Your favorite autumnal flavor might just be a superfood, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Pumpkin is packed with vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A and potassium, and is low in calories. If you’re looking to add more nutrition to your diet, pumpkin is a cheap, filling and delicious way to do so.
What are the benefits of pumpkin?
The United States Department of Agriculture reports that one cup of pumpkin has only 30 calories but contains over 200% of the recommended daily value of Vitamin A. According to dietitian Allyn Wergen, vitamin A helps to “preserve vision, fight infections, maintain healthy skin and bones, and regulate cell growth and division.”
One cup of pumpkin also provides 16% of the recommended daily amount of potassium. According to the American Heart Association, potassium supports healthy blood pressure and heart health.
Pumpkin is also high in fiber and several antioxidants, including beta-cryptoxanthin, alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, which gives pumpkin its distinct orange color. These antioxidants, also known as carotenoids, may help protect your body from cancer, per a review of studies in the journal Recent Patents on Inflammation & Allergy Drug Discovery.
5 pumpkin recipes to try this week
Pumpkin is great in soups and other savory dishes, but it really shines in baked goods and sweet treats. While the sugar and butter in those dishes may not be the best in large quantities, adding pumpkin to dessert can be a great way to sneak in extra nutrition.
According to the American Psychological Association, occasional indulgences can be part of a healthy lifestyle. Here are five pumpkin recipes worth indulging in.
1. Half Baked Harvest: Cream cheese swirled cinnamon pumpkin butter bread
Popular food blogger Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest is known for her cozy, comforting recipes, and this pumpkin bread is especially perfect for a crisp autumn morning. This isn’t just any old pumpkin bread: This over-the top recipe includes a cream cheese swirl and a cinnamon-sugar topping.
2. Cooking Classy: Starbucks pumpkin scones
Starbucks discontinued its beloved pumpkin scones this year, but Cooking Classy has a similar version if you want to try making them yourself. These soft pumpkin scones are topped with a vanilla glaze and a pumpkin spice drizzle.
Food blogger The Pancake Princess, who regularly pits similar recipes against each other in a competition to discover the best version, said these were the best copycat Starbucks pumpkin scones she tested. She recommends upping the spices in the recipe by about 25% to add extra flavor.
3. A Cozy Kitchen: Mini pumpkin sheet cake with brown butter frosting
Adrianna Adarme’s recipes always have the perfect blend of spices, and she really nailed this one. This cake, an autumnal variation on her popular carrot sheet cake with brown butter frosting, is small and simple but incredibly delicious.
4. Handle the Heat: Pumpkin spice coffee cake
I first tried this recipe two years ago, and I’ve made it at least a dozen times since. The addition of sour cream makes the base cake moist and tender, and the cinnamon streusel swirl adds great flavor and texture. With the maple glaze and crushed pecans on top, it’s the perfect fall treat.
5. Chelsea’s Messy Apron: Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
I’ve never been a fan of traditional pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, since most of them are too cakey for my liking and end up tasting like dry muffin tops. This recipe fixes that problem by making a soft cookie with crisp edges. It’s essentially the same texture as a regular chocolate chip cookie, but with the addition of a delicious pumpkin spice flavor. Even if you do enjoy a cake-like pumpkin cookie, be sure to give this variation a try.