The 1960s cookie/cake hybrid takes minutes to make and satisfies all of your pumpkin spice cravings.
It’s officially fall, so it's time to spice things up! Pumpkin spice is all around us, and I for one welcome it. I love the mild sweetness that pumpkin provides and the complex, sweet spice that goes along with it. And since I’m not much of a coffee drinker, I get my pumpkin intake via baked goods.
No one can deny a good pumpkin bread or pumpkin pie, but sometimes I’m lazy. Sometimes I want a pumpkin dessert now and I don’t want to spend more than five minutes making it. Luckily, TikTok recognizes it is the time for all things pumpkin spice and fed me one of B. Dylan Hollis’ delightful videos from last year: pumpkin quickies!
The 1960s recipe calls for just two ingredients: pumpkin spice cake mix and a whole can of pumpkin purée. You stir them together, dole them out with a cookie scoop, and bake them. That’s it. That’s the recipe. Since it doesn’t get much easier than that, I was in.
@bdylanhollis The 1960’s had some baking hacks #cooking #vintage #baking #pumpkinspice
Why You Should Make Pumpkin Quickies
This recipe has a lot of things going for it. First, it requires just two ingredients that are affordable and shelf-stable. This means you can whip up a batch any time the mood strikes. Second, they live up to their name—they are super quick to make. They’re hard to screw up, too, and a good baking project for kids.
They also happen to be pretty tasty. They look somewhat like cookies but the texture is more cake-like. They’re pleasantly sweet and spiced thanks to the cake mix, and moist thanks to the pumpkin. They’re not the prettiest—they keep their exact shape from scoop to bake, just puffing up a bit—but they’re appetizing enough that my friends gobbled them up.
Bonus: They’re accidentally vegan. The pumpkin provides all of the moisture, so there’s no egg or dairy.
How To Make 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Quickies
To make about two dozen quickies, you’ll need:
- 1 (15.25-ounce) box spice cake mix
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place one oven rack in the top third of the oven and one in the bottom third. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine the spice cake mix and pumpkin in a large bowl and use a wooden spoon to mix until well combined.
Use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon to scoop the batter into rounded balls and place on the cookie sheet. They don’t spread much, so you should be able to fit at least 10 on each baking sheet, leaving at least an inch between each mound.
Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until puffed and dry looking, and the quickies spring back when gently pressed, about 15 minutes. Dylan calls for 12 minutes, but mine took closer to 15.
Let cool for a few minutes before using a thin spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack.
Pumpkin Quickie Upgrades
Pumpkin quickies are a nice little treat all on their own, especially when paired with tea or coffee. They’re also easy to tweak. Here are a few things I’ve tried and can recommend:
- Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar (chunkier sugar like demerara is especially good) and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle on the tops before baking.
- Add 1 cup of mini chocolate chips, poking a few extra into the tops of each quickie before baking.
- Use the quickies to make pumpkin whoopie pies! Make a quick frosting or use marshmallow fluff to sandwich them together.
Read the original article on Simply Recipes.