Does your morning bagel need a fall makeover? Do you crave pumpkin cheesecake but don’t need the extra 1000 calories? Do you like quick and easy recipes that taste really, really good?  If you answered yes to any of those questions, you’ll love this Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread!

Now I can’t take all the credit for this idea. My friend Alexis sent me a message on Facebook suggesting that a pumpkin cream cheese spread for bagels would be a really great recipe for the fall. 

Hmmm… pumpkin cream cheese? I had never thought about it, but I know I love pumpkin cheesecake so it sounded like a good idea to me!

Since I happened to have canned pumpkin and cream cheese on hand, I threw together a couple of different combinations and quickly ended up with a delicious spread that works equally well on bagels and muffins.

And I’m not the only one who thinks it’s great. I had a house full of guests yesterday and decided to make some homemade bagels for the first time just so we could all taste the pumpkin cream cheese. 

More than once I heard things like, “Yum! It’s like pumpkin pie… on a bagel!”

This morning as I was trying to think of other ways to use the spread, I decided that it might make a good dip for apple slices. And I was right!

Since I still had a house full of guests this morning, I had plenty of apple tasters on hand.

My cousin Corinne took a bite and her eyes got wide. At first I thought she didn’t like it, but then I heard, “Oooooh, it tastes like apple pie!” And we all agreed.

I love it when friends request special recipes or give me suggestions. Some of my favorite creations have happened that way (remember Jason’s Ultimate Manwich?). So keep the ideas coming, guys!

One of the great things about this blog is that it helps keep me connected with friends that might otherwise drift away. Being part of the military, we move around a lot and have met and left friends all over the world.

While it is fun to meet new people, it can be difficult to keep in touch with them all.

I met Alexis while volunteering at the weekly newspaper on the military base in Sicily. Alexis and her husband Ryan left the island a couple years before we did, but we ended up keeping in touch sporadically through e-mail and blogging. I think if we hadn’t all started blogging, we probably would have lost touch!

I’m glad we did keep in touch because it was Alexis and Ryan who introduced me to Ben, the designer who created the latest blog design for Pinch My Salt.

Isn’t the internet a wonderful thing? I haven’t seen Ryan and Alexis in person since they left Sicily and I’ve never even met Ben in person. But they’ve all helped contribute to this blog over the last couple of years!

Now, (in addition to suggesting recipes for Pinch My Salt) Alexis is working hard on her latest project, Earth’s Best Friend, a company that offers eco-friendly, sustainable pet clothing.

He hasn’t put in his order yet, but you might soon see Smack modeling a sustainable organic cotton jacket. Perhaps you didn’t realize that Smack is into doggie fashion, but Halloween is coming up so he’ll soon be sporting this outfit again:

And speaking of Halloween, the Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese spread would be a really tasty frosting on some pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies. A bit of red and yellow food coloring would turn it a nice shade of pumpkin orange.

And now that I’m thinking about it, the spread would also make an excellent frosting for some Halloween cupcakes! I’m sure you’ll think of many other things to do with it, once you give it a try.

Now we all know that sweetened cream cheese isn’t exactly a health food. But in small amounts, on a bagel or spread on some apple slices, this cream cheese spread can turn an ordinary snack into something really special, without the guilt associated with some of our other favorite treats. You could even try it with reduced-fat cream cheese, although I used the real thing.

I really hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Related Recipes:

• Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes
• Basic Sugar Cookies
• Pumpkin Spice Scones
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll
• Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

Around the Web:

• Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Pie from Taste and Tell
• Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting from Tammy’s Recipes
• Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting from Sophistimom
• Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake from Fatfree Vegan Kitchen
• Chocolate Pumpkin Cake from Gluten Free Mommy

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread

Yield: 1 cup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

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Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, beat softened cream cheese, sugar, and syrup until smooth and creamy.
   
2. Add pumpkin, spices and vanilla and beat til smooth.
   
3. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
   
4. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 82Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 47mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 1g