In part one of this delicious series of autumnal recipes we covered the first half of your day with pumpkin spice goodness.  If you’ve been eating along with me, by now you’ve had pumpkin cinnamon rolls, washed down with a PSL (hopefully in your PJs!), then a few hours later gulped down some cheesy, gooey, (and healthy-ish!) pumpkin mac and cheese.  Did your toddler love it? So does mine!  Needless to say, you’re probably ready for a nap.  But wait!  We must keep going, and I’ve got just the thing to boost your energy for dinner and dessert preparations.  Read on for a delicious afternoon pick-me-up smoothie, pumpkin chili, and of course, some warm and sweet pumpkin spice cupcakes with, yes, pumpkin spice buttercream frosting.

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

Perfect for an afternoon snack, or even a light lunch or breakfast, this smoothie is warmly spiced and slightly sweet from the natural sugars in the banana and pumpkin.  Want it to be a little sweeter?  Just add some brown sugar to the blender!

½ Frozen Banana

1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

½ c. Pumpkin Puree

¼ tsp. Vanilla Extract

¾ c. Milk or Non-Dairy Alternative (vanilla almond milk would be delicious in this recipe!)

Optional – 1 tsp. Brown Sugar

• Put all ingredients into blender and pulse until smooth
• Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chili

A healthy and delicious twist on a fall classic.  I started with my family’s chili recipe and altered it accordingly to produce this slightly sweet and completely delicious pumpkin version, it even includes pumpkin pie spice!  A warm and spicy bowl is perfect for your weekend football watch parties, a weeknight one-pot meal, or poured over French fries or tater tots and topped with cheese for a tasty treat.

1-2 Tbsp. Cooking Oil (I use olive oil)

1 Onion (any variety), Chopped into ½” Pieces

1 lb. Ground Turkey (or Beef)

3 Tbsp. Chili Powder

Salt/Pepper to taste

1 16 oz. Can Each of Black Beans, Kidney Beans (dark or light), and Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed

1 16. oz. Can Pumpkin Puree

1 28 oz. Can Stewed or Whole Tomatoes with Juice

1 28 oz. Tomato Sauce

1 Tbsp. Cumin Powder

1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar (dark or light)

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

Water or Chicken Stock

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering and fragrant. Add onions and sauté until barely translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Turn the heat to medium-high and add turkey meat, one Tbsp. chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until meat is thoroughly cooked with no pink remaining, breaking up with a wooden spoon.

• Add drained beans, pumpkin, stewed or whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, remaining chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, garlic powder, and pumpkin pie spice. Season mixture with salt and pepper and stir together.

• Bring chili to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cover and allow to simmer for at least 20 minutes (the longer the better).  If it becomes too thick for your liking add a little bit of water or chicken stock.

• Adjust salt and pepper to taste, serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, scallions, crusty bread, corn bread, or tortilla chips.
• Can also be cooked in a slow cooker. Simply cook the onions and meat according to the instructions above, then add all ingredients to your slow cooker.  Cook on high 4-6 hours or on low for 8 hours.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Pumpkin Spice Icing

These cupcakes are delicious, and best of all, incredibly easy, you don’t need anything but a few bowls, a muffin tin, and a whisk!  Top with some fluffy and lightly spiced buttercream for the perfect fall treat.

Cupcakes:

¾ c. Pumpkin Puree

2 Eggs

1 c. Granulated Sugar

½ c. Vegetable Oil

½ tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 ½ c. Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 heaping Tbsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

• Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare your muffin tin with paper liners.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
• In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice.
• Dump dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until the flour just disappears, be sure not to over mix!
• Distribute batter evenly into paper lined muffin tins
• Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of a cupcake (or 2 for safe measure)
• Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer individual cupcakes to a cooling rack for a few hours before icing

Icing:

1 Stick of Butter, softened

4 c. Powdered Sugar

½ tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

½ tsp. Vanilla Extract (or try maple extract for further fall flavor)

2-3 Tbsp. milk

• In a mixer (hand held, or stand), whip butter on medium or high until it turns slightly lighter in color, this takes just a few minutes
• Slowly add the powdered sugar, spices, vanilla, and 2 Tbsp. milk. If needed, add the final Tbsp. of milk to create a light and fluffy consistency, easy to spread.
• Ice cupcakes and enjoy! (I topped mine with clear sugar sprinkles for added decoration)