Fall is coming and I can’t wait! It’s time for camping, fires, s’mores, flannels, and hoodies! It’s also time for pumpkin. What better way to bring fall into your life than some pumpkin bars. Most times they have cream cheese icing, but I’m telling you this icing is reminiscent of those amazing classic old fashioned maple donuts. You won’t stop with just one. I’m sorry in advance to your waistline, but you’ll have no regrets. Plus, it’s fall…so sweatpants are totally acceptable attire!

Ingredients For Bars:

• 1 cup flour
• 3 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ginder
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Ingredients For Caramel Icing:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease 9×13 pan.
3. Mix together dry bar ingredients in your KitchenAid Mixer. ***This prevents lumps in the bars.***
4. Add in wet ingredients; pumpkin, melted butter, and eggs.
5. Mix until well combined.
6. Pour into pan and bake for 35 minutes. Allow to cool.
7. For icing; combine brown sugar and butter and bring to boil. Allow to boil for 2 minutes. Add in milk and continue to boil until thickened.
8. Slowly add in powdered sugar.
9. Whisk to remove lumps.
10. Pour over cooled bars.
11. Enjoy and try not to eat 4 of them.

Notes:

• This icing sets faster than I found my husband in a crowd after a deployment, so do not let it sit too long or you won’t be able to pour it over the bars. It does harden and will crack when cutting it, but that doesn’t impact the deliciousness in any way.

I shared these bars with as many people as I could, not because I wanted to, but more so in an attempt to not eat them all. Hence why they’re the perfect bars to bring to your next fall soirée. Everyone will enjoy them. Also, if you make them just for yourself that’s okay too. Your sweatpants and I don’t judge!

Find Out More with My Military Savings and Food & Drink!

Ingredients:

• 2 Refrigerated Pie Crusts
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 2 refrigerated pie crusts

Directions:

• Prep your pie mix.
  • Mix sugar, salt, & spices in a small bowl.
  • In a large bowl, beat eggs.
  • Stir in pumpkin & sugar mixture to the large bowl.
  • Gradually add evaporated milk.
  • Once fully mixed, set aside.

• Preheat oven to 425°
• Roll out the pie crust. Use a round cookie cutter, drinking glass, or plastic bowl to cut out your mini pies.
• Place circles into muffin pan.
• Pour pie mix into pie shells.

• For the toppings, I rolled out the scraps and used a pizza cutter to cut out blocks.
• Randomly place the blocks on each pie
• Bake at 425° for 15 minutes.
• Lower temperature to 350 and bake for another 30-40 minutes until done. Let cool.

Notes:

• You need the dough to be slightly larger than the muffin pan so it fits up the side. You may have to gather and roll out your dough scraps to get enough.
• Two pie crusts were enough for 12 mini pies and the block toppings.
• While baking, they puffed up quite a bit and I got so nervous the pie would actually swallow the block toppings, but once they cooled and everything settled down, they looked great.
• These would be VERY easy to customize with tiny cookie cutters to make your own pie crust topping. I think the random blocks turned out super cute and BONUS they taste amazing! An easy and fun way to dress up a plain pumpkin pie!

 I hope you try these mini pies to kick off your holiday baking! Whether your family is into Minecraft or not, these are a great treat for any villager!

Find Out More with My Military Savings and Food & Drink!

Ingredients:

• 1 Can Pumpkin Puree
• 1 Can Flaky Refrigerated Biscuits
• 1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Flour (for dusting)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Mix together the pumpkin, egg, sugar, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice.
• Lightly flour your working surface and open your biscuits.
• Split each biscuit in half.

• Gently roll out each biscuit.
• Place on your baking sheet.
• Add a small spoonful of the pumpkin mixture.
• Fold over the dough.
• Use a fork to seal the edges and make it look pretty.

• Bake them at 375 for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden.

• Allow to cool slightly, but serve warm!

