The tumbling leaves. The orangey hues. The crisp windy chill. As the seasons transition from warm to a cool, it feels as though one is falling into autumn. The air is colder, the colors more vibrant and the food is altering to fit the harvest. Recipes using seasonal ingredients like pumpkin are making a major comeback.

Bakers everywhere are embracing the seasonal ingredients. Pumpkin is being made into muffins, rolls, cakes, candies; almost anything one can imagine is baked into a tasty fall creation.

“The best selling pumpkin item we have is the Pumpkins Rolls,” Baker Laura Augustine of Dillon’s Bakery in Hays said, “One of the ingredients is cream cheese, and that’s what people really like.”

All types of recipes are being modified to include little touches of autumn. Bread is being baked with cinnamon and pumpkin, cheesecake is being mixed in with the orange vegetable, and flavorful syrups are being added to coffee beverages.

With so many delicious options, it’s almost impossible to choose a favorite. However, out of five delicacies, one hundred and three students selected which they prefered. The choices were pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin seeds or none.

The survey was given on Thursday, Oct. 10 during Advisory Class. Of their favorite pumpkin fare 20.3 percent said they prefer pumpkin spice lattes, 31.1 percent said they prefer pumpkin pie, 33 percent said they prefer pumpkin bread, .03 percent said they prefer pumpkin seeds, and 12.6 percent said they don’t prefer any pumpkin recipes at all. Nonetheless, all of the options can make a yummy combination.

Sophomore Nicole Dudley is one student who chose pumpkin bread as her favorite fall recipe. “My mom bakes the best pumpkin bread! It’s super healthy with lots of pumpkin and low sugar,” Dudley said.

Another perk of using pumpkin is the fact that it is relatively healthy, being part of the squash family. According to an article on about pumpkin nutrition, there are many health benefits, some examples being that it is very low calories, and it is filled with vitamins.

Pumpkin is delicious and healthy? This is a win-win in all situations, even in the family bonding category.

“In October, My family always makes cookies with halloween cutouts, like pumpkins and ghosts,” Sophomore Riley Trent said. “It really brings us all together.”

With so many special recipes and traditions, it’s not hard to get into the spirit of the season, especially if it brings the family together.

Need some recipe ideas? Check out the Plentiful Pumpkins board on Pinterest.
Looking for healthier versions of these recipes? Click here.