A collection of all things pumpkin! If you have some cans of pumpkin the need to be used up, here are some ideas. 

From top left to bottom right: (click on photo for recipe)
Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Skillet Cake
Pumpkin Caramel & Peanut Butter Crunch Cups
Pumpkin Hummus
Pumpkin Spice Bulletproof Latte
Pumpkin Oatmeal & Yogurt Parfait
Pumpkin Blender Pancakes

In the post below, you'll also find my pumpkin muffins which can be turned into waffles! 

This cookie skillet is SO easy and SO freaking good, it's always a party or household favorite. No lie, I probably make it 2-3x per month. It always comes out with a crispy crust and slightly soft inside, exacttttllyyy the way a cookie should be!

1/2 cup of tahini
1/2 cup of nut (or seed) butter (any will work - cashew, almond, mixed, sunflower)
1 large egg
3 Tbsp of maple syrup
1/2 tsp of vanilla
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 cup of chocolate chunks
1 Tbsp of chia seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 10in. skillet with coconut oil.

Mix all ingredients (minus chocolate chunks) together in a large bowl until well combined and dough forms. Fold in chocolate chunks. Transfer cookie batter into skillet and spread evenly. Top with a few more chocolate chunks & sprinkle with salt (optional). 

Bake for 16-18 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

OK - WHY have I not been making chocolate filled cups at home until now!? It's insane how easy and simple this process was AND how amazing these taste. After seeing these healthy versions of chocolate filled cups popping up all over Instagram (like Eating Evolved), I finally decided to buy my own mold and make some at home.

I wanted these to be a late afternoon snack that I could grab before teaching that was filled with protein, healthy fats, and antioxidants to give me an energy boost before teaching at night. SO, I used raw cacao powder, coconut cashew butter and Further Food collagen peptides. I KNOW, these are like magic in a cup!! They are the perfect pick-me-up treat for a boost of energy or to satisfy a sweet tooth. 

If you have social media, you've probably seen collagen peptides popping up everywhere. Well, that's because collagen has so many amazing health benefits for your digestive system, skin/hair/nails, and bones/muscle recovery. I add it to my morning matcha or latte everyday and the best part is, it makes it SO frothy!! From taking collagen peptides daily, I've definitely seen my nails get thicker/stronger and from someone who has had wavy/frizzy hair her whole life, collagen has helped smooth it out and add shine. I do take a few supplements for my digestion but I would like to believe that collagen has taken part in helping strengthen the walls of my digestive system as well. You can visit furtherfood.com to learn more about the health benefits of collagen and if you want to try it, use discount code BASOUSA10 to get 10% off! 

Servings: 6 LARGE cups 

1 cup of melted coconut oil
1 cup of raw cacao powder
2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup of Further Food collagen peptides*
​big pinch of salt
​6 Tbsp of vanilla roasted coconut cashew butter (or nut butter of choice)

You'll also need:
silicon tartlet mold (mine is from Amazon)**

Notes:
*Use discount code BASOUSA10 for 10% off!
**If you have a cupcake/muffin tin, you can fill it with liners and use that. You may just need to adjust the amount of nut butter per cup. 

Make your chocolate: To a liquid measuring cup, add coconut oil, cacao, vanilla, collagen, and salt, then whisk until well combined. 

Place silicon mold on top of a cookie sheet, TRUST ME, this will make it easier to transfer without spillage. Add 2 tsp of chocolate to the bottom of each mold cup and swirl around until bottom is coated. Place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes until hardened. 

Once chocolate bottoms are hardened, add 1 Tbsp of cashew coconut butter to each mold cup on top of the chocolate. Press down with fingers to flatten and spread out.  

Pour remaining chocolate on top of nut butter to fill each mold cup. Place in the fridge overnight (or freezer to harden quicker). Once cups are solid, remove from the mold & EAT THEM! Store extras in the fridge or freezer. 

Can a girl ever have enough nut butter? NEVER. Luckily, there's TONS of varieties of nut butters on the market today. So, I decided, why not try my own? The plus of making your own nut butter at home is you can make it any way you want and experiment with combining different nuts (and coconut). This will not be the last nut butter I make at home, stay tuned!

2 cups of raw cashews
2 cups of unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
big pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Parchment a large cookie sheet. 

Spread cashews and coconut flakes out on the cookie sheet, bake for 12-15 min. until golden brown. 

Right out of the oven, transfer toasted cashews and coconut to the food processor. This is important, it will blend and smooth out easier when it's hot! Add vanilla and salt. 

Turn on the processor and begin blending until it becomes a coarse meal. Scrape down the sides and keep blending. A sticky ball of paste will start to form, ALMOST THERE, keep going!! Eventually, the mixture will start to smooth and the "butter" will form. See photos above.

