Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes, Small Plates & Snacks

A bottle of champagne in a tub of ice.

One of the hallmarks of a good weekend is good breakfast. I always eat something in the morning, but Monday – Friday breakfast is on the run or at my desk. The weekends though, call for bagels, and bagels in the fall call for pumpkin cream cheese.

Though I love breakfast foods – from cereal and milk to oatmeal to waffles to egg white omelets with gooey cheeses and fresh vegetables, my weekday morning meal is often rushed, inhaled at some point between an 8:00 a.m. bus and a 10:00 a.m. meeting.

I like starting the morning with something healthy and filling – quick-cooking oatmeal with a sliced banana and a touch of maple syrup, whole-grain cereal with skim milk or Greek yogurt topped with granola and fresh berries.

Since my job is busy and my days are usually full of meetings, lunch is sometimes unpredictable so breakfast has to be solid.

Which means I have to save the scones, muffin and bagel breakfasts for the weekend.

I don’t have time to make eggs when I’m pulling tights on at the same time I’m packing my lunch or drinking coffee while I blow-dry my hair.

On the weekends, there’s nothing better than waking up leisurely, knowing that you don’t have anywhere to be if you don’t want to, and checking email/catching up on news and my reader from the week while enjoying coffee and breakfast.

If I’m not going out for brunch or to an early yoga class, I like to take my time on weekend mornings. That means bagels, omelets, a chocolate chip scone the size of my face that I can barely finish, yet 2 hours later I find myself starved.

When bagels are on the menu, they can’t just be any bagel.

It has to be a good bagel.

I don’t do Lenders, I’m not that impressed with Einstein.

And I’ve learned that the right bagel needs the right cream cheese. An everything bagel is delicious with a thick layer of plain cream cheese and a tomato. A plain or an egg bagel screams for vegetable cream cheese. And cinnamon raisin bagels? Butter, all the way.

On Sunday morning, I had some leftover pumpkin in the fridge and was feeling a little adventurous so I concocted pumpkin cream cheese that was a perfect fit for a thick, fluffy wheat bagel.

You could also modify this to make a pumpkin dip like Alanna from A Veggie Venture.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese
Author: 
Recipe type: Breakfast and Brunch, Small Plates and Snacks
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 1 cup
 
Ingredients
  • 8 ounce bar of ⅓ less fat Cream Cheese
  • 1½ cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
  1. Beat cream cheese with pumpkin on medium speed or until well blended, scraping down sides. Add pumpkin pie spice gradually, beating on low until well blended.
  2. You could use full-fat cream cheese for a richer taste, but I didn't think it was needed. I think adding a little cinnamon to this would really put it over the top. If you like a sweeter breakfast, you could add light brown sugar or powdered sugar before you blend in the pumpkin pie spice. I love the pumpkin flavor, so I didn't want to hide it too much.
 

 

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11 Comments

  • Reply
    Maxie
    October 12, 2008 at 3:00 am

    a bagel and lox is my FAVORITE meal ever… but I love bagels and cream too, but I can’t get good bagels ANYWHERE around here. It sucks.

  • Reply
    Leslie
    October 11, 2008 at 3:00 am

    I could eat breakfast for EVERY meal. I too like a Good bagel. I dont eat them that often(my hips and carns dont get along), so when I do have one I go all out!
    Thanks for your comment on my Vanilla Bean post. I will be sure to check out Marthas blog for some ideas!

  • Reply
    kellypea
    October 10, 2008 at 3:00 am

    Thankfully, all my mornings are fairly leisurely now. But I know exactly what you’re talking about! I love pumpkin, and this is making me think of pumpkin cheesecake. I never thought of making my own spread with pumpkin. What a terrific idea.

  • Reply
    alexandra's kitchen
    October 10, 2008 at 3:00 am

    I love my leisurely mornings, too. I’ve never made pumpkin cream cheese but it sounds incredible. perfect for the season.

  • Reply
    Deborah
    October 10, 2008 at 3:00 am

    Breakfast is one of my favorite things ever! This sounds really good – especially since I’m on a pumpkin kick!

  • Reply
    gazellesoncrack
    October 10, 2008 at 3:00 am

    I love pumpkin! Don’t love bagels, though – I bet it would be delicious on whole wheat english muffins!

  • Reply
    Aggie
    October 10, 2008 at 3:00 am

    Oh that sounds so good! I love bagels and cream cheese…this sounds perfect!

  • Reply
    Carla
    October 10, 2008 at 3:00 am

    This sounds really good, my Hubs is on a bagel kick right now and I believe he would love this spread!

  • Reply
    ruby
    October 10, 2008 at 3:00 am

    I’m the same way about breakfast! I love breakfast foods and save the really yummy things for the weekends too when there’s time.

  • Reply
    clumbsycookie
    October 10, 2008 at 3:00 am

    I love bagels! I’m really sad we can’t find them here 🙁 Your idea is fantastic! So autumny!

  • Reply
    Joanna
    October 10, 2008 at 3:00 am

    mhmmm pumpkin is one of my favorite foods. i’ve never tried it on a bagel, but it sounds really good. i love when the toasted bagel meets the cold cream cheese-it’s just so natural haha

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