5 Pumpkin Treats the Kids Will Love

Pumpkin spice season will be ending soon, with peppermint mocha holidays on the horizon. Depending on how you spend your holidays, you and your child have probably had many of the same treats in different places. Before pumpkin season — or as some call it, fall — ends, try making some of these treats to give it a proper send off. Some of these recipes, your children can even help you bake! Here are some pumpkin treats that will have the whole family begging to lick the spoon.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake (Source: Something Silly)

Cheesecake is always a delightful treat, and it’s just different enough from pumpkin pie to change things up from the usual. This recipe will help you and your family give fall a delicious send-off as you go into the winter holiday season. 

Ingredients:

• 6-8 graham crackers

• 2 tablespoons room temperature butter

• 16 ounces room temperature cream cheese

• ½ cup sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• 1 cup sour cream

• 2 eggs

• Dash of salt and lemon zest

• 1 cup pumpkin puree

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

• Pinch of cloves, ginger, and nutmeg

• 9-inch springform pan

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Take out your springform pan and a deep baking pan your springform fits in.

• Crumble the graham crackers by blitzing in the blender or tossing them in a bag and pounding them. Mix the crumbs with room temperature butter, press into the bottom of the springform pan to form the crust.

• In a mixing bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, vanilla, and eggs, and whip with a hand held blender until smooth. Add the dash of salt and lemon zest and let sit while you make the pumpkin filling.

• In a small mixing bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, and dashes of cloves, ginger and nutmeg.

• Pour half of the cheesecake filling into the springform pan. Dollop that with about three-fourths of the pumpkin mixture, and then ladle the rest of the cheesecake batter on top. Drop the last bits of the pumpkin over the top of the cheesecake, then swirl and marble by pulling a toothpick forward and back and side to side a couple of times.

• Place the springform pan in the deep baking dish and heat up about 4 cups of water until just about boiling.

• Place the deep baking dish holding your cheesecake into the oven, then pour the hot water around the outside of the springform pan into the deep baking dish until about 1-inch of the bottom of the pan is full. 

• Set your kitchen timer for 60 minutes.

• After 60 minutes, remove the cheesecake from the oven (leave the pan with the water inside) and let your cheesecake rest for at least 30 minutes.

• Run a knife around the outside edge of the cheesecake to help it release from the springform pan, then pop it in the fridge for an hour before slicing.

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Pumpkin Cupcakes (Source: POPSUGAR)

For some children, cheesecake is simply not an option. Whether your children have dairy allergies or gluten intolerance, or your family happens to prefer plant based food, these cupcakes are a delicious option for those with dietary restrictions.

Ingredients

For cupcakes:

• ⅓ cup oil

• 1 cup sugar

• ¼ cup non dairy milk 

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 ¼ cups gluten-free baking flour

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

• 1 cup canned pumpkin

• ½ cup chocolate chips

For glaze:

• ¼ cup brown rice syrup or honey

• 1 tablespoon margarine or coconut oil, melted

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• Pinch ground cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

1. To make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.

2. Whisk together oil, sugar, non dairy milk, and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gently whisk the flour mixture until well combined. Fold in pumpkin, but do not overstir or the batter will become gummy. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Fill liners two-thirds full. Bake for 24-26 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely.

4. To make icing: Whisk together rice syrup, margarine, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Using a fork, drizzle icing atop completely cooled cupcakes.

Pumpkin Dessert Squares (Source: Wee Eats) 

When you have several mouths to feed, multipurpose food is always a plus. While these pumpkin squares make a delectable dessert, they’re also just as good as a breakfast pastry. They’re also so easy to make that your children can definitely help. 

Ingredients

• 1 package yellow cake mix; set aside one cup

• ½ cup butter, melted

• 3 eggs, large

• 1 (13.5 oz) jar pumpkin butter

• ½ cup milk

• 1 tbsp flour

• ¼ cup sugar

• ¼ cup butter, softened

• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.

2. Divide yellow cake mix, placing all but one cup in a mixing bowl. Stir in the melted butter and one egg until well mixed. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9×13" pan.

3. Mix the jar of pumpkin butter with remaining two eggs and milk. Pour pumpkin mixture over the cake mix layer.

4. Whisk reserved 1 cup of cake mix with the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Add softened butter and cut in with a fork, pastry cutter, or your hands until crumbly. Sprinkle over top of the pumpkin layer.

5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (Source: two peas & their pod)

Chocolate chip cookies please even the pickiest eaters, and adding pumpkin makes them just that much better. The challenge with these cookies will be not eating them all in one go. Your whole family will love the subtle pumpkin flavor fused with a classic cookie. 

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• ¾ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

• 1 cup butter at room temperature

• ¾ cup brown sugar

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 large egg

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 cup pumpkin puree

• 2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper, and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Set aside.

3. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin and mix until combined, about 3 minutes. Slowly add in the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. Drop by large, rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to brown around the edges. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

Crockpot Pumpkin Pudding (Source: Crockin’ Girls)

Does pie crust often go to waste in your house? Whether it’s your children or other family members who like the pie but not the crust, this recipe is exactly what you need. This pumpkin pudding recipe is just like pumpkin pie but without that pesky crust. Picky eaters rejoice!

Ingredients

• 1 can (15oz.) pumpkin puree or filling

• 1 scant tbsp of pumpkin pie spice

• 2 tsp of vanilla

• 1 can of evaporated milk

• ¾ cup of sugar 

• ½ cup of biscuit mix

• 2 tbsp of butter

• 2 eggs

Optional ingredients

• Whipped cream or Cool Whip

• Individual pie crusts

• Graham crackers

Instructions

1. Spray Crockpot with non-stick spray

2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer at low speed, and mix until smooth. Pour into Crockpot.

3. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Pudding is done when it’s similar to a pie or mousse.

Holiday baking is a great way to come together as a family. Our Polk Catholic schools foster an atmosphere of care and an environment of high expectations and effective discipline. We allow students to explore their faith at school and encourage them to do the same at home. To learn more about what makes us different, contact us online.