Typically, people only think of pumpkins around November and October, Halloween and Thanksgiving. On the other hand, eating this tasty squash can aid in your efforts to reduce body fat. Recipes using pumpkins, such as stir-fries, soup, and even weight-loss smoothies, can aid calorie-burning and overall wellness. While pumpkin is a seasonal staple, it is a healthy, low-calorie option. The item’s potential uses also extend beyond initial expectations. Savory and sweet preparations are equally possible. Pumpkin ice cream is a great option for people watching their weight because it is both nutritious and low in fat.
What are the Benefits of Pumpkin?
Now that autumn has arrived, pumpkins take center stage in various seasonal traditions. Pumpkin-flavored lattes, pumpkin patches, pumpkin carving, and even the season itself all appear to have some connection to the pumpkin. People love decorating with them, seeing them in roadside stands, and utilizing them in cooking; pumpkins are the ultimate joyous fall experience. But besides these great pumpkin uses, pumpkins are also very healthy food. Pumpkin benefits that abound in these magnificent orange veggies are the major reason people adore and seek them, especially in the fall.
1. Might help fight against cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The antioxidants in pumpkin aid the body’s fight against cancer cells and reduce the likelihood of developing significant eye diseases and cardiovascular diseases.
2. Strengthen Immunity. The ability of this nutrient-rich vegetable to strengthen immunity is especially appreciated in the chilly winter months when the flu always seems to be just around the corner.
3. Helps in losing weight and staying in shape. Due to its high fiber content, we feel full for longer, and its 94% water content means it doesn’t add the extra carb load of other foods. It has a low-fat content by design, and the pumpkin seed shells contain nutrients that are good for us.
4. Improves eye health. There’s a lot of vitamin A in it. Suppose you want to improve your eye health and night vision. You only need one cup daily because it provides more than 200 percent of the recommended daily intake.
5. An excellent source of vitamin C. Smoothies, soups, baked dishes, and more will be made stronger by adding this vegetable during the winter.
Pumpkin Maple Recipes
1. Pumpkin Maple Ice Cream Recipe
This ice cream pumpkin might be among the many delicious pumpkin-based dishes. Although it tastes like iced milk, this one is far better than the store-bought variety. This ice cream recipe is ideal for those attempting to eat healthily and reduce their weight significantly but still want to satisfy their sweet tooth with a frozen treat. This Pumpkin-Maple Ice Milk is a must-try if you’re a pumpkin pie and ice cream fan.
Ingredients
1/4 to 1/3 cup Coconut Nectar (adjust for personal preference)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup organic skim milk
1 cup of cooked or canned pumpkin (unsweetened)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (really, just a pinch)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 can of evaporated skimmed milk (12 ounces)
Directions:
Mix the coconut nectar and egg in a bowl with a wire whisk until they are well mixed. In a saucepan, heat 1 cup of skim milk over medium heat until small bubbles form around the pan’s edges. Don’t let the milk boil. Mix slowly about a quarter of the hot milk into the nectar mixture. Add the mixture to the rest of the hot milk while stirring constantly. Stir the mixture constantly while cooking over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick. Pour the mixture into a bowl and mix in the other ingredients. Cover up and let it cool. When the mixture is cold, pour it into a 1/2-gallon freezer can and chill in the freezer.
2. Pumpkin Maple Pecan Bourbon Ice Cream
When put together in an ice cream recipe, pumpkin, maple, and pecans are a match made in heaven. Even if you don’t like bourbon, the addition of bourbon to this ice cream makes it taste even better. And when you add a tiny bit of blackstrap molasses, it’s so good you can’t even describe it. If you like bourbon, you won’t be able to picture how magical this would be. But if you don’t like pecans, you don’t have to use them, and the ice cream will still taste great even without them.
Ingredients
2 14-oz cans full-fat coconut milk 1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup maple syrup 2 tablespoons bourbon
1 Tbsp blackstrap molasses 1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cups toasted, chopped pecans (optional)
Directions:
Put the bowl of your ice cream maker and cans of coconut milk in the freezer for a minimum of 12 hours. Mix all the ingredients, except pecans, to make the ice cream in a large bowl. Process in your ice cream maker until it is smooth and creamy, and a spoon dragged through it leaves the ice cream stick. Stop the machine and stir in the pecans if you want to. Soft-serve ice cream can be served right away, or it can be scooped into a container, covered, and frozen for several hours until it hardens.
3. Fat-Free Pumpkin Ice Cream
This Pumpkin Ice Cream is very creamy, has just the right spice, and is sweet enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. The best part is that it is made of only healthy ingredients. Ice cream is usually made with heavy cream, egg yolks, and so much sugar that your dentist will cry. Not this one, though. This one is made with healthier swaps so that it is low in fat and refined sugar, high in protein, and has no eggs. In this recipe, there is no heavy cream. Instead, evaporated fat-free milk and fat-free cream cheese are mixed. Whey protein powder was used instead of egg yolks. Instead of white sugar, pure maple syrup, molasses, and organic stevia extract were used.