Once the butter is to the consistency you prefer, transfer to an airtight jar and store in the fridge. Then, put that *ish* on EVERYTHING! 

This is the PERFECT weekend breakfast/brunch item. It can be made ahead of time and left overnight in the fridge so when you roll out of bed on Saturday or Sunday morning, all you have to do is pop it in the oven while you enjoy a cup of coffee. Easy, peasy! Filled with whole grains and fiber, it will keep you full and energized for the day. 

 Servings: 4

4 thick cut slices of homemade golden oat banana bread - cubed
2 large eggs
3/4 cup of milk
​1/4 tsp of fall warming spice (or pumpkin spice)
1 tsp of pure vanilla extract 
Trader Joes Maple Pecan Clusters Cereal (or similar cereal of choice)
​2 Tbsp of butter - melted

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, fall warming spice, and vanilla. Add the cubed banana bread and toss until all the bread is coated in the egg mixture. Cover in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes (minimum) - up to overnight to give the bread time to soak up the liquid. 

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter or parchment an 8x8 baking dish. Give the soaked bread and egg mixture another good toss and pour evenly into the baking dish.

Crumble up the cereal with your hands and sprinkle over the top until all the bread is covered. Pour the melted butter evenly over the cereal topping, this will give it nice brown color in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Serve warm with pure maple syrup. 

The shining star behind this golden bread? TURMERIC! Its anti-inflammatory properties make it one of my favorite spices but it also gives that gorgeous golden color. I've been obsessing over golden mylk so why not try a golden bread? Thank you to the bananas who sacrificed their lives for this one, this recipe will be on REPEAT. 

1 cup of mashed banana (about 3 medium bananas)
1/2 cup of greek yogurt
1/2 cup of maple syrup
1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of fall warming spice
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
scant 1/2 tsp of turmeric
1 cup of rolled oats (plus a bit more to sprinkle on top)
1/2 cup of roughly chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease or parchment a small loaf pan (mine is 8.5x4.5x2.5). 

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the mashed banana, yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla until combined. Turn down to med-low and beat in the eggs one at a time. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, warming spice, cinnamon, and turmeric. On low again, (so you don't cover yourself) slowly add in the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until the batter just comes together, don't over-mix!! Lastly, gently fold old in the oats and walnuts. 

​Pour the batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle some oats over the top. Place in the oven on the middle rack for 55-60 minutes or until fully cooked through and a knife comes out clean.*

Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes or so then transfer to a cooling rack. Let it cool completely or at least until it's no longer hot (just barely warm) before cutting it.**

Notes:
*The knife test is hard with this one since you will have some banana chunks throughout that may coat it. Use your best judgment, it should be done after 60 minutes. Also, check your bread at about 40 minutes, if it's looking dark brown already on top, cover it with a foil tent to prevent burning. I covered mine for about the last 10 minutes or so but it will depend on your oven. 
**​ If you cut your bread while it's hot, all the moisture and air will escape and it will become dense. You can always reheat it or toast it after. 

Do you love chocolate? YES. Do you love cookies? YES. Do you love brownies? YES. Take all three and put them into one?? Boom! Brownie Batter Cookies. 

These were an improvisation when my boyfriend asked for brownies. I had the pantry items to make my BEST EVER chocolate chip cookies so why not add some cocoa powder and chocolate chunks to make brownie cookies? I kicked these up and made them EXTRA special by adding some homemade fall warming spice. It's very subtle but adds another depth of flavor that makes these even more amazing. 

Crunchy outside, chewy inside, these are mouthwatering GOOD. 

Servings: 12 cookies

1.5 cups of all purpose flour
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp of fall warming spice*(recipe below)
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of salt
1 stick of unsalted butter - melted**
1/2 cup of cane (or white) sugar
1/4 cup of packed light brown sugar
1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
1 egg (room temperature)
​1 3oz. chocolate bar - coarsely chopped*** 

Notes:
*In place of this spice mix, you could use just cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice BUT the fall warming spice is amazing so it's worth making!!
**You could replace butter with 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil 
***I used Chocolove Almonds & Sea Salt, the extra crunch & salt was delicious!

Fall Warming Spice
2 Tbsp of cinnamon
2 tsp of ground ginger
2 tsp of ground nutmeg
1.5 tsp of allspice
1.5 tsp of turmeric
- Mix all the spices together and store in an air-tight container. 

This cake is like a cinnamon bun, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie all tied into one. Make it for the sole fact that your entire house will smell like freshly baked cinnamon rolls and toasted pecans. It's mouth watering, for real. 

Then, you pour the maple glaze over the top and you're speechless. Try not to devour it right at that moment, I dare you.

