Pumpkin spice is everywhere — 6 recipes to embrace fall’s favorite flavor

Overnight, it seems that L.A.’s thick summer heat has receded to a pleasant breeze, with brittle leaves cluttering the sidewalks and the sun rising later each morning, as if it were too cozy to come out from under the covers.
Fall is here, and just like that, gourds and root vegetables have replaced tomatoes and berries on our grocery store shelves. And while longtime Angelenos know that summer-like heat will likely reappear at some seasonally inopportune time, we’re also eager to embrace whatever slivers of fall we can with layered looks, cinnamon-scented candles and, of course, pumpkin-spiced everything.
Starbucks may have brought the pumpkin spice trend to mainstream coffee culture, but its seasonal latte has since become a harbinger of fall. Other coffee shops and cafes follow suit by rolling out seasonal drinks and food items that incorporate squash, sweet potatoes and more. If you’re looking for local recommendations, check out reporter Stephanie Breijo’s guide to the best pumpkin spice lattes at local coffee shops.
It’s a little early to start carving jack-o’-lanterns, but these six recipes, including a pumpkin seed horchata, a creamy pumpkin soup topped with toasted pumpkin seed pesto, Punjabi-spiced pumpkin, a citrusy spiced loaf and a Nashville hot pumpkin pie, will help you get fall started on the right foot.
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Horchata, a cinnamon-laced nondairy drink you’ll find at just about every taqueria in L.A., can be adapted with different seeds or nuts that are soaked, ground, pulverized and strained into a creamy opaque concoction. This recipe uses pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, allspice and turbinado for a comforting version that’s easy to make on a whim yet complex enough that you can pour it in a pitcher and bring it to an autumnal potluck to impress friends.Get the recipe. Cook time: 15 minutes, plus 2 hours steeping time. Serves 6 to 12.
Start making this now and you’ll have it down pat by Christmas, when Austrian chef Bernhard Mairinger would typically eat the dish with his family. That will also give you plenty of time to try making the soup with a variety of gourds, including butternut, kabocha and acorn squash. The recipe requires pumpkin seed oil, and Mairinger insists that the best oils come from southern Austria, but I suggest trying your local farmers market first. Get the recipe. Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes. Serves 6 to 10.
A pressure cooker takes the constant stirring out of this dish so it’s ready in just 30 minutes. Chopped walnuts, walnut oil and minced rosemary round out the fall flavors. Get the recipe. Cook time: 30 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.
This Punjabi spiced pumpkin dish from Badmaash, the freewheeling Indian gastropub with locations in downtown and Fairfax, has finely chopped ginger and serrano chile to warm you from the inside out. Nakul Mahendro, who runs the restaurant with his father and brother, likes to purchase Jamaican or Long Island Cheese pumpkins from Tanaka Farms in Irvine. Serve it family-style with lentils, naan and pickles, yogurt or other condiments.Get the recipe. Cook time: 35 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.
As someone who gravitates to subtle, not-too-sweet desserts, I have a feeling I’ll be making this citrusy spiced loaf all season long. After these cakes come out of the oven, they’re soaked in maple syrup and orange and lemon juice, and finished with a thick icing. The recipe makes two cakes — skip the icing and you can freeze one (or both) for up to six months. Get the recipe. Cook time: 1 hour 45 minutes, plus cooking. Makes two 9-by-5-inch loaves.
Former L.A. Times cooking columnist Ben Mims adds cayenne to this pumpkin pie recipe for a Nashville kick, plus chicken fat to the crust for a blast of umami. When purchasing ingredients, get a new container of cayenne to ensure that it packs the necessary punch. Hand-whipped cream, a dusting of cayenne pepper and a drizzle of honey finish off this spicy rendition of a classic pumpkin pie. Get the recipe. Cook time: 2 hours. Makes two 9-inch pies.