Healthy Pumpkin Roll

I KNOW it is still summer, and I shouldn't be rushing life and obsessing over all things pumpkin spice and sweater weather... but I cannot help it. Pumpkin is my FAVORITE. It is loaded with fiber and alllll the vitamins (Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Potassium, Copper, Manganese... so basically all of them! LOL)

I love pumpkin so much that every October, my hands turn ORANGE. It looks like I tried to give myself a bad spray tan, but it's just the pumpkin running through my veins. No big deal. Totally normal 22 year old here. Forget BAC, is Blood Pumpkin Content a thing that could be tested? Because that would be wayyyy off the charts.

I have made two of these delicious pumpkin rolls in 2 days. I can't help it, they are the perfect snack, dessert, breakfast, meal prep, pre or post workout... eat them on the go, at your desk at work, on the subway, in the bath, it really doesn't matter. Just eat them and thank me later.

I was always intimidated by the pumpkin roll but it is actually SO easy! You just have to sprinkle a clean linen dish towel with a little powdered sugar so the roll doesn't stick, dump the pan of pumpkin magic onto it, and roll it up nice and tight right from the get go when it's still hot. Then, once it is cool, you spread the filling and roll it up without the towel! SO. GOOD.

I am alllll about options while baking to make a recipe work for YOU- because let's face it, everyone's ''healthy'' is totally different. I hope the way I word the recipe is not confusing, but if it is feel free to message me on insta and I will clarify anything!

FOR THE PUMPKIN BREAD:

• 1 cup flour of choice! I have used Flapjacked carrot spice protein baking mix, almond flour, and half whole wheat flour half Vanilla Nuzest Protein Powder

• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (halve it if using protein pancake mix)

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seasonings: I used a blend of cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, ginger but use whatever you have!

• 1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if needed!)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 3 large eggs

• 1 cup pumpkin puree- NOT pumpkin pie filling!

• Sweetener: 3/4 cup worth of "sweet." I made this diabetic friendly, so I used 2 Tablespoons of coconut sugar and the equivalent of 2/3 cup worth of stevia. Use what you want! But if you use a liquid sweetener, I would cut back on the pumpkin puree and maybe even add a tablespoon of coconut flour to thicken.

• Powdered sugar to line linen towel with

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 10x15 pan with parchment paper and grease the paper. My 10x15 pan was actually a baking sheet, but the batter will be so thin it doesn't matter! You can try this with a standard 9x13'', but the pumpkin bread will be thicker and not roll as much so you won't get the same amount of swirledge.

Combine first five ingredients and whisk together. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla, and sweetener with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. mix in pumpkin puree and then add to the dry ingredients. Pour into the pan- the batter will be thick and BARELY cover the bottom of the pan so spread it out with a spoon to get full coverage. It won't look right but it is!

Bake at 375 for 12 minutes. While baking, lay out a linen towel and dust with a spoonful of powdered sugar. This will prevent sticking! Once 12 minutes is up, immediately dump the pumpkin loaf onto the linen. Peel off the parchment paper. From one of the short ends of the loaf, roll up the towel and the loaf together and place on a cooling rack. It will look like a long hot dog- see below! Not my picture, it's from google.

FOR THE PUMPKIN BREAD:

Basically, you need 2-ish cups of cheesecake filling. You can use any cheesecake recipe you have- if you are dairy free, a cashew based cheesecake recipe will probably work, or you can use dairy free cream cheese.

You can also use a greek yogurt filling instead! I will put the recipe I loved and used- it is made of a blend of cottage cheese and greek yogurt. It may sound weird, but I promise it is SO good. You blend the cottage cheese so no curds remain, and it really does just taste like a cheesecake filling. If cottage cheese scares you, get out of your comfort zone and try this anyway!

Basically, you need 2 cups of filling. You can do all yogurt; part yogurt part cream cheese; part yogurt part cottage cheese; cashew cheesecake; WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOU!

• 1 cup Greek Yogurt: I love using Siggi's vanilla 4% yogurt for creaminess and flavor, but I was out one of the times and used Fage 2% plain and it was still delicious. Use what you love! Vegan would work too.

• 1 cup cottage cheese- I used plain good culture. The BEST.

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• Sweetener of choice: I added a little stevia but again, do what works for you. About a tablespoon should be enough- maple syrup would be delicious!

• Optional: thickeners. This mixture will be thick, but if you want it even firmer you can add either a tablespoon of melted coconut oil or a tablespoon of gelatin.

Blend all together and refrigerate.

FOR THE ASSEMBALY

Nowwww for the fun! After about an hour, your towel-bread concoction should be cool. Grab your filling and unroll the towel. I stirred crushed walnuts into the filling. Carefully spread the filling thinly over the pumpkin bread and then roll back up without the towel this time. Store in the fridge and slice to enjoy!