Pumpkin spice recipes for cozy season

At a certain point, you stop trying to be hip and trendy and you embrace the basic things in life. And during the fall, that’s anything pumpkin or “pumpkin spice”-related. I fully admit that I love everything about the flavor and all the coziness it conjures.

And although I draw the line at certain PS-flavored things — like cereals, or hummus — I’ll light a pumpkin candle on a cool night while nestling on the couch to eat a slice of pumpkin spice cake. When my partner and I first started dating, we even bonded over our love of pumpkin beer and pumpkin cream cheese. They’re silly and kitschy and, more often than not these days, exactly what we need to add a bit of levity to our lives.

To set myself up for maximum pumpkin-spice-cozy-season this year, I developed a pumpkin loaf cake that hits all the fall pleasure points, but I didn’t stop there. I took added inspiration from British lemon drizzle cake. Soak the pumpkin cake in a maple syrup drizzle brightened with fresh orange and lemon juices. The citrus really cuts through the richness of the cake while also complementing the pumpkin and spices wonderfully. The result is my Pumpkin Maple Drizzle Cakes, which I implore you to make this weekend for Halloween or just because it’s cool enough to turn on our ovens again.

And if you like those loaves but want a savory spin, try my Roasted Pumpkin Loaves With Salty Spiced Bread Crumbs. I take roasted pumpkin puree (but you can absolutely use the canned stuff) and bake it into loaves that are topped with buttery spiced breadcrumbs and finished with lots of flaky sea salt.

If you have any pumpkin puree left over, save it to make these simple but delicious Pumpkin Pancakes, which I must eat at least once a year on a cold, gray, weekend morning. Or you can take the leftover pumpkin and make this savory Pumpkin Risotto teeming with rosemary and finished with walnuts and parmesan.

And if you love pumpkin spice lattes, first make sure to check out Stephanie Breijo’s roundup of great PSLs you can find around L.A., then come home and make this delicious Spiked Pumpkin Spice Coffee for yourself. It uses a store-bought pumpkin spice liqueur and a homemade cinnamon syrup to make a refreshing spin on the espresso martini. It’s the perfect thing to sip at home when you need your seasonal hit of pumpkin spice but don’t want to leave the coziness of your couch.

Pumpkin Maple Drizzle Cakes

This autumn loaf cake combines pumpkin-spice warmth with a citrus brightness, thanks to a tart syrup that soaks into the loaves once they come out of the oven. Pourable maple icing finishes the cakes off in show-stopping fashion, but you can always leave it off and enjoy the syrup-soaked cakes plain.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour 45 minutes, plus cooling.

(Katrina Frederick / For The Times)

Roasted Pumpkin Loaves With Salty Spiced Bread Crumbs

These tender loaves are all about fresh-roasted pumpkin baked up in a simple cake. All the spices are in a crunchy breadcrumb mixture on top that adds texture and a salty punch with each bite.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes.

(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Pumpkin Pancakes

These light, spicy pumpkin pancakes from Oceanview Diner in Berkeley are wonderful on a cool weekend morning. Prep the batter the night before so you‘re ready when you wake in the morning.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 25 minutes.

(Anacleto Rapping / Los Angeles Times)

Pumpkin Risotto

This recipe for pumpkin risotto uses a pressure cooker to make quick, hands-free work of this traditionally slow-cooked and continuously stirred dish. It’s flavored with fresh rosemary, and chopped walnuts lend additional texture, while a drizzle of walnut oil and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano boost the umami and make a great presentation.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 30 minutes.

(Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Spiked Pumpkin Spice Coffee

This is pumpkin spice the way it was meant to be enjoyed, in a cocktail — a potent mix of espresso, vodka, cinnamon simple syrup and pumpkin spice cream liqueur. It makes a great batched cocktail as well to serve for a party from a pitcher.
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Cook time: 5 minutes.

(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)