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Recipes

82 Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Fall In Love With!

September 17, 2014 by HeatherRobertson

mini-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-muffins
Image courtesy of SkinnyTaste.com

Just like a trip to the farmer’s market, Starbucks and Dairy Queen have a way of reminding us what’s in season. And their ads are a bit more ubiquitous.

Have you seen the pumpkin lattes and blizzards in recent commercials?

They’re missing some important facts:

Starbucks Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte, 2% Milk, and Whipped Cream = 380 calories.

Dairy Queen Medium Pumpkin Pie Blizzard Treat = 740 calories.

These indulgences can tip your calorie and point intentions into the red zone. They also fall short on nutrition and satiation. But there’s a better way. Introducing my favorite pumpkin recipes!

My deep-rooted love of all things pumpkin is not without merit. Pumpkin adds volume, flavor, and minimal calories to dishes. Its orange color is a hint that it’s rich in beta-carotene.

This antioxidant converts into vitamin A in the body and has an important role in preventing cancer and disease.

There’s no reason to be shy about these facts:

1 cup cooked pumpkin = 49 calories.

Am I advising you to eat plain, cooked, boring pumpkin? Not quite. My recipes will incorporate the benefits of the ingredient and tickle your taste buds at the same time. Tis the season to fall for these pumpkin recipes.

Breakfast

Staples

Keep these staples on hand in your refrigerator for guilt-free dessert-like breakfast toppings.

Spice up plain old Philadelphia cream cheese. Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese is excellent on whole grain bagels.

Stir this Pumpkin Butter into oatmeal or yogurt.

Pancakes

If you make any of these pumpkin recipes, choose this one. My favorite is Pumpkin Protein Pancakes. My tried and true recipe is below.

Servings: 1

Ingredients:

1/2 cup 1% fat cottage cheese

4 egg whites

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup rolled oats dry

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

Instructions:

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse. Once smooth, pour into two hot no-stick frying pans. Your batter will take a little longer to cook than regular pancakes due to the thicker consistency. Watch for bubbles, as typical, to check for doneness.

Per Serving: 344 calories, 44 carbs, 4 gram fat, 36 gram protein, 7 gram fiber

If you’re in the mood for another variety of pumpkin pancakes try these:

Pumpkin Spice Protein Pancakes

Four Ingredient Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

Chocolate Chip Protein Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancakes

Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes

French Toast

For an alternative to the pancake, try one of these dense and flavorful French toast options. I like to cook mine until the edges are crusty. You’ll notice the pumpkin flavor most in the fluffier interior.

Baked Pumpkin French Toast

Pumpkin Baked French Toast

Pumpkin French Toast

Pumpkin French Toast Option 2

Oatmeal

Oats are hardy, full of fiber, and fill me up much better than cold cereal. Try one of these varieties of oatmeal.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Steel Cut Oats No Sugar Added

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Skinny Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Pumpkin Spiced Oatmeal

Overnight oats “cook” like magic while you sleep. Here are some recipes that incorporate our star ingredient.

Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats

Pumpkin Pie Overnight Protein Oatmeal

Overnight Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Turning on the oven is much less offensive (even a welcome source of heat) as it starts to get cool in the fall. Try these recipes for baked oatmeal.

Baked Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal

Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal with Pumpkin and Bananas

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal for One

Lunch / Dinner

Soups and Chili

The start of fall is perfect for steaming soups and chili. Try these warm and satisfying recipes pumped up with pumpkin.

Crockpot Pumpkin Chili

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Black Bean Chili

Crockpot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin

Tuscan Turkey Soup

Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Soup

Crockpot Pumpkin Lentil Stew

Roasted Pumpkin Sage Soup

Easy Healthy Low Calorie Pumpkin Soup

Pasta

Pumpkin has protein, fiber, and healthy carbs. So do these recipes blending pasta and pumpkin.

Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta

Pumpkin Mac Cheese

Skinny Pumpkin Pasta Bake

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce Recipe

Pasta with Pumpkin Meat Sauce

Guiltless Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce

Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Pasta

Dessert/Snacks

Bread

Well-meaning neighbors might drop off mini pumpkin loaves at your house around the holidays. You’ll be ready to re-gift those calorie bombs after trying these pumpkin bread recipes.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Reduced Calorie Pumpkin Bread

Low Fat Pumpkin Bread with Pepitas

Cheesecake

If pumpkin and cheesecake both filled out a Match.com profile, they’d be 100% compatible. Here’s proof.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Yogurt

Sugar Free Low Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake

Muffins

Muffins are an excellent portion controlled pumpkin dessert. You’ll crave these recipes as a dessert after any meal.

Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Moist Pumpkin Protein Muffins

Two Ingredient Skinny Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

Two Point Pumpkin Muffins

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins with Cream

Skinny Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

Cookies

Pumpkin deserves the spotlight in these cookies as it adds flavor and moisture. They’re also healthy enough to budget for more than one.

No Bake Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brownies and Bars

Cutting these bars into diamonds or squares will be just as fun as carving your pumpkin this Halloween. They taste great too!

Two Ingredient Pumpkin Brownies

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Brownies

Pumpkin Bar Recipe

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Sugar Free Pumpkin Bars with Creamy Frosting

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars

Pumpkin Bars with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

Pudding and Custard

These pumpkin desserts preserve the creamy texture of our star ingredient. Serve these puddings and custards for a crowd or in individual ramekins.

Skinny Pumpkin Pie Dip Is it a dip or pudding? You decide and dig in!

Pumpkin Pie Chia Seed Pudding

Paleo Maple Pumpkin Custard Cups

Pumpkin Pie Custard Gluten Free Low Carb

Crockpot Pumpkin Custard for Fall

Microwave Pumpkin Custard

Ice cream

Don’t fall for Dairy Queen commercials. These treats are as convenient as the drive-through, just as delicious, and healthier.

Pumpkin Pie Frozen Yogurt

Protein Packed Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream

Pumpkin Cookie Dough Ice Cream

5 Minute Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Instant Pumpkin Ice Cream

Cake

Fall birthday boys and girls rejoice. You have a pumpkin cake option.

Single Serving Pumpkin Buckwheat Microwave Cake

Easy Healthy Low Fat Pumpkin Cake

Pie

Pumpkin pie is the classic dessert for our star ingredient. Try these healthy spins on nostalgic pumpkin pie.

Healthier Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie Dessert

Microwave Pumpkin Pie

No Bake Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

Drinks

Latte

You be the judge. Does Starbucks compete with these healthy pumpkin lattes?

Skinny Pumpkin Spiced Latte

Skinny Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Latte

Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte

Sugar Free Low Carb Pumpkin Spice Latte

Smoothies/ Shakes

Sip and slurp these innovative pumpkin smoothies and shakes. They deserve a patent.

Pumpkin Almond Smoothie

Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Shake

Pumpkin Pie Milkshake

Of course, fresh pumpkin has a season. It can be cooked (even in a slow cooker) and pureed. Or use canned pumpkin. It’s readily available, inexpensive, and convenient. Important tip: Beware of canned pumpkin versus pumpkin pie filling. The filling is loaded with extra sugar and calories these recipes don’t need.

Now bookmark this page and cook up a pumpkin treat. I’d love to see your pictures posted on the Half Size Me Facebook page.

Filed Under: Blog, Recipes

Bianca’s Recipe Makeover: CHICKEN POTPIE EMPANADAS

February 6, 2013 by HeatherRobertson

Bianca Samsby Bianca Sams​

Bianca is an actress, writer, and an amazing chef who blogs about other delicious and healthy recipes at her blog, Finger Lickin’ Kitchen. You can also check out her ‘Finger Lickin’ Kitchen’ web series on YouTube.

Oh the cold weather has really hit us here in Ohio. We have had a couple of weeks of snow, below freezing temps, and lots of days bundled up in multiple layers. When it’s this bad out all I want is comfort food. Hot, spicy, comfort food! [Read more…] about Bianca’s Recipe Makeover: CHICKEN POTPIE EMPANADAS

Filed Under: Blog, Guest Post, Recipes

My Favorite Healthy Eating Blogs (19 and counting!)

December 5, 2012 by HeatherRobertson

by Heather Robertson

I like to pull from many different blogs to create my weekly menu meal plans. So, I thought I could share my list of healthy “go to” food bloggers. That way, you can use them as a resource when you’re making up your own weekly menu plans too.

I’ve listed links to the blogs I use most often for yummy recipes and what type of nutritional information they provide, if any (e.g. Weight Watcher’s Points plus, general nutritional information, net carbs, etc.).

I hope this information will help you decide which ones will best fit your eating plan.

What are some of your favorite food blogs? Be sure to tell me in the comments below!

In no particular order, here are 19 of my fave food blogs:

Skinny Taste – Weight Watcher’s points and nutritional information for each recipe.

Simple Nourished living – Weight Watcher’s points.

