Along with what feels like most of the American population, I am obsessed with anything that has pumpkin in it. If I’m in the supermarket and I see an item that is pumpkin-spiced or pumpkin-flavored, it goes into my shopping cart without a second thought.

As a result, it really was no surprise to anyone (including myself) when I spontaneously picked up pumpkin bar mix, pumpkin waffles, pumpkin bread pudding, pumpkin cream cheese muffins, pumpkin ice cream sandwiches, pumpkin pie mochi ice cream, pumpkin biscotti, pumpkin spice salted caramels, Pumpkin O’s (Cheerios but a whole lot better), and pumpkin spice granola at Trader Joe’s. Hello, my name is Samantha Lau, and I’m a pumpkin-aholic.

Pumpkin is a seasonal flavor that I wish I could have readily available year-round. (However, it’s possible that I wouldn’t enjoy pumpkin-flavored foods as much if I had them more often.) Nevertheless, this is the perfect time of year to make some pumpkin treats for your family, friends, and of course, yourself. If you’re anything like me, I’m sure you have unused cans of pumpkin lying around. And if you don’t, canned pumpkin is an easy ingredient to find at stores this time of year.

These three recipes are fairly simple to execute, and they’re bound to be a crowd-pleaser come Thanksgiving dinner.

White Chocolate Pumpkin
Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

2 oz. white chocolate, chopped

A dash of pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Mix milk, pumpkin, vanilla, and spices together.

2. Pour mixture into a pot to heat.

3. Once thoroughly heated, add white chocolate.

4. Stir until melted and serve.

Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease several muffin tins.

2. Combine wet ingredients in a bowl.

3. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

4. Stir wet and dry ingredients until thoroughly incorporated.

5. Add chocolate chips.

6. Fill muffin tins with the batter and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

Pumpkin Butter

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp. cinnamon

4 cups canned pumpkin

1/2 cup apple juice

1 tsp. pumpkin spice

2 tsp. honey

2 tsp. maple syrup

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

2. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes or until thickened.

3. Pour mixture into jars and refrigerate.

4. Serve on toast, crackers, or simply eat by the spoonful!