I know this may come as a surprise to you, (it certainly came as a surprise to me a few years ago when I overhauled my diet), but the last three months of the year isn’t only about candy, candy canes, and candy corn. (Please tell me I’m not the only Elf nerd here????).  Pumpkin isn’t only autumn code for candy and cookies, you can actually make real meals with this amazing vegetable!  Here is a list of my 10 favorite healthy pumpkin recipes that aren’t dessert; give them a try and fall in love with pumpkin!

10 Healthy Pumpkin Recipes {that aren’t dessert!}

Roasted Pumpkin Soup– This is one of my favorite times of year, almost exclusively for the soup.  Soup is so warming on cold days, and if it’s made right (with bone broth and loads of veggies).  Give this delicious soup a try as soon as you see cooking pumpkins at the store!

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie– I’m all about smoothies, and this one looks like it’s totally going to hit the spot.  I’m in love with all things pumpkin flavored, and a pumpkin spice smoothie sounds like dessert for breakfast! I’m all for that!

 Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte– I’m your typical mom where I can’t function if I don’t have my coffee.  But I also need to keep things healthy in order to heal from chronic illness, so grabbing a PSL from Starbucks isn’t an option with their 50g of sugar in each cup.  This healthy pumpkin spice latte made at home is not only way better for your waistline, but it’s also not $6 each time you want one!

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins– Muffins are such a great, easy breakfast to grab and go.  I love them for my kids, because they feel like they’re getting a treat even though I enjoy cramming all the veggies I can into my muffins!  These pumpkin muffins are next on our list of things to try, and my boys are so excited!

 Pumpkin Pancakes for Picky Eaters– Pancakes are always a hit in our house, and they’re such a comfort food for me.  I usually try to stay away from too many starches, but these pumpkin pancakes look like the perfect birthday breakfast for me!  I’m so looking forward to these!

Pumpkin Almond Granola Cereal – Granola is such an easy snack to make, and my boys are always so excited when we’ve got it in the house.  Pumpkin granola just takes it to a whole new level!  I think this will be a perfect easy breakfast for Halloween to get the kiddos all excited for a fun day.

Pumpkin Spice Chili Stuffed Peppers – Y’all, stuffed peppers are the best!  My husband has always made them for me as a special treat, and it’s been too long since I’ve had some.  Pumpkin spice chili stuffed peppers sound so delicious, and I can’t wait to try these!  He’s going to have a new recipe to try out for me.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds– One of my favorite parts about pumpkins is that you don’t have to waste any of them.  The seeds are so full of incredible health benefits, and they also taste amazing.  So don’t toss the seeds when you’re carving your pumpkins; clean and roast the seeds and keep them for a snack!

Paleo Pumpkin Fries– I’ve had sweet potato fries and carrot fries, but I’ve never thought about pumpkin fries; don’t they look delicious?  I can’t wait to give these a try, and I bet my boys will gobble them up without even realizing that they’re a vegetable.  Can’t complain about that, right?

Healthy Pumpkin Chili– One of my all-time favorite comfort foods is chili!  But on a strict paleo diet, no beans are allowed.  I’ve made a delicious sweet potato chili in the past, but I haven’t tried it with pumpkin yet! The first cold day that we get (c’mon, Mother Nature!), I’m throwing on a pot of this pumpkin chili and I’m gonna love it.

There are countless healthy pumpkin recipes out there, but these are a few that I personally have tried, or am super excited to try this season.  It helps that they’re all gluten free and mostly paleo; for those of us that have to avoid so many trigger foods for chronic illness healing.  We can still eat delicious foods, I promise!

What are your favorite healthy pumpkin recipes?