LaaLoosh – Weight Watcher’s points and Nutritional information

Green Little Bites – Weight Watcher’s points

Finger Lickin Kitchen – General healthy cooking

Slender Kitchen – Weight watcher’s points

Mother Rimmy Cooking light done Right – Nutritional information and Weight Watchers Points

Nosh my Way – Weight Watcher’s points

Hungry Healthy Happy – Nutritional Information

Katie Covered in Chocolate – Weight Watcher’s points and nutritional information (also good for Vegans)

Snack Girl – Nutritional information

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Low-glycemic recipes for South Beach all phases

Your Lighter Side – Net carb count

Simply Recipes – General healthy recipes

Low Carb Luxury – Net carb count

The Paleo Mom – Low carb

Paleo on a budget – Low carb

Slow Cooker from Scratch – Healthy crock pot meals

Stephanie O’Dea – Healthy crock pot meals

 

 

Filed Under: Blog, Healthy Snacks, Recipes, Weekly Menu Meal plans, Weight Loss Tips, Weight Loss Tools

Flourless Carrot Cake Pancakes by Bianca from Finger Lickin’ Kitchen

October 31, 2012 by HeatherRobertson

Flourless Carrot Cake Pancakes recipeby Bianca Sams

Bianca at Finger Lickin’ Kitchen created this awesome recipe for Carrot Cake Pancakes for our listeners.

Check out Bianca’s site for more fantastic, healthy recipes.

Don’t forget to submit a request for her by using the contact button and picking submit a recipe. Let me know if you give it a try and what you think int the comment section.

Carrot Cake Pancakes

The leaves are changing from vibrant green into lush shades or orange, red, and brown.That distinctive smell of logs on the fire hits me when I walk outside into the crisp chilly air!

Oh, how much I love the fall! We bundle up with family and warm mugs of tea, cider,hot chocolate or coffee. What also happens for me is I start craving things like pumpkin, carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes.

A few weeks ago these cravings led me to a brand new recipe for Carrot Cake Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal that blew my mind. Coincidentally this flavor combination was on other people’s minds as well it seems. Soon after, Heather sent me the results of her first call for recipes and there was a request for Carrot Cake Pancakes!

But, there was a little catch No Flour in the recipe. No Flour… that one threw me for a loop for a moment. I tried several non flour recipes: Ricotta Cheese, Greek Yogurt, and Coconut Cream pancakes.

All were extremely tasty but, when adding all the ingredients for carrot cake it was difficult to flip them and keep them together.

The weight of the ingredients were just too much for these delicate recipes to handle. How was I going to do this? How was I going to get those delicious pecans, bites of grated carrots, and juicy raisins to stay together in a “pancake” without flour?

But, after a little kitchen experimenting I found there some innovative options to try. First, there was using Banana or Avocado as a thick base to keep it together. These worked for consistency but I don’t like banana and the avocado had an after taste to it. Nope not the answer…so I moved on.

Then I found several innovative “meals and flours” that really could work for this recipe based on similar dishes around the world.

First, is the obvious coconut powder. I found several Asian waffles and pancake like dishes that used coconut and Bob’s Red Mill (among others) sells it at my local grocery
store. I am not a huge fan of coconut so I didn’t try it myself. However, I saw enough recipes that had fluffy pancakes with this as their base flour so I assumed it had to work.

Then I thought back to my overnight Oatmeal and wondered if gluten free oatmeal flour would work. I had some in the cabinet so I gave it a try.

I added 1/3 cup to a ricotta cheese batter and it came out perfectly fluffy. They were perfect until I remembered… no flour…not from grains anyway.

Then I looked in my cabinet and realized I had several different Dal flours. Dal is the Indian term for beans, peas, and legumes. You can grind these into light flours that are used for soups, baking, battering or frying. I’ve personally been addicted to this Moong Dal Flour I purchased at an Indian store. It is nice and light in flavor, plus I only needed 1/4 to 1/3 cup to hold it together. So I went with that one.

Again perfection!

Small fluffy pancakes or Johnny cakes was the result. But, looking at Bob’s Red Mill site (because they seem to be the most widely available and economically priced at regular super markets around the country or online) I found there were tons and tons of other options like brown rice flours (also found in Asian waffle recipes), Quinoa Flour, Nut Flours/Meal (almond, walnut, pecan), Sorghum, Teff, White Bean, or even a protein powder.

Once the flour conundrum was solved the rest was pretty easy. I really like the batters that have less egg and are held together in stead by Ricotto or Greek Yogurt. So I
added those to my bowl with my vanilla extract. I grated a few carrots and tossed that in a well.

I personally don’t like using a lot of sugar so I added a couple of packets of raw sugar and some chopped golden delicious raisins into the batter. I also made some pecan meal/flour in my coffee grinder and added that to the batter. A few extra ingredients went in before I threw them onto my nonstick griddle! And Viola Carrot Cake Pancakes!

Not only did these little cakes taste great they are packed with wholesome nutrition that you can feel good about serving to yourself and family. So snuggle up with a mug ofyour favorite breakfast liquid and a plate of simple Carrot Cake Pancakes. Bon Appétit!

