I made pumpkin pie spice out of necessity first (I needed it) and then with strong intention. Just browsing two grocery stores I noticed big price differences, but not what you think. The discount super store was charging almost twice as much for the lesser quality spice blend and didn’t include all the ingredients the lower priced, higher quality blend did.

Many of the pumpkin spices sold in grocery stores taste like wood.

Pre-packaged spice blends aren’t always what you think they are. This made me more determined to just whip up my own.

Make Pumpkin Pie Spice and Never Look Back

In a good quality pumpkin pie spice you will find cinnamon, ginger, cloves, all spice, nutmeg and mace, all ground and balanced accordingly. I played around a little and you can too if you want to adjust to your own taste buds, but I think my ratio of the spices is a great mix.

Cinnamon is the predominant spice, so be sure to use a high quality cinnamon that has an intense aroma.

Ginger is the next biggest ingredient is ginger which gives a fragrant bite to the blend.

Ground Cloves have high health benefits, but a little goes a long way, so use sparingly.

Allspice is a spice, not a blend, and looks like a peppercorn. It’s used in Carribbean cooking, grown primarily in Jamaica, but is indispensable in middle eastern cooking.

Tumeric (on Amazon). I list this as an option, but it does add another layer of flavor. Tumeric has a bitter taste with hints of orange and ginger, and a powerful antioxidant that adds a yellow color to many foods (including some jarred mustards).

Nutmeg, ground fresh, is a staple in my kitchen, and I want to encourage you to use this kind of nutmeg grinder (amazon) and fresh whole nutmeg (amazon). This is one of the spices I’m never out of, as it’s often used in pasta dishes.

Now that you know how to make pumpkin pie spice, you might want to try some of these amazing pumpkin recipes. I’ve listed mostly keto recipes, which I’ve mastered and at the end some more traditional pumpkin recipes dear to all our hearts.

My Favorite Keto Friendly Gluten Free Pumpkin Recipes

• Pumpkin Spiced Latte
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
• Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
• Pumpkin Maple Pecan Glazed Muffins
• Pumpkin Bundt Cake
• Pumpkin Cookies
• Pumpkin Cheesecake

Savory Pumpkin Recipes

• Savory Roasted Pumpkin with Ricotta – must try and great with roast chicken.
• Spicy Pumpkin Soup – Make with heavy cream or coconut milk.
• Carrot Pumpkin Curry Soup – delicious, savory, sweet, spicy, and yet, healthy and light. 

Traditional Recipes

• Pumpkin Cream Tart
• Pumpkin Cake with Maple Frosting
• Sandy’s Pumpkin Bread (with a touching story)
• Pumpkin Pop Tarts from Spinach Tiger
• Gluten Free Pumpkin Hand Pies
• Pumpkin Souffle from Spinach Tiger

What is YOUR favorite pumpkin recipe?

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Pumpkin Pie Spice

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend with a surprise ingredient

Course spice blend

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon tumeric
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Instructions

• Mix together. Adjust seasoning for your taste. You may enjoy more or less clove, etc.

The post Make Pumpkin Pie Spice and My Favorite Pumpkin Recipes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

When I think of Christmas cupcakes, one of the flavors that jumps to mind for me is spice cake. Cold weather welcomes warm flavors and spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom. This is extra delicious with a cream cheese frosting.

This is very similar to our keto spice bundt cake and uses my mainstay ingredients for a perfect cake texture.

We have made over 20,000 cupcakes in the last five years and think we have our keto cake texture down. We’ve perfected our cake batter. It is fluffy, moist and flavorful. The 1/2 cup coconut milk will be enough liquid, but the batter will still be thick.

Versatile Recipe

You can make cupcakes or a six inch triple layer cake with this recipe. If you do the triple layer cake, you will want to make double cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients for Keto Spice Cupcakes

• Almond Flour
• Coconut Flour
• Eggs
• Xanthan Gum
• Baking Powder
• Swerve Granulated
• Avocado Oil
• Baking Powder
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Allspice
• Ginger (fresh if you have it)
• Nutmeg
• Cardamom
• Vanilla
• Maple Extract

Keto Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

• Butter
• Cream Cheese
• Swerve Confectioner’s
• Vanilla
• Maple Extract

One thing that makes these cakes look more festive is to sprinkle some confectioner’s sugar over the top.

Tips for Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

This is something I’ve learned owning a keto bakery. American buttercream is very difficult to make in the winter, as the butter is often too cold, even when left out of refrigerator for 24 hours. Putting butter in microwave can be very tenuous because if the butter gets too soft or melty (broken), you can’t use it. It will never recover for the proper structure of buttercream.

GREAT TIP for Buttercream. Use a large stainless bowl with hot water. Place your butter in another bowl and put in on the hot water. Beat butter for about ten seconds. Remove the butter as soon as you see it’s softening. You don’t want it to melt. I was recently teaching a class and the butter had been out for 48 hours and was still too hard. This worked like a charm.

Great Tip for Cream Cheese Frosting: I will put the cream cheese on a plate and microwave for about ten seconds. Also, beat on a LOW speed (I use 2 out 6).

Extracts: Always start slowly and add more as necessary to taste.

Variations: Instead of maple extract, try orange extract, which goes great with spice cake.

