Along with falling leaves and football games, autumn brings the return of beloved fall recipes and flavors that characterize the season. Take a step outside your taste bud’s comfort zone of pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks and try one of these fall recipes that all include pumpkin.

When the weather gets colder, the fresh veggies and fruits that are synonymous with summer are replaced with heartier meals, such as lasagna or stews. An easy way to have a low calorie meal but still eat something that will warm you up and satisfy your cold weather craving is soup. The pumpkin soup recipe below is easy to make and uses ingredients you can easily find at the grocery store or even around your house!

Quick and Easy Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Total Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 6

Serving Size: 1 ½ cups

Calories: 243

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

6 cups Chicken Broth

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin (make sure you buy pure pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling!)

1 cup applesauce

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Heat your butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat until the butter melts.

2. Chop the onion and add it to the saucepan. Cook until tender over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Add flour to the saucepan and cook for 1 minute, stirring the

4. Stir in the broth, pumpkin, applesauce, ginger, nutmeg, and heat to a boil

5. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.

6. Stir in the heavy cream and cook until the mixture is bubbling.

7. You’re done! Season with black pepper to taste.

Recipe from: http://www.campbellskitchen.com

Another hearty fall food is bread. Whether it’s paired with meat and vegetables at night or with a cup of coffee in the morning, bread is a filling side dish that can sometimes make the meal. If you’re looking for your daily carbohydrates to be the star of the meal, the recipe for pumpkin bread will be sure to bring the flavor kick you’re looking for. If you want to bring out the pumpkin flavor eat it plain but if you’re looking something with a variety of flavors, add in chocolate chips, raisins, or chopped nuts!

Pumpkin Bread

Total Time: 80 minutes

Makes: 2 loaves

Serving Size: 1/12 loaf

Calories: 250

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 ½ cups sugar

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two loaf pans, set aside

2. In an electric mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, oil, water, vanilla, and sugar until well blended.

3. In a different bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.

4. Mix the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until well combined. Pour the batter into the pans.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Take out of pans and cool. Enjoy!

Recipe from: http://www.mybakingaddiction.com

If bread isn’t your idea of a dessert, something with a bit more sugar might fit your criteria better. A seasonally universal treat is cupcakes. You have all the flavor of a cake but they’re perfectly proportioned and cute to decorate. Make this treat more fall appropriate by choosing a pumpkin flavor. The cinnamon cream cheese frosting in the recipe below helps to incorporate more fall flavors, balance out the pumpkin, and with every bite.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese

Total Time: 50 minutes

Serves: 9

Serving Size: 1 cupcake

Calories: 300

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup pumpkin puree

½ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar (packed)

½ cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature

3 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon cinnamon

9 pumpkin candy garnishes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners, set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt).

3. In a different bowl whisk together pumpkin puree, sugars, vegetable oil, and eggs.

4. Pour wet mixture over dry mixture and stir together until blended.

5. Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin tray.

7. Place in oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

8. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

Frosting Directions:

1. In an electric mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).

2. Put the mixture on low speed gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until fully mixed in.

3. Add vanilla and cinnamon until well combined.

4. Put the mixer speed on medium high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes).

5. With a small knife or pastry bag, frost your cooled cupcakes.

6. Garnish with candy pumpkins and enjoy your delicious cupcakes!

Recipe from: http://damndelicious.net

Have fun trying out all the recipes below and be sure to post pictures below with your attempts!