But if you’re not into it, check out the other delicious fall recipes in this post!

It’s that time of year again! I am a die hard pumpkin spice fan (Truth be told, when we had a cool wave of weather in late August, I made a few pumpkin spice lattes at home. I couldn’t resist!). Although it’s tempting to buy products labeled “pumpkin spice” in the grocery stores, it’s a lot healthier (especially if you forgo adding sugar to your recipe or at least cut down on the added sugar) and often less expensive to just make your own pumpkin spice at home. Here’s how to do it:

What you’ll need:

• A can of organic pumpkin puree (no spices added)
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground nutmeg
• Ground ginger
• Ground cloves
• Ground allspice 

Pumpkin Spiced Baked Goods:

To make pumpkin spice baked goods (including pancakes and waffles) simply add ¼ a cup of pumpkin puree to each one cup of flour (any type) used in your recipe. Next, add the ground spices to taste. I usually add more cinnamon and cloves and go lighter on everything else, but a good rule of thumb is for every cup of flour in your recipe, add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of cloves, ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon of ginger and allspice. Mix well and bake/cook as usual. Pumpkin-y delicious! You will have left over pumpkin puree from the can. Simply freeze the remainder in ¼ cup portions and you’ll have it ready to go for your upcoming bake sessions.

Pumpkin Spiced Coffee/Tea

Add a dash of each spice listed above (again, I usually go heavier on the cinnamon and cloves) to the grounds of your coffee BEFORE brewing (this will add flavor to your beverage without any graininess from the spices). If you’re using a tea bag to make your tea, put the spices in a tea infuser/ball and steep them along with the tea. Add milk (and perhaps a bit of 100% natural maple syrup, if you really want that “fall feel” or “need” the sweetener) and you’re all set. What a quick and inexpensive way to get your pumpkin coffee/tea fix!

Pumpkin Spiced Protein Shake

You can add pumpkin puree and pumpkin spices to your avocado (1 medium size) or banana (1 medium size) based protein shake for a pumpkin version, as the puree is cooked prior to being canned. You can also skip the fruit and use ¼ cup of oats as a base. If you’re making a 16 oz shake, add two tablespoons of puree and ⅛ teaspoon of all of the pumpkin spices listed except for the cinnamon, of which you should add ½ a teaspoon. Add one pitted date, your protein powder of choice and any milk you like (dairy or plant based) and blend well. If you opted for oats, give the shake about 30 minutes to thicken (the oats need time to absorb the milk).

Do you simply want pumpkin pie? Here’s an easy-peasy recipe I found that tastes amazing!

Don’t like Pumpkin Spice?

First of all, what is wrong with you? Just kidding!

Ok, so pumpkin is not your thing. But maybe apple pie or cinnamon maple is? Here’s how to add some non-pumpkin autumnal flavor to your baked creations:

Apple Cinnamon-Nutmeg Baked Goods

Make apple pie everything! For every one cup of flour in your recipe, add ¼ cup of finely chopped apple (variety of your choice. I happen to like Honeycrisp), 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg. Bake according to the original directions.

Cinnamon-Maple Coffee/Tea

Cinnamon and maple syrup can add a pie-like taste to a cup of coffee or tea. Add a dash of cinnamon to your coffee grounds before brewing or into a tea infuser/ball if you’re using a tea bag. After brewing, add a teaspoon of 100% natural maple syrup and milk of your choice and you have a delicious, pumpkin spice-free, fall drink. Enjoy!

Apple-Cinnamon Nutmeg Protein Shake

Add ½ of a chopped apple, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon, ⅛ of nutmeg and ¼ cup of oats to a blender. Add your protein powder, cover with milk or your choice (or you may opt for kefir) and blend well. It’s like apple pie in a cup, as the apples are sweet. But, if you want a bit more sweetness, add a teaspoon of maple syrup. Be sure to let the shake sit for about 30 minutes so the oats soak up the milk or else your shake will be very thin/watery.

What About Apple Pie?

Do you want homemade apple pie, but don’t have the time or patience to make it? Try the apple crisp recipe below. It tastes just like apple pie, but is way less involved and time consuming (and contains a lot less sugar):

Simple Apple Crisp (Low Added Sugar):

Ingredients:

• 5-6 apples (I like the Honeycrisp variety, but if you like a more sour taste, go for Granny Smith)
• ½ cup of butter
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon for apples
• ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg for apples
• 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon for filling/topping
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup of flour (any kind, gluten free or almond)

Directions:

1. Cut your apples into thin slices or small cubes and put them in a baking dish or bowl that is oven safe. Better yet, invest in an apple peeler like this one and cut down immensely on the time and effort needed to complete this task.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of nutmeg to the bowl and mix thoroughly.
3. In a separate bowl or glass pitcher, melt the butter in the microwave. Take two tablespoons of butter and add it to the apple mix. Mix again.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
5. In a third bowl, add the rest of the melted butter (save one tablespoon separately for the last step), the brown sugar, the flour and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and mix until it becomes moist, but crumbly. If the mixture is too dry, add a bit more melted butter. If it’s too wet, add a bit more flour. When done correctly, it should form little crumbly, but doughy balls (yes, that is the official culinary description). Take some of the mix and add it throughout and in between the apples in the bowl. There is no science to this. I just like to make sure every bit of crisp has some “crisp” in it. Don’t go overboard or the crisp will be too “bready”.
6. Next, add the remaining flour/cinnamon-butter mix to the top of the apples. Be sure to cover it well (to the edges). If you don’t have enough topping, you can always make some more. Lastly, take that last tablespoon of melted butter and drizzle it over the top of the crumbly topping.
7. Cover the baking dish/bowl and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. 
8. Allow the apple crisp to cool for a bit, then serve warm à la mode with French vanilla ice cream. My mouth is watering just thinking about this! 

Now, all you need is a cup of tea or coffee, a porch and a wooden porch swing, a floral print prairie dress and a beautiful sunset during which you can sit barefoot and enjoy your heavenly piece of fall. Lovely!

Note: You’ll notice my apple crisp recipe doesn’t call for adding sugar to the apples. I think the apples have enough sweetness on their own. If you don’t agree, or you’re using Granny Smith apples in your recipe, then you could add ¼ cup of raw turbinado sugar to the apples in the bowl. I wouldn’t add more than that or else you’re making candy and it’s not Halloween…Yet!