• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Dr Ricki - Your prescription for a best-selling book

Ricki Heller

A healthy lifestyle can be sweet!

  • Home
  • WORK WITH ME
    • GET STARTED
    • KEEP WRITING
    • POLISH YOUR MANUSCRIPT
    • STORIES WORKSHOP
  • About
  • Press
  • Blog

Spiced Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread

by Ricki Heller 64 Comments

Ah, nothing like a short work week, is there?  Hope those of you who celebrated on Monday had a great Thanksgiving!  (And hope everyone else had a good weekend, short as it was!).

I can’t wait to tell you all about the phenomenal Thanksgiving Vegan Cassoulet I made for The HH and me, or the pillowy, indulgent Black Bottom Almond Mousse Pie for dessert, but those will have to wait–I frittered away  slept in  thoroughly enjoyed the stupendous weather and extra time with family and friends this past long weekend, which means those blog posts are still to be written.  I do, however, have this “taste-it-and-you’ll-be-instantly-addicted,” “so-easy-it’s-almost-criminal,” Spiced Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread for you today.

Let me preface this recipe by saying that I have the utmost respect for Weight Watchers.  I am not joking on this one (I know, a hundred punch lines just flew through your mind, didn’t they?), as I am (a) most likely one of Weight Watchers’ most loyal former customers ever; (just insert “go on a diet” for “quit smoking” in the old joke: “It’s easy to quit smoking.  I’ve done it a dozen times”–and you have my history with Weight Watchers); and (b) I believe they really do help people to lose and manage their weight, primarily by teaching portion control more than anything else.*

Well, one of my friends recently embarked on her eleventh or twelfth round with the “Points” system, so I must have had WW on the brain when I serendipitously came across a recipe for Weight Watchers Spiced Pumpkin Cream Cheese via a link somewhere else (forget where, now).

The original recipe was lauded for having only “two points.”  I quickly determined that I could easily make a much healthier (read: no highly processed/fake ingredients, such as whey protein concentrate, guar gum, carob bean gum, sorbic acid as a preservative, etc;  and, of course, no dairy) version based on my own lower-fat “cream cheese” and using the original recipe as a flavor guideline.

Apart from soaking the cashews, this recipe was ridiculously quick and easy to make (and soaking the cashews isn’t what I’d call difficult, of course; but you do need 4-6 hours of advance warning).  The result was one smooth, silky-spreadable creamy “cheese” boasting a light kiss of cinnamon and other autum spices like nutmeg, ginger and allspice.  It paired beautifully with my grain-free scones for breakfast this morning (that recipe coming up soon).

Although I generally don’t worry about nutritional breakdowns (if I’m eating whole foods, healthy ingredients, I know it will all balance out), but in this case, I was curious. Below is how mine stacked up against theirs (note that there was no choice of “coconut sugar” on the Nutrition Data page, where I calculated these figures.  As a result, I used “brown sugar” for both recipes, which means that my version is actually even more nutrient-dense than it appears here).

Which would you rather eat?

Servings

WW: 10; Mine: 12 (2 Tbsp/30 ml each)

Calories per serving:

WW: 61; Mine: 62. 5

Total Fat per serving:

WW: 3.5 g; Mine: 3.2 g

Saturated Fat per serving:

WW: 2.1 g; Mine: 0.6 g

Cholesterol per serving:

WW: 12.1 mg; Mine: 0 mg

Sodium per serving:

WW: 106.7 mg; Mine: 2.1 mg

Fiber per serving:

WW: 0.6 g: Mine: 1.3 g

Sugars per serving:

WW: 4.4 g; Mine: 3.1 g

Protein per serving:

WW: 1.9 g; Mine: 2.1 g

Vitamin A per serving:

WW: 40.6% (of daily requirement); Mine: 3.2%

Calcium:

WW: 4.4% (of daily requirement); Mine: 1.4%

Iron:

WW: 1.5% (of daily requirement); Mine: 4.6%

My take on it: of course, I expected the calcium percentage to be larger in the actual dairy cheese (even though that form of calcium is not necessarily well absorbed); but the huge percentage of vitamin A threw me a bit.  Then I reread the cheese ingredients and saw that the “light” cream cheese contained added “Vitamin A palmitate.” Eureka! On the other hand, this whole-foods version wins out in virtually every other category, from iron (wowza!) to fiber (wowza again!) to protein.

