Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

It may sound basic and cliché, but I love pumpkin everything. I love it so much that I’ll eat pumpkin flavored treats year-round. In fact, for my birthday, which is in June, I often request pumpkin pie instead of a traditional cake. If you have a passion for pumpkin like I do, National Pumpkin Day is something you look forward to celebrating each year. In honor of this awesome autumnal holiday, I’ve pulled together a few of my favorite pumpkin recipes to share with you.

Pumpkin Pancakes

If you want to start early on getting your daily dose of pumpkin goodness, these pumpkin pancakes are where it’s at and they’re so easy!

Photo by Afton Spriggs

Ingredients

2 cups of a “just add water” pancake mix

1 ½ cups of water

⅔ cups of pumpkin puree

1 tbsp cinnamon

Instructions

Stir all ingredients until combined. Cook just as you would regular pancakes and serve with syrup.

Pumpkin Bars

This recipe is straight from my mom’s kitchen. Her pumpkin bars are always a big hit. They’re moist and delicious and the cream cheese icing makes them incredible.

Ingredients for bars

4 eggs

1 ⅔ cup of granulated sugar

I cup of vegetable oil

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp salt

Ingredients for cream cheese icing

1 (8oz) package of cream cheese

½ cup of butter

1 lb powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and pumpkin with a mixer until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine flower, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add the dry mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Spread the mixture into the baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes. Bars are done when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool before icing

While the bars are baking, make the cream cheese icing. Soften the cream cheese and butter then mix together with a mixer until fluffy. While continuing to mix, add the vanilla and then gradually add powdered sugar. Add milk as needed to make the icing spreadable.

Pumpkin Cookies

These cookies are almost muffin-like. They’re soft and so tasty. While you can eat them plain, they’re made more amazing with the addition of a homemade cream cheese icing.

Photo by angela pham on Unsplash

Ingredients for cookies

I cup butter (softened)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

Ingredients for cream cheese icing

1 (8oz) package of cream cheese

½ cup of butter

1 lb powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix butter, sugar and pumpkin with a mixer until combined. Add egg and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. While mixing, gradually add dry mixture to wet mixture until combined. Spoon batter onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes.

While the cookies are baking, make the cream cheese icing. Soften the cream cheese and butter then mix together with a mixer until fluffy. While continuing to mix, add the vanilla and then gradually add powdered sugar. Add milk as needed to make the icing spreadable. Once cookies are cool, top with cream cheese frosting.

Pumpkin Mug Cake

If you’re in a pinch to satisfy a pumpkin craving, you can make this quick pumpkin mug cake in the microwave with just a few ingredients. In just a couple minutes, you’ll be feeling all the fall feels.

Ingredients

6 tbsp vanilla cake mix

2 tbsp pumpkin puree

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp milk

1 tbsp melted butter

Instructions

Combine all ingredients together in a large coffee mug. Mix with a fork until smooth. Cook in microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Allow to cool and top with whipped cream.

Afton Spriggs is a working mom of two boys, Jude and Beckett. She and her husband, Ryan, are lifelong Metro-East residents. Afton spent most of her career working in digital content for traditional media companies (TV news, magazine and radio) and now works at a digital marketing agency in St. Louis. She loves sports, trying new recipes and traveling.