Healthy Pumpkin Spice Recipes for a Cozy Fall
It’s that time of the year again. Fall has arrived in the northern hemisphere, and pumpkin-spice-mania is sweeping across cities around the globe. There’s something about this comforting spice mix that gets us in the mood for wearing cuddly sweaters, cozying up next to a fireplace and consuming pumpkin spice everything.
Unfortunately, some of those pumpkin spice-flavored drinks and snacks you’ll see on sale during Autumn – yes, we’re looking at you, big chain coffee shop – are lacking in the nutrition department. Not to worry, though, we’ll show you just how simple making your own healthy pumpkin spice goodies can be.
It’s that time of the year again. Fall has arrived in the northern hemisphere, and pumpkin-spice-mania is sweeping across cities around the globe. There’s something about this comforting spice mix that gets us in the mood for wearing cuddly sweaters, cozying up next to a fireplace and consuming pumpkin spice everything.
Unfortunately, some of those pumpkin spice-flavored drinks and snacks you’ll see on sale during Autumn – yes, we’re looking at you, big chain coffee shop – are lacking in the nutrition department. Not to worry, though, we’ll show you just how simple making your own healthy pumpkin spice goodies can be.
How to make pumpkin pie spice
If you’re like us, you like tinkering around with recipes and creating flavor combinations of your own. One of our favorite DIY things to make in the kitchen is spice blends. They give our cooking that extra oomph and taste even better than the store-bought stuff.
You may ask yourself, why not just buy pumpkin pie spice at the store? We’re glad you asked.
First of all, it’s cheaper to make a homemade blend rather than buying it from the grocery store.
You’ll know exactly what’s in it (aka no pesky additives) and can easily adjust the amounts to your tastes.
It’s convenient. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry!
Just knowing you made the spice blend yourself will give you a sense of accomplishment and make your mix taste that much better.
Homemade pumpkin spice mix makes for a creative, thoughtful gift that you can give out to friends and neighbors during the holiday season.
It’s fun, and it’s a great way to get your little ones involved in the kitchen.
Convinced? Alright then, let’s get down to business. Here’s our healthy pumpkin pie spice recipe:
3 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cloves
Mix up all of the ingredients and store the mixture in an airtight jar. We recommend tripling or quadrupling the recipe above so that you have plenty to sprinkle on your overnight oats, your coffee, and smoothies too.
Our favorite healthy pumpkin spice latte
This wouldn’t be an article about the glory of pumpkin pie spice without showing you how to make a healthy pumpkin spice latte at home. Instead of shelling out an arm and a leg for a drink at a coffee shop, whip up this recipe at home. It’s perfect for taking with you to sip on your way to work or for getting nice and toasty at home.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
Ingredients
- 1-2 shots of espresso (or 8 ounces of strong-brewed coffee)
- ½ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 3 Tbsp pumpkin puree
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp maple syrup (or agave/honey)
- sprinkle of cinnamon for topping
Method
- Start by warming your espresso and milk over medium heat.
- Next, stir in your pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, vanilla, and sweetener of choice.
- If you have an immersion blender or a milk frother, you can do all of this on the stovetop. If not, you’ll need your blender. When everything is warm and the pumpkin puree dissolves, blend the mixture to froth the milk.
- Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and enjoy!
It’s that time of the year again. Fall has arrived in the northern hemisphere, and pumpkin-spice-mania is sweeping across cities around the globe. There’s something about this comforting spice mix that gets us in the mood for wearing cuddly sweaters, cozying up next to a fireplace and consuming pumpkin spice everything.
Unfortunately, some of those pumpkin spice-flavored drinks and snacks you’ll see on sale during Autumn – yes, we’re looking at you, big chain coffee shop – are lacking in the nutrition department. Not to worry, though, we’ll show you just how simple making your own healthy pumpkin spice goodies can be.
