Our favortie Pumpkin recipes

Making a huge mess in my kitchen today.  I wanted to get some baking done before next week when cooking and baking are not optional activities.  About once a month I like to make big batches of pancakes, waffles, and muffins to put in the freezer for breakfasts during the weekdays because with getting 4 kids and a husband out the door on time, there is not a lot of time for breakfast.  It is so nice and easy to grab a pancake, waffle, or muffin out of the freezer and quickly heat it up.  What would we ever do without microwaves??  Anyone, some of our favorite breakfast foods have pumpkin in them.

Oh my.  Pumpkin.  Love it!  Love pumpkin pies, cake, bread, pumpkin pie blizzards, ice cream, waffles, pancakes, etc.  So, obviously I am a big pumpkin fan.  I love the following recipes because when I open up a big can of pumpkin (the 29 oz) I can make a double batch of chocolate chip muffins, a double batch of pancakes and one batch of waffles with no pumpkin left over.  That is nice.  Having little bits of leftovers in my fridge is just a recipe for being thrown out in a week, so I like no left overs.

So here we have pumpkin waffles, pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. I have had these recipes for years.  My mom sent me the waffle one in college even though I had no waffle iron to make them until I was married.  My pancake one came from a Family Fun magazine years ago, and the muffin one I found somewhere also years ago.  They all freeze really well as I mentioned before.  Enjoy!  We hope your family likes them as much as our family!!!

Pumpkin Waffles

2 cups flour (the recipe specifically says don't use whole wheat flour, why? don't know)

2 tes baking powder

1/4 tes cinnamon

1/4 tes ground ginger

1/4 tes nutmeg

1/2 tes salt

1 Tbl sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1 3/4 cups milk

3/4 cup canned mashed pumpkin

1/2 cup oil

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and sugar.

In another bowl mix the eggs, milk, pumpkin and cooking oil.  Combine the egg mix with the flour and mix well.  Cook in a hot waffle iron.  Yum!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup oil

2 eggs

3/4 cup canned mashed pumpkin

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cups flour (I use half whole wheat, half white)

3/4 tes baking powder

1/2 tes baking soda

1/4 tes ground cloves

1/2 tes cinnamon

1/4 tes salt

1/4 tes ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I always use mini because I make them mini-muffins)

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease muffin pan with Pam or paper liners. 

Mix sugar, oil, eggs.  Add pumpkin and water and mix well.  In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt.  Add wet mix to dry, mix well, and stir in chocolate chips. 

Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full.  Bake for 18-20 minutes for regular sized muffins, 11-13 minutes for mini-muffins.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups flour (I use half whole wheat, half white)

2 Tbl packed brown sugar

1 Tbl baking powder

1 1/4 tes pumpkin pie spice

1 tes salt

1 3/4 cups milk

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 large egg

2 Tbl oil

Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in large bowl.  Next, combine milk, pumpkin, egg and oil in a medium bowl mixing well.  Add the wet ingredients to dry and stir just until moistened.  The batter will be lumpy and if you prefer a thinner batter, add more milk.  Pour batter using 1/4 cup onto hot griddle.  Turn when bubbles being to burst.  Turn and cook on other side until done. 

Happy Pumpkin cooking!