Carrot Cake Pancakes (Ingredients)

(Makes 10 Servings)

  • 4 Baby carrots grated or 1 medium carrot
  • 1/4 cup Pecan meal/flour (made mine in a coffee grinder)
  • 2 Tbsp Raisins (regular or golden delicious)
  • 2 Tbsp Fat Free Ricotta Cheese or Coconut Cream or Greek Yogurt
  • 2 Tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend
  • 2 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
  • 4 packets Sugar in the Raw
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 Tbsp Flaxseed Meal
  • 1/4 cup Moong Dal/Bean Flour

Options:

  • Add bits of dried coconut to this mixture as well.
  • There are lots of alternate flours and meals as listed above.
  • Date sugar is also a great alternative to regular sugar, or fake sweeteners

Please note: I made two versions one without flour which turned into really thin crepe
like pancakes. They tasted great, but didn’t stay together the way I personally like them
to. They were 55 calories per pancake. I made a second version using 1/4 cup Moong
Bean Flour and they were 73 calories per pancake.

Instructions:

1. Finely grate the carrots

2. If making your own pecan meal grind in a coffee grinder. If you want larger pieces of
pecan simply chop by hand.

3. In a large bowl beat egg, vanilla extract, ricotta cheese, pumpkin spice and sugar
together with a whisk until there are no lumps.

4. Add in carrot, pecans, coconut pieces (optional), flaxseed meal and raisins. Continue
to whisk until full incorporated.

5. Add the “Flour” 1 tablespoon at a time and whisk until smooth.

6. Heat a nonstick griddle. Once the griddle is hot scoop 1.5 tablespoon of mixture at
time onto griddle and spread into small Johnny cakes. Wait 1-2 minutes (when bubbles
have formed) before flipping over. Cook on the opposite and remove after 2
minutes.

Nutritional Tidbits:

CARROTS: Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Dietary Fiber, Potassium,
Vitamin B6, B1 (thiamin), B3 (niacin), Manganese, Molybdenum, Phosphorus,
Magnesium, and Folate.

Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidant compounds, and the richest vegetable
source of the pro-vitamin A carotenes. Carrots’ antioxidant compounds help protect
against cardiovascular disease and cancer and also promote good vision, especially
night vision.

Carotenoids are linked with lowering certain cancers including breast, lung
and colon cancer, useful in regulating blood sugar, and reducing the risk of heart
disease. If you or someone you love is a smoker, or if you are frequently exposed to
secondhand smoke, then making vitamin A-rich foods, such as carrots, part of your
healthy way of eating may save your life, suggests research conducted at Kansas State
University.

Molybdenum is a trace mineral. It is a component of several important interactions
that lead to detoxification of the liver. Molybdenum is involved in breaking down
certain amino acids (the building blocks of protein) and the production of waste
products for excretion in the urine. It is involved in the chemical reactions that
form bone, cartilage and blood.

RAISINS: A good source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium,
iron, fiber, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin K, is one of the best sources of the
trace mineral boron, and also provides a concentrated amount of polyphenolic phyto-
nutrients. The phenols found in fruit, like raisin, have repeatedly been show to have
antioxidant activity and to help prevent oxygen-based damage to cells in the body.

The flavonols (one type of phenol belonging to the flavonoid family) in raisins appear
to be least affected by the grape-drying process, but raisins do contain fewer phenols
than grapes since many of grape’s phenols are largely lost in the conversion of grapes
to raisins. These phenols include the hydroxycinnamics (caftaric and coutaric acids),
procyanidins, and flavan-3-ols.

PECANS: High in Vitamin E, Copper, Manganese, and good source of Iron,
Zinc, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Thiamin, Fiber and Protein. This buttery nut is filled with
Bcomplex vitamins which are particularly helpful in regulating your mood and are cofactors
for enzymes needed to keep your metabolism going.

Pecans are an excellent source of vitamin-E, especially rich in gamma-tocopherol; provides
about 25g per100 g.

Vitamin E is a powerful lipid soluble antioxidant, required for maintaining the integrity
of cell membrane of mucus membranes and skin by protecting it from harmful oxygen free
radicals.

Filed Under: Blog, Guest Post, Recipes

Spring Salad with Chicken, Apples, Strawberries, and Red Onions

March 8, 2012 by HeatherRobertson

Spring Saladby Heather Robertson

Spring Salad = 4 Points Plus

This was so Yummy I had to share!

Enjoy!

[Read more…] about Spring Salad with Chicken, Apples, Strawberries, and Red Onions

Filed Under: Blog, Recipes Tagged With: counting points, health, healthy eating, healthy living, losing weight, Simply Filling plan, weight maintenance, weight watchers

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