MOST IMPORTANT: I use a food thermometor. I have found that getting the cream cheese and butter to the same temperature really matters. I have had to discard cream cheese frosting in the past for not mixing well or being too grainy.

How to Tell When Cake is Done

Never listen to the toothpick coming out clean tip. That doesn’t work with almond flour baking. Always be prepared to take the cakes temperature. Cake is done at 210 degree F. I will take my cupcakes or cakes out when the center reaches 207. This never fails me and as a bakery owner, I can’t risk the cake being unbaked in the center.

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More Recipes You May Love

• Keto Spice Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
• Keto Spiced Pear Cheese Cake Bars
• Keto Christmas Coconut Cupcakes
• Keto Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
• Keto Raspberry Cheesecake
• Keto Sugar Cookies

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Keto Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Keto Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Course Low Carb Cake

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Frosting Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 375kcal

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Spice Cake Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 260 grams blanched almond flour 2 1/4 cups approx.
• 28 grams coconut flour 4 tablespoons
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum see notes
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger or 1/2 t freshly ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 dash freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Wet Ingredients

• 1/2 cup avocado oil See notes
• 1 cup Swerve Granular Sweetener
• 6 extra large eggs room temperature
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 cup butter room temperature. Notes in blog post
• 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature. Notes in blog post
• 1 cup Swerve Confectioner's sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5-6 drops maple extract to taste
• dash sea salt

Instructions

Grain Free Spice Cake Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 180 C.
• Mix almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, xanthan gum sea salt. Set aside.
• Mix spices together. Add to dry ingredients.

Wet Ingredients

• Whip eggs for 4 minutes.
• Stream in avocado oil.
• Add Sweetener.
• Add sour cream and milk.
• Add vanilla extract
• Add dry mixture.
• Mix until just mixed on medium.
• Makes 12 large cupcakes or a triple six-inch cake. You will need more frosting for a layer cake, but I recommend thin frosting layers.
• Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 207 degrees.

Cream Cheese Glaze

• Whip butter for five minutes.
• Add softened cream cheese. IMPORTANT: Make sure cream cheese and butter are same temperature or they may not mix well.
• Add vanilla, maple extract.
• Add Confectioner's Swerve a little at a time.
• Add salt.
• Add heavy cream as needed to get the consistency you want. You can also add hot water if you don't want to add in heavy cream, but do so a tablespoon at a time. You can also warm the glaze to make it easier to pour.

Notes

Net Carbs: 2 per slice, considering 12 servings.

Xanthan gum holds the cake together. You can leave out, but cake will not hold as well. 

Cream Cheese and butter should be at same temperature 68-70 degrees F. Otherwise they may not mix well. See notes in blog post.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 12 | Calories: 375kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 35g | Fiber: 4g

The post Keto Spice Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

There is a Pumpkin Shortage: Yikes I want to Make Pumpkin Muffins

Back in 2015 there was a pumpkin shortage.  Remembering that, I’m getting my pumpkin now for the holiday.

Betty Groff, a legendary restauranteur in Pennsylvania Dutch Country in the 80’s, said “I cook because I love people.”

I agree with Betty Groff, and I’m going to have to get out and scour any pumpkin I can find.

Seven years ago, I was in the same boat and needed pumpkin for something special.  I was able to find one can of pumpkin and make these muffins for someone’s birthday.

I didn’t have extra to try to experiment creating a recipe and turned to Dorie Greenspan’s  who never lets us down. By the way, Dorie is coming out with a book devoted to Cookies and I have an advance copy coming. Just in time for the holidays.

Dorie saved the day with a great recipe which she got from Sarabeth Levine, which I adapted to the likes of a little boy. No raisins, no sunflower seeds, but a few walnuts and it’s just right.

I do hope I can find some pumpkin because I have so many recipes I want to make. I want to take this fabulous pumpkin bread and make it gluten free. I need to repeat these pumpkin pop tarts, and I had my heart set on pumpkin ravioli. I might have to actually make my own pumpkin, but to be honest, the one canned item I prefer is canned pumpkin. Then there’s the pumpkin soufflé that is to die for.

Get recipe for pumpkin bread  pictured below here.

How Does this Pumpkin Muffin Taste

Just perfect, not too spicy, not too pumpkiny, golden orange in color, tender crumb, and although I don’t eat much of what I bake (really), I saved two muffins for my husband, but I broke down the next day, heated it with butter and ate it slowly wanting the moment to last. My search for pumpkin muffin recipes are over.

In the Fall of 2017, I started making low carb pumpkin recipes. You might love this pumpkin cheesecake  or this low carb pumpkin pie. 

MORE PUMPKIN RECIPES FROM SPINACH TIGER

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Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Muffins adapted from Dorie Greenspan, a perfect pumpkin spice flavor.

Course Muffins

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch ground allspice
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

• Whisk together dry ingredients. Set aside
• In a large bowl, beat butter until soft.
• On medium speed, cream sugars into butter, until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time beating for one minute with each egg.
• Add vanilla.
• Lower speed and add pumpkin and buttermilk.
• Add dry ingredients. Do not over mix. (You may use a spatula for the last bit of flour).
• Stir in walnuts.
• Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

The post Pumpkin Muffins for the Holiday Brunch Crowd appeared first on Spinach Tiger.