A Quick Taste of Sweet Fall: Creamy Pumpkin Dip

We spent the evening carving pumpkins last night. Don't you just LOVE pumpkins??

Here is my group hard at work (with a power tool for 'stars'):

And our end results:

While working on carving these pumpkins, I remembered to post this creamy pumpkin dip recipe that had my Bible study girls intrigued earlier this week when I hosted. This dip may not look like much, but it is SUPER good! The recipe was requested by several girls, so thought I'd share. Someone said it tasted like a creamy pumpkin pie. I guess pumpkin pie must be a theme to my baking lately...hmmmm...a bit obsessed? Possibly. Yet, this little dip is worth trying--and no, I'm not calling it healthy, but doesn't Halloween count as the beginning of holiday eating?

I made this sweet dip with a basic pumpkin butter I had made last week in an attempt to make the perfect flat-crispy-chewy chocolate chip pumpkin cookie (BIG FAT FAILURE, by the way--ended up 'cake-like' anyway), but I've made it with canned pumpkin and it works equally well..I imagine this dip would also do well with the addition of chopped pecans...just a thought. And if anyone is wondering about how to make a pumpkin butter similar to Williams-Sonoma's, here's my post on spicy pecan pumpkin butter. Hope to make a new batch by the end of the week--I crave it as soon as the weather turns cooler.

The dip is very simple to make, requires only a handful of ingredients, comes together in a snap, and pleases the masses. Make this as a dessert to enjoy with friends or on girls' night in...your kids will love dipping their graham crackers into it too!


CREAMY PUMPKIN DIP

Makes enough to serve 8 people (at least)

• 6 ounces reduced fat cream cheese (this is 3/4 of an 8 oz. block), thawed to about room temperature
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2-3/4 cup canned pumpkin or pumpkin butter
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. cloves
• 1 (8 oz.) container reduced fat Cool Whip

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or any mixer), beat cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add the canned pumpkin or pumpkin butter and spices. Fold in the Cool Whip container.

Serve dip with gingersnaps and/or graham crackers. It's seriously delicious!