Hey, you know what?  With this luscious spread on hand, heading back to work after a three-day long weekend turned out to be not so bad, after all.  🙂

* Please note that the opinions expressed here are entirely my own, highly personal, views, and I am in no way suggesting that you do or do not join Weight Watchers or am I trying to persuade anyone in one direction or another about the company. I will say, however, that no one in her/his right mind should ever repeat my own, previous, behavior and consume 4 packages of Weight Watchers Chocolate Mousse mix in for dinner within an hour.

And don’t forget. . . You can still vote for my blog in the Shape Magazine “Best Blog” Awards!  If you’d like to see a gluten-free, vegan and healthy, whole-foods blog in first place–DDD is the only choice with all those qualities! Thanks so much to everyone for your support! 🙂

Spiced Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread

suitable for ACD Stage 2 and beyond

This “cream cheese” is perfect spread on biscuits, scones, toast or rice cakes.  It would also be heavenly atop a stack of spiced pumpkin or apple pancakes.

1 cup (155 gram) raw cashews, soaked in room temperature water for 4-6 hours and drained

1/2 cup (120 ml) packed pumpkin purée (pumpkin only)

1/2 cup (120 ml) well cooked or canned white kidney or navy beans, rinsed well and drained

6 Tbsp (90 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract

1 tsp (5 ml) cinnamon

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) ginger

1/4 tsp (1 ml) nutmeg (or less, to taste)

1/4 tsp (1 m) allspice

1 tsp (5 ml) Chinese 5 -Spice powder (or use another 1 tsp/5 ml cinnamon)

pinch fine sea salt

1 Tbsp (15 ml) coconut sugar

20-30 drops plain or vanilla stevia extract, to your taste

Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender (such as a VitaMix) and blend until silky smooth, scraping down sides or using the wand to push ingredients toward the blades as necessary.  (To make this in a regular blender, first process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, then transfer in small batches to a blender and blend until silky.  Place each batch in a medium bowl as it’s blended, then stir them all together to ensure a uniform texture).

Use immediately (it will be soft, but spreadable) or refrigerate for several hours to firm up slightly.  Makes about 2-1/2 cups (600 ml).

I’m submitting this recipe to Cybele’s Allergy-Friendly Friday event and Amy’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

Last Year at this Time: Grown-Up Halvah (gluten-free; ACD Stage 2 and beyond)

Two Years Ago: Tempeh-Bacon Topped, Roasted Plum and Baby Spinach Salad (gluten-free; ACD Stage 2 and beyond)

Three Years Ago: Gluten Free Coconut Mini-Loaves or Muffins (ACD Stage 3 and beyond)

© Ricki Heller

Never miss a recipe–or a comment from The Girls! Click here to subscribe to RickiHeller.com via email. You’ll get recipes as soon as they’re posted, plus cookbook updates and news about upcoming events! (“We love subscribers, Mum. . . almost as much as we love treats!”

[Disclaimer: this post may contain affiliate links. If you buy using these links, at no cost to you, I will earn a small commission from the sale.]

Share

Filed Under: ACD Maintenance, ACD Stage Three, ACD Stage Two, anti candida diet, beans and legumes, breakfast, condiments and sauces, dessert, gluten free, grain free, nuts, recipes, snacks, Uncategorized, vegan, vegetables Tagged: anti candida diet, breakfast, contest, dairy free, dessert, easy, egg free, food allergies, food sensitivities, gluten free, grain free, healthy, nuts, quick, recipes, sugar free, sweet, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian, wheat-free

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shirley @ gfe says

    October 12, 2011 at 12:38 pm

    Fabulous. That is all.

    xo,
    Shirley

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 12, 2011 at 12:49 pm

      Ha, ha! Thanks, Shirley. 😀

      Reply
  2. Heather J says

    October 12, 2011 at 12:57 pm

    If I hadn’t made Spicy Pumpkin Hummus last night, I would be whipping up this recipe tonight! I’ll print this one for my “to make” binder. Looks very good 🙂

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 12, 2011 at 3:02 pm

      Thanks, Heather! It’s a great spread–totally different from the hummus, obviously (this one is sweet), but equally versatile! 🙂

      Reply
      • Heather J says

        November 13, 2011 at 9:27 pm

        I finally made this… great stuff! 🙂

        Reply
        • Ricki says

          November 14, 2011 at 7:40 am

          Yay! So glad you liked it! (And thanks for the reminder to make more). 🙂

          Reply
  3. Lauren (PB&G) says

    October 12, 2011 at 1:11 pm

    First of all, congrats on the nomination! I will head over and vote right now!