How to make pumpkin pie spice
If you’re like us, you like tinkering around with recipes and creating flavor combinations of your own. One of our favorite DIY things to make in the kitchen is spice blends. They give our cooking that extra oomph and taste even better than the store-bought stuff.
You may ask yourself, why not just buy pumpkin pie spice at the store? We’re glad you asked.
First of all, it’s cheaper to make a homemade blend rather than buying it from the grocery store.
You’ll know exactly what’s in it (aka no pesky additives) and can easily adjust the amounts to your tastes.
It’s convenient. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry!
Just knowing you made the spice blend yourself will give you a sense of accomplishment and make your mix taste that much better.
Homemade pumpkin spice mix makes for a creative, thoughtful gift that you can give out to friends and neighbors during the holiday season.
It’s fun, and it’s a great way to get
involved in the kitchen.
Convinced? Alright then, let’s get down to business. Here’s our healthy pumpkin pie spice recipe:
3 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cloves
Mix up all of the ingredients and store the mixture in an airtight jar. We recommend tripling or quadrupling the recipe above so that you have plenty to sprinkle on your overnight oats, your coffee, and smoothies too.
Our favorite healthy pumpkin spice latte
This wouldn’t be an article about the glory of pumpkin pie spice without showing you how to make a healthy pumpkin spice latte at home. Instead of shelling out an arm and a leg for a drink at a coffee shop, whip up this recipe at home. It’s perfect for taking with you to sip on your way to work or for getting nice and toasty at home.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
Ingredients
- 1-2 shots of espresso (or 8 ounces of strong-brewed coffee)
- ½ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 3 Tbsp pumpkin puree
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp maple syrup (or agave/honey)
- sprinkle of cinnamon for topping
Method
- Start by warming your espresso and milk over medium heat.
- Next, stir in your pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, vanilla, and sweetener of choice.
- If you have an immersion blender or a milk frother, you can do all of this on the stovetop. If not, you’ll need your blender. When everything is warm and the pumpkin puree dissolves, blend the mixture to froth the milk.
- Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and enjoy!
8fit’s healthy pumpkin spice muffins
Why limit yourself to coffee? Make your fall a whole lot sweeter by adding pumpkin spice to everything in sight. Once you make our healthy pumpkin pie spice above, the sky’s the limit. If you have a recipe for something that has a vanilla or banana flavor, mix some pumpkin spice into it, and voila! It will taste like fall.
If you’re itching to bake some healthy pumpkin spice treats, we’ve got a recipe in mind that you can try: 8fit’s Banana and Bean Muffins. Just follow the instructions as provided in the recipe, and replace the ½ teaspoon of cinnamon per serving with a ½ teaspoon of your healthy pumpkin spice blend.
Still thirsty? Try this healthy pumpkin spice smoothie
Live in a hot climate but still want a taste of fall? Cool down with a healthy pumpkin spice smoothie. Just like the pumpkin spice muffins above, this recipe involves making a small alteration to one of 8fit’s recipes: the Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie.
Add a banana (preferably frozen banana pieces) and non-dairy milk or regular milk to your blender as specified in the recipe. Now, here’s where the alteration comes in: instead of adding peanut butter as instructed, replace it with the same amount of pureed pumpkin (make sure it’s 100% pumpkin – watch out for additives, corn syrup or sugar) and sprinkle in ¼ teaspoon your own pumpkin spice blend.
Pumpkin spice up your life
We hope you enjoyed our tips and tricks for making your own healthy pumpkin spice creations. The possibilities are endless, so go on and sprinkle a little pumpkin spice magic on your favorite foods. It’s the little things, right?
If you’re looking for more healthy recipes that you can jazz up with your newfound spice blending skills, sign up for 8fit Pro and access over 700 delicious, nutritionist-approved recipes made to suit your lifestyle. Whether you’re vegetarian, paleo or gluten-free, you’ll have an extensive database of tasty eats at your disposal. With yoga, HIIT, and Tabata exercises at your fingertips, 8fit offers an optimal way to relieve stress and breeze through the approaching holiday months.
