Hummus hacks + fall!!

I LOVE FALL!!

I recently made brunch with a bunch of friends and my contribution was pumpkin pancakes…super easy, I just replaced half of the water with pumpkin puree when I made pancakes from a mix, and then added some cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. SO GOOD!!!

Anyways, I had about half a can of pumpkin puree left, so I had to get creative. Here’s what I came up with:

Pumpkin Hummus

• Store-bought (or homemade, if you’re feeling ambitious) hummus
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• olive oil
• paprika
• salt + pepper
• sesame seeds

Mix together the hummus and pumpkin until smooth. Place in a pretty bowl and top with olive oil, as much as you want. Sprinkle the rest of the ingredients on top. I ate this with celery and sourdough bread (not pictured, but I toasted it and then cut it into sticks for easy dipping).

This next recipe is something I had never tried and hated the idea of, but I still had some puree left and this is what the internet recommended. I’ve actually never tried a Starbucks PSL, so this isn’t supposed to taste like that or be a copycat recipe or anything. Final disclaimer: I know that lattes are made with espresso, and this is not, but you could use espresso instead of the coffee. I just don’t have an espresso maker, so I brewed super strong coffee in my French press. I gave recommendations of how much of everything I used, but feel free to change it up based on your coffee preferences.

Pumpkin Spice Latte…sort of

• 2-3 tbsp pumpkin puree
• pumpkin pie spice mix (basically cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger)
• Almond milk, about 1/2 cup
• Strong coffee, about a 1/4 of a cup
• Maple syrup, to taste

In a microwave-safe mug, mix the pumpkin with the spices and microwave about a minute, until hot. Add the almond milk and mix until smooth and combined, then microwave another minute or so until hot. Add the coffee and stir, then add maple syrup to desired sweetness.

These were both really tasty and a great way to use up my leftovers!! I love adding stuff to my hummus because I don’t really have the time to make my own but definitely like to customize it. I almost always add olive oil to hummus because I eat a pretty naturally low-fat diet so I like to incorporate some when I can, and I like to add some kind of spiciness to my hummus, often chili sauce. Other tasty add-ins are olive tapenade, grated cooked beets, various spices, including my favorite, turmeric and black pepper (it helps absorb the nutrients). I love hummus.