There seems to be some unspoken rule or expectation that when the calendar turns from August to September, taste buds change as well.
Quite literally overnight, one flavor in particular surfaces and is practically everywhere come the first day of September. The sudden emergence of the unwritten flavor mascot of fall – pumpkin – is too soon for some while for others, not soon enough.
It’s safe to say that people typically fall into one of three separate, somewhat controversial classes of feelings surrounding pumpkin:
- Indifference to dislike to even disdain
- Obsessed, pumpkinify everything, give me all things pumpkin
- Overrated, too cool for school, or outright refusal to buy into the craze
Though these biscuits have the potential to bring the three aforementioned categories together – whether “PSL szn is the best szn” or you could gladly survive without seeing or consuming anything pumpkin ever again – so don’t write them off or make up your mind about them just yet.
Buttery soft, light, and super fluffy, the biscuits offer a hint of pumpkin spice without being overbearing; ideal for those who aren’t all-in when it comes to pumpkin-flavored foods, yet enough to make pumpkin-lovers happy. The prominence and intensity of the flavor can be adjusted accordingly, too. Bump up the pumpkin pie spice, slather some pumpkin butter (or sweet potato pumpkin butter) onto a freshly baked biscuit, or do both for a more powerful pop of pumpkin. Not a fan of the orange gourd? (This is where I fall – despite my best efforts, the symbolic flavor hasn’t grown on me. But surprisingly, I do find the subtle hint of pumpkin spice here pleasant!) So for less pumpkin punch, leave the pumpkin pie spice as is or dial it down and serve the biscuits with condiments that accent the sweet, spiciness of the pumpkin without accentuating it. Here are some ways to do so:
- Apple butter
- Vegan butter and cinnamon
- Cashew butter topped with a sprinkle of chocolate chips
- Maple turkey sausage for a breakfast biscuit sandwich
- Deep berry or apricot jam
- Flavored nut butter
- Drizzle of honey
Now before this turns into one of those *jump to recipe* blog posts which SUNutrition vows to NEVER become – onto the recipe!
Spiced Pumpkin Drop Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. stevia
- ⅓ C unsweetened dairy-free milk any kind
- 1 TBSP oil: walnut, olive, avocado
- 1 C flour: AP, WW, GF
- 1 ¼ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1 TBSP (14 g) butter, cold or frozen* vegan or regular
- Optional: stevia brown sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Whisk the eggs, stevia, milk, and oil together
- In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients
- Using a fork, knife, or pastry blender, dice the cold butter into pea-sized pieces and incorporate it into the dry ingredients, breaking the butter apart if it begins to clump together*
- Mix the wet ingredients into the dry – if the oven isn’t preheated yet, pop the batter into the fridge to keep the butter cold
- With a cookie scooper, spoon, or large measuring spoon, drop balls of batter onto a prepped baking sheet with about 2” of space between each biscuit, then top with optional brown sugar*
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms and edges are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean
Notes
- *Butter: the secret to biscuits is COLD butter – very, very cold – and keeping it cold throughout the preparation process (which is why it’s recommended to keep the butter in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to incorporate it into the dry ingredients and put the batter back in the fridge if the oven isn’t finished preheating). While baking, the little bits of butter melt and release steam which create the air pockets that contribute to the notable light and flaky texture
- *4: It helps to use a rubber spatula when incorporating the butter into the flour mixture, so if the butter starts to cluster together, it can just as easily be separated with the end of the spatula
- *6: A 2 TBSP measuring spoon, although not the most common size, works well for scooping the batter. If a spoon or measuring spoon is used, wet with warm water or spray with cooking spray to not only keep the batter from sticking, but aid in a more smooth drop onto the baking sheet
Who needs fall-scented candles when you can bake festive fall goodies instead? Dairy-free and gluten-free friendly, these biscuits are wonderful when warmed, toasted lightly, and paired with one of the topping ideas listed above. Pumpkin fanatic or not, give these a chance; because while I love the idea of pumpkin spice but not the actual taste, I do love these. So when September 1st comes around and pumpkins inevitably roll into town, remember these Spiced Pumpkin Drop Biscuits.
Speaking of candles, you won’t want to light a candle after you experience what your house smells like when these Fall Filled Muffins are baking! And if autumnal spices are something you can’t get enough of, have a look at these Mega Pumpkin Pie Muffins and Apple Pie Cookies.
If interested, the macronutrients are below. They are kept separate at the very end of each recipe blog so that this can remain a safe, positive space for all as not everyone wishes to see the nutritional information.
Macros per biscuit (makes 8): 13.5 C | 4.6 F | 5 P
Compared to an average biscuit: 27 C | 9 F | 4 P
The macros for recipes are also available on MyFitnessPal. Simply search the name of the recipe followed by “ – SUNutrition” (so for this recipe, search “Spiced Pumpkin Drop Biscuits – SUNutrition”).
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