I have discovered a new idea and I’ve decided to call these: Cheater Cheater Pumpkin Eaters.
I didn’t actually invent this recipe. I happened upon it whilst scrolling Facebook and an ad popped up for Weight Watchers recipes. I don’t care about counting WW points, but I do like the idea of adding pumpkin to goodies. Any opportunity to add nourishment to food – I’m all in.
I was also very attracted to the idea of a two-ingredient recipe. It’s just a cake mix and a can of pumpkin. Easy and includes a vegetable? Yes please.
Now, I didn’t used to buy cake mixes. Those most certainly include ingredients that aren’t great. But alas, here I am, ignoring the ingredient list and paying $0.98 for a box of convenience. Then I add a huge wad of spinach to the cake, declaring that I am somehow still winning the war on food. Can we also occasionally add an entire can of pumpkin to such a mix? Yes, we can. So now we can cringe as we buy cake mix, then smile as we add spinach or pumpkin.
And if I’m lucky, I might also have time to take a shower. Seriously, I have so many reasons to buy cake mix now. Here are my youngest 5 reasons. Plus Malachi, who is quite low maintenance but does also like to eat.
Why did I decide to name them Cheater Cheater Pumpkin Eaters? Two reasons:
- Buying a cake mix is sort of cheating, making us sort of cheaters, but again, we like to shower sometimes and this is how we are surviving right now.
- These treats are some kind of cross between a cupcake and a muffin. They are too sugary to really be a muffin but too pumpkin-y to really be a cupcake. I couldn’t land on what to call them. A muffcake? Perhaps. But then Cheater Cheater Pumpkin Eaters came to mind and I decided I liked it.
Is it possible I spend too much time reading nursery rhymes? Nah.
Cheater Cheater Pumpkin Eaters – Chocolate or Vanilla
- 1 cake mix, chocolate or vanilla
- 15-ounce can pumpkin
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon if you'd like!
- Mix ingredients together until smooth.
- Scoop into 12 paper-lined muffin tins (you'll fill them a little bit more full than a typical cupcake or muffin).
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
You can add chocolate chips, but I skip that because I don’t want to add extra sugar. Also have you seen what happens when toddlers eat melted chocolate chips? Oy, so messy.
And there you have it, friends. Cheater Cheater Pumpkin Eaters are fun and easy to make. The pumpkin makes these moist and pumpkin is a superfood. Ha. I declare these to be a win.
Karin Bulfer says
I have made a variation of this using a spice cake mix and adding in only the can of pumpkin. YUM! I have used glutin free cake mix and it was great as well! Happy eating! Karin