How to incorporate pumpkin into everything this October

Celebrate the season with pumpkin

Pumpkin pie is a classic dessert on Thanksgiving tables, but pumpkins get a jump on Thanksgiving by being a key element in Halloween decorations and decor. And once you’re committed to pumpkins, you can find more ways to spice up your home with them than most can imagine. 

Popular uses for pumpkins

Decorations

One of the easiest ways to get in the mood for fall is by adding pumpkin decorations inside and outside your home along with some real pumpkins. You can even get the kids Halloween costumes with pumpkin themes. 

Aromas

Candles that emit the smell of pumpkins come in everything from small tea lights to large glass jar candles. You can put your pumpkin candle in a pumpkin candle holder and even get pumpkin-scented candles in the shape of small pumpkins.

Personal care

Not many people know that pumpkins make great bath oils, moisturizers, creams, oils, hand lotions and exfoliating enzyme masks.

Why add pumpkin to foods and drinks?

Great cooks know that pumpkin adds flavor to all kinds of foods. What many do not know is that pumpkin also makes recipes creamier and more nutritious in several ways.

• It replaces some high-calorie baking ingredients: Did you know you can substitute pumpkin for some or all the eggs, butter and oil in many recipes? When you reduce the amount of fat in a recipe, you’ve reduced the calories and made it healthier.
• It adds moisture: When pureed, 90% of pumpkin is water. When added to baked goods, it makes breads, cookies and muffins with lighter textures. 
• It is a high-fiber food: We need fiber to help our digestive systems function at their best while improving heart health and reducing the risk of diabetes and some cancers.
• It provides antioxidants: Pumpkin is loaded with vitamins C and E, which helps our immune systems.
• It is loaded with beta carotene: Beta-carotene is the substance that converts the plants we eat into vitamin A, essential for vision, immunity and reproduction.
• It is a good source of vitamin K: Vitamin K is an essential vitamin for bone building, blood clotting and athletic performance.
• It replaces some cheeses: Pumpkin’s texture is creamy and thick and using it instead of cheese means less sodium and a healthier dish. This October, try baking mac and pumpkin instead of mac and cheese. When mixed with the mac, it gives the dish a deeper orange color that looks richer, too.

Foods

You can make October a pumpkin month by baking pumpkin breads and cookies and shaking pumpkin spice on your foods for an added bit of zing. Use pumpkin flavoring and purees in soups and stews and pumpkin seed oil for homemade salad dressings. Pick up some pumpkin seeds and sugar-free pumpkin gummies, too.

Beverages

You can add pumpkin spice to all kinds of hot and cold drinks. Lattes, cappuccinos, regular and cold press coffees, teas, hot chocolate and energy beverages all come in limited pumpkin flavor editions for the fall season. You can also buy pure organic pumpkin juice and pumpkin-flavored skinny syrups, oat milk and Jell-O shots.

What you need to fill October with pumpkins

Use pumpkins to make your place look like October

Vgia 12-Piece Velvet Pumpkins Table Decor

October is harvest time and these nontoxic foam, plastic and velvet pumpkins look great as a centerpiece, on the mantel or crafted into a wreath. Each package contains a dozen pumpkins ranging in diameter from 2.4 to 4 inches, soft to the touch and in an array of light to dark orange hues.

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Minetom LED Halloween Lights

You get 30 battery-powered jack-o-lanterns on a 10-foot-long string with a timer. When the season’s over, the nearly 3-inch-wide orange lanterns all collapse flat for easy storage.

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Start your day with these

Starbucks Limited-Edition Pumpkin Spice Flavored Ground Coffee

Skip the long wait at the drive-thru and make your own at home. This kosher-certified medium roast coffee is warm and balanced, with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg complementing the pumpkin.

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Belvita Pumpkin Spice Breakfast Biscuits

Start your morning off right with these crisp, crunchy and slightly sweet biscuits. They’re free from cholesterol and artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners and release up to four hours of steady energy. This box comes filled with 30 packs, each holding four biscuits made from wholesome grains.

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Turn on the oven

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix

The smell of baking pumpkin is wonderful, and these two 17.5-ounce boxes of baking mix each make about 12 servings. The recipe is simple and the instructions are clear. All you have to do is add eggs, oil and water to make pumpkin breads and muffins without being an expert baker.

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Take an afternoon break

I’m a Nut Dry-Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt

This 32-ounce bag is filled with kosher, vegan and keto-friendly premium quality pumpkin seeds, more flavorful than sunflower seeds. They contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and fiber, benefitting the heart and liver.

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Vahdam Organic Pumpkin Spice Herbal Tea

Each box contains 30 caffeine-free pyramid-shaped tea bags for fresh, flavorful brews. The hearty flavor of the pumpkin extracts is given a boost with turmeric, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon and cardamom and has no preservatives. This tea is best enjoyed in a cozy nook.

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Make your home smell great all day

Yankee Candle Pumpkin-Scented Single-Wick Candle

This paraffin-grade candle comes in a clear 22-ounce glass jar with a fitted stopper top. The scented candle burns for more than 110 hours, filling the room with the smell of pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and brown sugar.

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Poo-Pourri Toilet Spray Pumpkin Spice Spritz

This 2-ounce bottle holds enough pumpkin scent to keep your bathroom, laundry room and nursery smelling like October for more than 100 sprays.

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David Allan Van writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.