The best part about this cake? You can call it a guilty pleasure for how amazing it is BUT you don't have to feel guilty at all. Life's too short not to enjoy a sweet treat. 

 Cake Batter
3/4 cup of boiling water 
1/2 cup of quick oats
1/4 cup of maple syrup
1/2 cup of light brown sugar
2 (heaping) Tbsp of pumpkin puree
1 egg - room temperature
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of salt

Pecan Crumble
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
1/4 cup of light brown sugar
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/8 tsp of salt 
2 Tbsp of coconut oil - melted

Maple Glaze
1/2 cup of confectioners (powdered) sugar
1 Tbsp of vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice & add 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract)
1 Tbsp of maple syrup 

Cake Batter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Parchment or grease an 8 inch square baking pan. 

Start by making your oatmeal base, combine the boiling water & quick oats then set aside. 

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. 

​To your oatmeal base, add the maple syrup, brown sugar, pumpkin, and egg. Mix together until well combined. Add this wet mixture into your flour mixture and whisk together until just combined. If your batter seems dry, you can add more water little by little until it's smooth. Don't over mix!

Pour cake batter into pan and spread out evenly. Set aside and make your pecan crumble topping.

Pecan Crumble
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and toss together until the pecans are all coated.

Sprinkle the crumble over the top of the cake batter. Place the cake in the oven (on the middle rack) for 25-30 minutes until fully cooked through and a toothpick (or knife) comes out clean. 

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Once it's cool, you can make your glaze.

Maple Glaze
Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. 

Use the whisk to glaze your cake using a zig zag pattern or if you prefer dumping it on top, that works too! :P

Cashew cream is AMAZING. The uses and variations are endless. It's SO easy to make and a useful nutritional replacement to have on hand. The slightly sweet and buttery cashew nut is packed with energy, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins that are essential for long-lasting health.​

I recently used it as a replacement for heavy cream in my lightened up chicken pot pies. It gave them the same creamy, rich taste and texture that cream does PLUS healthy brain boosting fats. I've also used it as a frosting for chocolate cupcakes. The recipe below is a base and from there you can take it SO many places! Try it sweet, savory, or spicy. 

1 cup of raw organic cashews
filtered water

Place cashews in a bowl and pour in enough filtered water to cover them completely. Let soak for 2-3 hours minimum (out on the counter is fine) or up to overnight (in the fridge). 

After soaking, drain water from cashews. Place cashews in a high-speed blender with (new & clean) filtered water. The amount of water will depend on the thickness you want the cream. If you're making something like a frosting start with a few tablespoons of water. If you're making a liquid cream for soup, pasta, etc. then start with 1 cup and add 1-2 tablespoons at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Once the cream is smooth, pour into an airtight container and store in the fridge until ready to use. This cream will keep around 2 weeks. 

I LOVE BEER. What do I love possibly more than beer? CUPCAKES. Bring the both together!? Ay Dios Mio.

​I've made Chef Chloe's Chocolate Beer Cupcakes before and they were incredibly moist, fluffy, light, and just the PERFECT cupcakes. 'Tis the season for Pumpkin, so why not try a pumpkin ale version? With a little creativity and a few adjustments, out come the perfect pumpkin cupcakes. I swear, these are a MUST try. It's like biting into a Pumpkin Ale (if that were possible), the spices explode in your mouth. The cream cheese frosting is just the "icing on the top," literally. Pumpkin and cream cheese were made for each other and so were beer and cupcakes. :D

(Servings: 12 cupcakes

DRY
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of salt
1 (heaping) tsp of ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp of ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp of ground ginger

WET
1 cup of pumpkin beer
1/2 cup of canola oil
1/2 cup of maple syrup
2 Tbsp of apple cider (or white) vinegar
1 Tbsp of vanilla

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8oz. package of cream cheese (softened at room temp.)
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1 tsp of vanilla
dash of ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp of milk 

For the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to the dry and mix just until combined, don't over mix!!! The batter may seem a bit clumpy, that's O.K. 

Pour cupcake batter evenly into your cupcake pan, you should be able to fill all 12. 

Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 16-18 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Insert a toothpick (or knife) into the center of the cupcakes at 16 minutes, if it comes out clean, they're done. If not, give them 2-3 more minutes. 

Remove from the oven and let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes or so. Transfer to a cooling rack and let them cool completely. 

Meanwhile, make your frosting.

For the cream cheese frosting:

In a stand mixer, add your frosting ingredients and mix until combined and smooth. If the frosting seems too thick, add a bit more milk. Place in the fridge until ready to use.

Once your cupcakes are cool, frost them and sprinkle with cinnamon to make them pretty. :)