    I am a huge supporter of weight watchers for the same reason. They certainly helped me learn portion control, a healthier way to eat and skim off some major weight. I don’t support what I feel is the “fake food” aspect of it, but the general concept is pretty awesome.

    This cream cheese spread looks amazing, too.

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 12, 2011 at 3:03 pm

      Thanks so much, Lauren! And thanks for the vote support. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Iris says

    October 12, 2011 at 1:27 pm

    I love this recipe! I need to make it!

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 12, 2011 at 3:03 pm

      Yes, you do need to make it. 😉

      Reply
  5. Celia says

    October 12, 2011 at 2:18 pm

    Oh yay! I’m so glad this is soy free. Looks fabulous. 🙂

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 12, 2011 at 3:04 pm

      Thanks so much! I’m actually not averse to soy, but sometimes you just want a break. . . 🙂

      Reply
  6. Hallie @ Daily Bites says

    October 12, 2011 at 2:37 pm

    Okay, so I know you don’t eat eggs, but…
    Do you think if I whisked eggs and maybe some coconut milk into this it could turn into a dairy-free pumpkin cheesecake in the oven?? I think I know what my baking project is for the weekend! 🙂

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 12, 2011 at 3:04 pm

      I’m not actually sure, Hallie, as I think the cashew mixture will change texture when baked (I seem to recall trying it myself a while back, and the result was somewhat grainy). But let me know how it turns out if you do give it a try! 🙂

      Reply
      • Heather J says

        October 13, 2011 at 10:16 am

        I remember from your grain-free danishes a while back… baked cashew “cheese” really dries out. It’s much better unbaked. I think this cheesecake idea will be very dense and dry.

        Reply
        • Ricki says

          October 13, 2011 at 12:17 pm

          Heather, my “cheese” in the danishes was fine. . . maybe because of the berries on top holding in moisture? I didn’t have a problem with that recipe, actually! But I do think baking it on its own would be a bit drying. Unless there’s a way to seal in the moisture. . .(chia?).

          Reply
  7. shannon says

    October 12, 2011 at 3:28 pm

    i’ll take this version, please 🙂

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 12, 2011 at 7:32 pm

      Hee, hee! Me, too, thanks. 😉

      Reply
  8. Kim @ Affairs of Living says

    October 12, 2011 at 4:55 pm

    looks divine! you just combined so many of my favorite foods into one amazing mouthful. yowzas! xo

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 12, 2011 at 7:32 pm

      I like that: yowzas! I think that sums up pretty well what it tasted like! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Bianca- Vegan Crunk says

    October 12, 2011 at 5:48 pm

    Yummy! I haven’t been using nearly enough pumpkin yet. What’s wrong with me?!!! I should start with this!

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 12, 2011 at 7:33 pm

      It’s a really easy way to start, Bianca. Oh, and delicious, too. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Andrea says

    October 12, 2011 at 6:25 pm

    I am imagining this spread between a stack of (gf) pumpkin pancakes.

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 12, 2011 at 7:34 pm

      I actually think that’s how I’m going to do it next! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Heather @Gluten-Free Cat says

    October 12, 2011 at 9:45 pm

    Mmmmm, I’m making this one to spread on my pancakes!

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 12, 2011 at 11:05 pm

      Something tells me it would actually be best on pancakes! 😉

      Reply
  12. Johanna GGG says

    October 13, 2011 at 8:23 am

    onya ricki! I agree that weight watchers is a useful way to control a diet but I do a double take when I see some of their processed products – and I dislike that all their recipes (well any that I ever look at) seem to use low fat products which is not always the sort we have around the house. You are going great guns in fighting the processed foods at the moment – maintain the rage!

