Give Your Pumpkin Recipes a Berry Interesting Twist

It’s pumpkin season. I’m not sure how anyone could possibly miss the memo on that, but just in case, I wanted to make it known. It is pumpkin season, which for some people, has become a religion. They don’t just like the scent or flavor of pumpkin. They pay homage to it, and they expect others to do the same.

Retailers have followed suit with all kinds of pumpkin flavored products. There’s the pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin spice candles, pumpkin spice Oreos, pumpkin spice M&Ms, pumpkin spice Ramen noodles, Doritos and so many others. It’s like a pumpkin explosion in the stores this time of year.

I like pumpkin as much as the next guy, but I am not willing to abandon my berries just because the pumpkin craze is in full force. Instead, I propose a compromise.  Let’s marry our pumpkins and our berries to create new flavor combinations in some of our favorite recipes.

For example, instead of an avocado in Deborah’s Tasty and Healthy Breakfast Smoothie, add a half cup or so of pureed pumpkin. Doing this will give you the thickness and creaminess of the avocado while infusing the pumpkin flavor into an already delicious and nutritious smoothie. For a more hearty pumpkin spice flavor, add a sprinkle or two of pumpkin pie spice. The ratio of mango to pumpkin may take some trial and error for your desired taste. You can do the same thing in Lorraine’s Everyday Smoothie by replacing the yogurt with pureed pumpkin.

Pumpkin muffins, anyone? How about Raspberry Paleo Muffins with a pumpkin twist? You can use canned pumpkin puree in place of the dates or bananas (or both), and you still have Paleo muffins. If you like the idea of a raspberry pumpkin muffin, but you don’t want to Paleo-tize it, try this easy Pumpkin Raspberry Muffin recipe.  If blackberries are more your thing, go for Pumpkin Blackberry Streusel Muffins.

Of course, it wouldn’t feel like fall if we didn’t consume at least one pumpkin bread or pumpkin pie. How about a Pumpkin and Blueberry Tart? What I like about this recipe is the elimination of eggs, heavy cream, cornstarch and processed sugar. It is still packed with great flavor. Now, I know that some people are not willing to mess with traditional pumpkin pie, and I don’t blame them. Perhaps some Blueberry Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Scones with Blueberry Butter would be a less adventurous place to start creating those new flavor combos. You can actually use that blueberry butter on your pumpkin muffins, pancakes or waffles, too.

Don’t abandon your berries during pumpkin season. Infuse them! If you have a favorite berry/pumpkin flavor combination, I’d love to hear about it. Feel free to comment below!