Ingredients:
1 12-ounce can of fat-free evaporated milk 8 oz Fat-Free Cream Cheese
11/4 cups pumpkin puree that is 100% pure ⅓ cup Pure Maple Syrup
1 tbsp Molasses 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Liquid Stevia Extract 1 tsp Natural Maple Flavor
1 cup of Whey Protein Isolate with no flavor 1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
Directions:
Pour the evaporated milk, cream cheese, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, molasses, vanilla extract, stevia extract, and maple flavoring into a large blender and mix well. Mix until it’s smooth. Add the whey protein powder and pumpkin pie spice while the blender runs. Follow the directions on your ice cream machine to churn. Put the mixture in a container that can go in the freezer and freeze it for about 3 to 5 hours or until it’s the consistency you want. Serve, and have fun!
4. Dairy-Free Maple Ice Cream Recipe
A great Thanksgiving dessert is dairy-free ice cream made with coconut milk and sweetened with coconut sugar and maple syrup. Pumpkin and cinnamon are added to give this recipe a warm autumn taste. Mix pumpkin puree, maple syrup, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice to make this fall flavor. The best part is that the base can be turned into just about any tasty dish you want. You can use coconut milk and coconut condensed milk to make the base. Add your favorite cookies, candies, fruits, nuts, and chocolates. Make whatever you can your own. Put on your coziest sweater and curl up by the fire with a scoop of this delicious fall ice cream. If you add some candied pecans, it will taste like Thanksgiving pie.
Ingredients:
Condensed milk from coconut
1/2 can full-fat coconut milk 1/4 cup coconut sugar
Maple pumpkin puree
3/4 cup maple syrup 3/4 cup of pumpkin from a can
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
The base of ice cream
1 1/2 cans full-fat coconut milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 pinches of cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt condensed coconut milk
maple pumpkin puree
Directions:
For Condensed coconut milk
Mix the ingredients together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Once the mixture is boiling, turn the heat to a simmer for 25–30 minutes or until it gets thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Place in the fridge to cool off.
For Maple pumpkin puree
Put all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir until they are smooth.
For Ice cream filling
Put two cans of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight to cool the milk. Empty any water out of the coconut milk and pour it into a bowl. Mix in the cooled coconut milk and the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Put half of the coconut base into the ice cream maker. Pour the other half of the ice cream mix into the ice cream maker and stir in the sweet pumpkin. Mix the ice cream until it is thick. Check the instructions for your ice cream maker to get the best results with the timing.
5. Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream
If you love pumpkin spice, this pumpkin ice cream is the best way to show it. This pumpkin custard is very smooth and creamy. It was made in an ice cream maker with whole spices. The ice cream tastes mostly like pumpkin pie that has been frozen. It has a smooth texture, a strong pumpkin flavor, and a creamy, soft mouthfeel. This is the most decadent pumpkin dessert you can make; your family will ask for it yearly.
Ingredients
2 Whole milk 1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin puree unsweetened
2 cups of heavy cream 1 stick of cinnamon, broken up
8– 10 cloves 1 slice of ginger that is 3 inches long
3/4 tsp kosher salt 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup 6 large egg yolks
1 tbsp vanilla extract 1 tablespoon of bourbon (optional)
Directions:
Mix pumpkin puree and salt together in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, often stirring to keep from burning, for about 20 minutes or until the amount is reduced by half. There should be 1 cup of pureed pumpkin. Add milk, cream, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger with a whisk. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook slowly for about 15 minutes to let the flavors blend. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
In the meantime, mix the egg yolks and maple syrup in a large bowl and set it aside.
Mix 1 cup of hot milk with the egg yolk mixture using a whisk. Add another cup of hot milk and whisk it in well. Return this custard to the saucepan and heat it slowly while whisking it often for about 10 minutes or until it gets thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Don’t let it boil.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve and stir in vanilla and bourbon (if using). Let cool down to room temperature. Wrap it up and put it in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to churn the ice cream in a machine. Serve as is or put in a lid with a lid and freeze until needed.
Conclusions
Most people are excited about the start of fall, not just because it’s fall but also because of the nostalgia that pumpkins bring. It makes them laugh when they first see that orange giant neatly stacked at the front of the grocery store. Kids would always remember how much fun it was to carve a pumpkin for Halloween or how good pumpkin pie smelled during Thanksgiving. Pumpkin is an absolute fall treat that a lot of people, especially in the United States, get to enjoy in a lot of different ways. People are becoming more health conscious, so pumpkin recipes have more than one twist. This is because people now care more about their health than ever before. But pumpkin is a food that can be used in many ways. You can put it in a smoothie, in hummus, roast it, mash it with potatoes, mix it with burger meat, roast the seeds, or make Pumpkin ice cream. Pumpkin ice cream is the best way to indulge your sweet tooth while maintaining your diet.