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 13, 2011 at 9:46 am

      Thanks, Johanna! I used to be a processed food junkie, truly, but these days even brown rice flour can sometimes cause a reaction! So I’m allfor UNprocessed. 🙂

      Reply
  13. Kris says

    October 13, 2011 at 9:13 am

    Holy marvellous! Pumpkin cream cheese? Mmm… Thank you for sharing this! Also, I voted for you! 🙂

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 13, 2011 at 9:46 am

      Thank you so much, Kris!! Support is much appreciated! 😀

      Reply
  14. Alisa Fleming says

    October 13, 2011 at 10:49 am

    Yum! I’d take your version any day Ricki. But I admit that I’ve never counted calories. While doing P90X I tracked fat, sugars, and protein, and I’m trying to keep track of added sugars now, but otherwise, I just eat 🙂

    This really sounds amazing and might be light enough on the beans that I even like the texture! Some of the dips bloggers are making are way too bean-heavy for my tastes. But with cashews? Delish!

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 13, 2011 at 12:18 pm

      Alisa, I don’t count calories, either, as a rule, but I just had to know with this one! Honestly, you do not detect the beans AT ALL. I added them simply for a bit of extra protein and fiber. Try a 1/4 recipe and see what you think! 🙂

      Reply
  15. Konoups says

    October 13, 2011 at 10:58 am

    This looks like an amazing spread. One ill be making for sure in the foreseeable future.

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 13, 2011 at 12:18 pm

      Thanks so much! It was really delicious (and now it’s all gone. . . boo hoo). 😉

      Reply
  16. Veggie V! @Veggie V's Vegan Adventure says

    October 13, 2011 at 11:06 am

    I’m a little late to this party, but better late than never. This looks and sounds amazing! I, too, am a WW fan, having lost the first 40 of my recent 60+ pounds via the Points system, but one of the things I (and many others if opinions expressed on the WW messages boards are representative of the masses) didn’t care care for was the OK attitude towards frankenfoods (a term regularly used on the boards for fake, processed foods). So, I was delighted to see your nutritional comparision – and to see real food win! Woohoo! I’m always leary of nut based recipes because of the calories and fat, but these numbers are convincing. And, I have just so happen to have raw cashews (yes!) chillin’ in the fridge; I think they’ll be fulfilling their thicky, creamy, spreadable goodness by this evening 🙂

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 13, 2011 at 12:20 pm

      Not late at all! I only posted it yesterday. 😉 And yes, I agree with you about the issues with WW–I never liked the fact that they “approve” foods with fake ingredients, “lite” dairy products, etc, in the name of saving calories. I’d rather eat less of the real (full-fat) thing. With only about 2 calories difference per tablespoon and all the other amazing leads in nutrition, I did think my spread won out. Let me know what you think if you do give it a try!

      Reply
  17. Concetta says

    October 13, 2011 at 11:27 am

    I can’t stand WW, because they won’t have T1 diabetics (or at least every chapter I’ve been to). If I try to do WW, I have to lie about my T1 state. I don’t like anything where I can’t be true to myself.

    That being said, the recipe sounds delicious. My only wonder is – why the coconut sugar? Wouldn’t the pumpkin be sweet enough by itself?

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 13, 2011 at 12:28 pm

      Concetta, I’m not sure where you are, but I’ve found that “pumpkin” means different things to different people… here in Toronto, it’s not sweet at all on its own (not even as sweet as acorn or butternut squash). It really does need sweetener to taste yummy. That said, I’ve made this with stevia-only and it’s just fine, so feel free! If you’re in the antipodes, from what I understand “pumpkin” is what we call “squash” over here. . . which may mean that yours is sweet enough on its own. Hope that helps! 🙂 (and shame on WW!).

      Reply
  18. Lindsay @GetHealthywithL says

    October 13, 2011 at 12:37 pm

    This just made my “too make list” it sounds amazing!

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 13, 2011 at 12:41 pm

      It is! And really so easy. 🙂

      Reply
  19. Gena says

    October 14, 2011 at 8:52 am

    Awesome. And you and I were thinking alike this week!

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 14, 2011 at 12:58 pm

      Gena, I saw your pumpkin pie pudding and thought the same thing. . . they are so similar! I’m going to try your tofu-based version next. 🙂

      Reply
  20. Rob says

    October 14, 2011 at 10:43 am

    Hey, this sounds great! I could spread this on some pumpkin bread and enjoy that with a pumpkin latte. Ahh, the flavors of autumn.