These are great little handheld snacks, which are great for dessert or even after school! They’re just the right amount of sweetness! You know what would go so well with these pumpkin pasties? Pumpkin Juice! I know pumpkin juice sounds funny, but it’s awesome! It’s actually made with apple cider and honey and so deliciously sweet and tasty. You have to try it!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of apple cider
• 1 cup of pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or you can use just cinnamon) depending on your taste preferences

Directions:

• Whisk everything together.

• Pour your concoction into your pitcher for serving.
• It’s great over ice and if I had whipped cream, I’d top each glass with some!
• Some separation is normal, so just mix it together before serving.

This pumpkin juice is so sweet and delicious with just a hint of pumpkin and apple. It’s really great, guys. You’ve got to try it!

These snacks are great for any pumpkin fan! I hope you try them soon! I just know your family is going to love them as much as my family does!

Find Out More with MyMilitarySavings.com and Food & Drink!

This means, it’s all about pumpkin spice! Pumpkin spice coffee, pumpkin spice cookies and…. get ready for it… PUMPKIN BREAD! Oh yeah! This recipe is brought to you by KRAFT! My house smells phenomenal after making this and half has already been eaten by the family only 30 minutes after it was taken out of the oven! I am going to have to make this several times this fall season.

What you need:

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 – 3.4 ounce package of JELL-O Vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 Tbsp Baking powder
• 2 tsp Pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp Baking soda
• 1/2 Cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 cup of canned pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts

What to do:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees
• Mix flour, dry pudding mix, baking powder, spice and baking soda; set aside.
• Whisk butter, sugar and pumpkin in large bowl. Blend in eggs. Add flour mixture; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour into 8×4-inch loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray; top with nuts.
• Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 5 min. or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean, covering loosely with foil for the last 20 min. Cool bread in pan 10 min. Remove from pan to wire rack; cool completely.
• Try to keep a portion for yourself!

A delicious alternative to banana bread, this recipe is perfect for fall. Make this for a neighbor, friend, teacher, or just for you to have with your morning coffee

For more delicious recipes, stay tuned every Friday for Food Friday!

What you need:

• 1 1/4 cups canned pure pumpkin
• 3/4 cup light ricotta cheese
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp each ground cumin, salt, and pepper
• 1/4 tsp each ground cinnamon and coriander
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1/4 cup Nut Harvest Roasted Sunflower Seeds
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• Stacy’s Multigrain Pita Chips, for serving

What to do:

• In a food processor fitted with metal blade, combine pumpkin, ricotta, oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and coriander; blend for 1 to 2 minutes or until well combined and smooth.
• Scrape dip into a shallow serving bowl; refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drizzle with maple syrup and sprinkle with sunflower seeds and parsley. Serve with pita chips for dipping.

*** Add a spicy kick by dusting the dip with smoked paprika or cayenne pepper before drizzling with maple syrup.

How easy is this?! Super simple and full of pumpkin deliciousness! Perfect for the fall season, not only to snack on at home but while you entertain family and friends.

Head on over to your local commissary and stock up today!  For deals and other recipes brought to you by PEPSI,  be sure to visit www.pepsimilitary.com!

Pumpkin Donut Bites 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease your mini muffin pans. This recipe made 34 delicious bites. In a mixing bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or any combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cardamom, or ginger you prefer.)

In a separate bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients:

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or milk

Add your wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined.

Fill your mini muffin tins 3/4 full and bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Once they’ve cooled enough to touch, you’re going to dunk them in a buttery cinnamon sugar bath! Melt 6-8 tablespoons of butter in a bowl. In a separate bowl, Mix together 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. I decided to just coat the tops of the donut bites, to make it a little easier on myself, but you can absolutely dunk the whole thing in there if you wish!

First the melted butter and then the cinnamon sugar. YUM! The perfect sweet crunch topping for our pumpkin donut bites.

I can’t tell you how many I ate while dunking them (okay, it was 6!) Especially since they were still warm from the oven. Oh my goodness, they are so good! Perfect for a lazy Saturday morning breakfast or even an after school snack (my kids devoured them!) these little bites only take about 30 minutes to whip up! I hope you try them today!

For more great recipes and coupons, check out mymilitarysavings.com. Membership is free so sign up today!