This pumpkin cream “cheese” was inspired by a Thanksgiving pie I made several years ago. I came home and tweaked that recipe a bit, lost the crust, and voila, we’ve found a new family favorite.
We'll eat it on buckwheat date-pecan quick bread, flax crackers, and all by itself, sliver-by-sliver, until only the tiniest morsel is left in the dish in the fridge. I know what I’m having for my afternoon snack!
Pumpkins and winter squashes are best eaten when fully ripe. Yet it’s the younger and smaller gourds that will have the sweetest flavor. That taste is earthy and rich and nutritionally fibrous.
The health benefits of pumpkin include these:
Pumpkins are a great source of carotene—one of our major antioxidants that helps to protect us against certain kinds of cancer (particularly lung cancer), as well as heart disease.
Diets rich in carotene—like that found in orange-fleshed pumpkins—also offer protection against the development of diabetes. Pumpkins in particular are helpful in the body’s management of blood sugar metabolism and beneficial for the health of the pancreas, where our blood sugar regulating insulin is produced.
Pumpkin provides some good vitamins and minerals, including these:
- Vitamin C
- Several B vitamins, including B1, B6, folic acid, and niacin
- Potassium
- Dietary fiber
- Pro-vitamin A carotenes
Pumpkins are helpful in the relief of bronchial asthma. They promote the health of the lungs and throat as well. In fact, in European folk medicine, pumpkin is acknowledged as a potent remedy in the treatment of respiratory and digestive ailments.
Pumpkin Cream ‘Cheese’ Recipe
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked one to three hours
- 1 1/2 cups pureed, cooked pumpkin (directions below)
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk (choose a BPA-free option)
- 1/2 cup gently melted coconut butter (Artisana brand or Nutiva Coconut Manna)
- 30 drops liquid stevia, vanilla flavored, or 3 tablespoons raw honey
- 2 tablespoons liquid vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Directions
Drain the soaked cashews, discarding the water. Place the nuts into a food processor and process them until a butter forms.
Add the remaining ingredients to the processor and process until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Taste to be sure that it meets your tastebuds.
Since all pumpkins will be of varying degrees of sweetness, you'll want to be sure that you’ve satisfied your taste buds before pouring the mixture from the food processor.
When the mixture meets your taste requirements, pour or spoon the contents of the bowl into a rectangular glass container in which you can store the cream “cheese.”