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 14, 2011 at 12:58 pm

      Or do you mean, the FLAVOR (singular) of autumn? 😉

      Reply
  21. Cara says

    October 17, 2011 at 9:51 pm

    Ricki, love, I think we need to collaborate. You see, I’ve wanted to vegan-ize this beloved recipe (http://www.carascravings.com/2007/08/browniebabes-round-3-take-2.html) and I believe you just made a very big contribution.If I combine this my vegan/gf/sf brownies, I think we’ll be in business!

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 17, 2011 at 10:24 pm

      They do look amazing! If you give it a try, let me know! I’m not 100% sure about the baking, but it’s worth trying!

      Reply
  22. Alta says

    October 19, 2011 at 4:12 pm

    This looks so tasty!

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 19, 2011 at 9:47 pm

      Thanks, Alta! It’s really so reminiscent of cream cheese, too. 🙂

      Reply
  23. Erin says

    October 20, 2011 at 2:23 pm

    I’m currently on WW, so this is super appealing to me! It sounds delicious. In case your curious, the points plus value of a serving is still 2, so in addition to a better nutritional profile, it’s still low in points!

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 20, 2011 at 4:32 pm

      Yay! That is so great to know. 😀 And good luck with it!

      Reply
  24. Veggie V! @Veggie V's Vegan Adventure says

    October 20, 2011 at 3:51 pm

    I’ve been eating this all week as a dip/spread with apples. Yum!

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 20, 2011 at 4:34 pm

      Mmmmm! Gotta try it that way! 😀

      Reply
  25. Trish says

    October 22, 2011 at 8:54 pm

    Love this and I must try this recipe. Love how you give the data comparisons.

    Reply
  26. Tressa @ Hecka-Good Recipes says

    October 24, 2011 at 10:44 pm

    I just found this recipe for a Flourless Pumpkin Roll, http://www.easytobeglutenfree.com/baked-goods/286-flourless-pumpkin-roll and your cream cheese spread would be perfect as a filling!!! 🙂 I am so excited to try this!

    Reply
  27. Deanna says

    October 25, 2011 at 11:36 am

    Mmmmm – this looks delicious! I haven’t actually jumped on the fall pumpkin sweet stuff bandwagon yet. What the heck am I waiting for?

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 25, 2011 at 4:29 pm

      Yeah–what are you waiting for?? 😉

      Reply
  28. Ashley says

    October 27, 2011 at 2:01 pm

    I would much rather have your version than the WW one!! Looks delicious Ricki. 🙂

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      October 27, 2011 at 3:07 pm

      Thanks, Ashley! Obviously, I’d rather have my version, too. 😉

      Reply
  29. Sophie says

    November 2, 2011 at 11:11 am

    Oooh ricki! What a lovely & original spread!
    I have made it & loved it so much! thanks! 😉

    Reply
  30. Gretchen @gfedge says

    September 27, 2012 at 12:52 pm

    Yumm. Rita and I will both LOVE this!

    BTW, I tried to vote for you and both links came up ‘access denied’ or ‘you are not authorized’ ?

    Reply
    • Ricki says

      September 27, 2012 at 3:21 pm

      Gretchen, I appreciate the effort! But this recipe is actually from last year–that’s when the nomination happened. (And I didn’t win. Boo hoo). 😉

      Reply
  31. Karen says

    October 30, 2016 at 4:36 pm

    Your recipe sounds delicious, thank you. When we’ve had uur fill of pumpkin, would your recipe work without the pumpkin as plain cream cheese?

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 100+ Ways to Use Leftover Pumpkin Purée - Home Cooking Memories says:
    November 14, 2013 at 8:09 am

    […] Spiced Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread […]

    Reply
  2. Yummy Gluten Free Fall Recipes From Around the Web says:
    October 16, 2014 at 6:54 pm

    […] Spiced Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread- I love cream cheese, flavored or plain. And this recipe from Ricki Heller just sounds incredibly yummy. Don’t you just want some on a gluten free bagel? […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I'm Ricki, cookbook author, professional recipe developer, holistic nutritionist and anti-candida crusader. Let me show you how easy it is to eat plant-based, sugar-free, gluten free food that tastes great!

[read more about Ricki...]

As seen on…

Categories

Become a Patron!

Ricki Heller

Footer

  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Press
  • Blog
  • Dr Ricki Cooks
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy

Copyright © 2023 · RICKIHELLER.COM