 15 oz can pureed pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1/2 tbsp turmeric
- 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh garlic
- 1/2 tbsp stevia or pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- salt & pepper, to taste
- Optional garnish: toasted pumpkin seeds + dollop of goat’s milk (or regular!) sour cream
Directions:
- Starting with liquids first, pour all ingredients into your Vitamix or blender of choice and blend until smooth.
- Transfer blended mixture to a pot and bring to a gentle boil.
- Boil 3-5 min until heated through. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Gnocchi
Ingredients:
- 2 cups freshly roasted pumpkin puree, or 1 – 15 oz can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 to 1.5 cup gluten-free flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp fine Himalayan salt
- 1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
- Sauce: extra virgin coconut or olive oil and fresh sage leaves, salt and pepper to taste, pancetta bacon is awesome to add to the sauce or as a topper as well!)
Directions:
- Strain pumpkin in a fine mesh strainer (this takes a bit of time, but it’s worth it – you can also leave cover the pumpkin and let it strain overnight in your fridge).
- Add strained pumpkin to a stand mixer with paddle attachment, or a large bowl.
- Slowly add half the flour and all of the spices, combine until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Switch the paddle attachment to the kneading attachment, or using your hands, gently knead the dough into a soft, round ball.
- On a lightly floured surface, cut dough ball into quarters and roll each piece of dough into a long skinny roll, about 1 /2 inch thick.
- Using a sharp knife, cut each roll into 1/2 inch – 1 inch pieces.
- Lightly roll each little cut piece in flour, then gently roll the gnocchi pieces over a fork to create a little ridge pattern (do not flatten your gnocchi!)
- In small batches, gently drop gnocchi into lightly salted, boiling water and cook until pieces float to the surface. This should take about 2 – 3 minutes.
- Strain and toss gnocchi into a hot pan with extra virgin coconut or olive oil, fresh sage, salt and pepper. Cook until lightly crispy. Garnish with cooked, crispy pancetta bacon, freshly chopped green onions and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Oven Roasted Pumpkin with Feta and Honey
Ingredients:
- 1 pumpkin (about 1 – 1.5 pounds)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 50 g feta cheese, crumbled (I use goat’s milk feta)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Optional garnish: save pumpkin seeds and roast until crispy
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 210 deg C or 410 deg F.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Clean pumpkin, removing seeds and skin; chop into 1 – 1.5 inch cubes
- Gently heat coconut oil in a large pan if needed to soften it up, then coat all pumpkin pieces in the oil, making sure all pieces get covered. Place pumpkin pieces in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove pumpkin from oven after 20 minutes, gently turn pieces over and toss with sesame seeds and cinnamon, before placing back into oven for 10 more minutes.
- Remove from oven and drizzle with balsamic vinegar, honey, feta and chilli flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds, if desired.
- I much prefer this dish served hot, but it can also be served cold!
Classic Best-Ever Pumpkin Loaf
Ingredients:
- 1 – 15 ounce can pure pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil (or use 1/2 cup apple sauce, 1/2 cup butter/coconut/vegetable oil)
- 2/3 cups water
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 3 cups white sugar (or use cane sugar)
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- Optional: Add 1 cup chopped pecans or chocolate chips!
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 deg F or 175 deg C. Grease and flour three 7×3 inch loaf pans, or 24 muffin tins.
- In a In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
- Bake for about 50 minutes on middle rack in preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. For cupcakes, bake ~25 min.
- Optional: Delicious with cream cheese icing on top!
- This is clearly not one of my typical “crazy” allergy-friendly, wheat-free, dairy-free, carni-vegan type recipes – and sadly one that I can no longer enjoy, but it is definitely an all-time favourite recipe that I get many requests for. I hope you enjoy it as much as my friends and family do 🙂
Author: Dr. Katie Au
B.Sc. Kin (Hons), D.C., D.Ac, CSCS, FCCRS©, ART®, GT®
Toronto Chiropractor | Acupuncture Practitioner | Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist