It’s time.  Time for all the pumpkin things.  I waited until October to start posting the recipes but I’ve been testing pumpkin stuff for a good month now.  Because I’m just as basic as every other white chick.  I love Fall and leaves and scarves and jeans and cool air and bonfires.  And pumpkin.  All the pumpkin.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, only 27 more days until my birthday.  Also, 27 days until I’m no longer in my 20’s.  Weird. 

While I’m not freaking out about turning 30 (honestly, I really don’t feel like it’s going to be much different), I am freaking out about the summer weather that keeps nosing its way into my Fall coolness.  We just had a glorious week of 60’s and 70’s during the day and 40’s and 50’s at night.  Perfection.

Then the past two days have been in the mid-80’s.  No Summer. You had your turn.

So with the heat sometimes I don’t feel like having a pumpkin spice latte, ya know?  But because it’s October and obligatory for me to consume pumpkin in every way, shape, and form from now until December 1st, I need a way to get my pumpkin in that won’t make me sweat like crazy.  That was a long sentence.  Kudos if you held on to the end. 

You don’t see pumpkin seed milk that much.  Or at least I’ve never seen it.  Maybe there is a secret underground pumpkin seed ring that I’ve never heard of.  If there is, please let me know because I need to be a part of this.  But I had a bunch of pumpkin seeds, so I decided to test it out.  It took a little while for me to get a flavor that I liked, but I think this is an awesome Autumn drink, especially if it’s hot.

It goes well in coffee, alongside apple cider donuts, and I can tell you for a fact it is perfection with my Pumpkin Pie Granola.  You could even get fancy and use this milk for my Pumpkin Chia Pudding.  PUMPKIN INCEPTION!!

Ok, enough talking.  Time to go eat my weight in pumpkin stuff.

Toasted Pumpkin Seed Milk 

• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, divided into two 1/2 cups
• 3 cups cold water, plus more for soaking
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tsp pumpkin spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2-3 tbsp molasses, optional (I like it less sweet, so I only used 1)
• optional tools: nut milk bag, cheesecloth, or fine mesh sieve.

1. Preheat the oven to 225 and place half the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Toast for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden.  Remove from the oven.
2. Place all the pumpkin seeds in a large bowl and cover with 2 cups of boiling water.  Let this sit for about 30 minutes and then drain and rinse.
3. Place the soaked pumpkin seeds in a blender and then add the rest of the ingredients.  Blend until completely smooth.
4. Pour the pumpkin seed milk through your nut milk bag/cheesecloth/fine mesh sieve and strain out most of the pulp.  I like to leave a little bit in because I think that gives it a more pumpkin-y flavor.  You can strain it all out if you want a perfectly smooth drink.
5. Store in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days.  Enjoy!