As the leaves transform into brilliant red and orange hues and the crisp autumn breeze fills the air, it’s time for some seasonal recipes! If you enjoy warm spices and pumpkin-flavored desserts, continue reading to learn how to bake pumpkin cream cheese bread, brown butter pumpkin cookies, and vanilla chai pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon brown sugar frosting!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread Recipe            

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Bread Batter:

1 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

½ tsp Salt

1 ½ tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

3/4 cup Pumpkin Puree

2 Eggs

1 ½ cups Sugar

½ cup Vegetable Oil

Cream Cheese Layer:

8 oz Cream Cheese softened

1 Egg

½ cup Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1.5 tbsp Flour

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Mix ingredients for the cream cheese layer into a medium-sized bowl. 
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a separate bowl.
4. In a separate bowl or stand mixer, beat together pumpkin puree, eggs, sugar, and vegetable oil until smooth.
5. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture in thirds.
6. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and grease with cooking spray or butter.
7. Pour half of the pumpkin batter into the loaf pan.
8. Add the cream cheese mixture into the pan then top with the remaining pumpkin batter.
9. Bake for 60-70 minutes.
10. Take out of the oven and leave to cool before removing from the pan and slicing.

Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Cookie Batter:

1 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Coating:

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Start by browning the butter. Melt 1 cup of butter in a saucepan over medium heat, continuing to stir until it reaches a rich amber color. 
2. Set aside butter to cool (don’t let it solidify).
3. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
5. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and cooled brown butter.
6. Whisk in the egg yolk, vanilla, and pumpkin until smooth.
7. Add in all of the dry ingredients and use a spatula to fold into the dough. (optional: chill the dough for about 15-20 minutes to help stiffen the dough.)
8. In a small dish, mix the coating ingredients and put them to the side.
9. Use a large cookie scoop or 1/4 measuring cup and scoop out the dough. Roll up the dough into a ball then drop into the cinnamon sugar mixture and toss to coat. 
10. Place onto the baking sheet, about 3 inches apart from each other. (About 4-5 cookies per tray). 
11. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are darkened and the center looks puffed and slightly underdone.
12. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a couple minutes, before transferring them to a cooling rack. Continue to bake the rest of the cookie dough.

Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting:

Ingredients:

Chai Spice

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon all-spice

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Pumpkin Chai Cupcakes:

1/2 cup melted butter

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Brown Sugar Frosting:

One stick of salted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions:

1. To make the chai spice, combine the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, all-spice, cloves, and pepper in a small bowl. Divide the mix in half. Mix one-half of the spice blend with the granulated sugar and set aside for topping the cupcakes. Reserve the remaining chai spice blend for the cupcake batter.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 16 cupcake molds with paper liners.
3.  Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer) beat together the coconut oil, brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, and pumpkin until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and remaining chai spice. Mix until smooth.
4. Divide the batter evenly into the cupcake pan (fill to about half to three-quarters of each cup). Bake for 18-22 minutes. After baking, allow the cupcakes to cool. 
5. To make the frosting, melt together 2 tablespoons of butter, cream, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for one minute or until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl in the freezer (or fridge for longer) for 15-20 minutes or until cool to touch.
6.  Grab the cooled butter mixture from the freezer and add the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and powdered sugar to the bowl. Beat together until well combined. 
7. Frost each cupcake and sprinkle it with chai sugar. 

If you try these recipes, reach out to us on instagram @haenkilt to share your creations!