- Ina Garten says she’s never been a fan of classic pumpkin pie.
- She makes pumpkin spice cupcakes with maple frosting for Thanksgiving instead.
- Garten also skips making dinner rolls, opting for bakery-bought or none at all.
It’s always fun to hear someone’s food hot take, from Selena Gomez’s love of bread and butter pickles to Chelsea Handler’s disdain for pineapple on pizza. Now, just in time for the holidays, Ina Garten has dropped her own hot take—Thanksgiving edition.
In her Substack email newsletter, the Barefoot Contessa shares that there’s a traditional Turkey Day dessert she’s just not that into. “The truth is,” Garten admits, “I’ve never really loved pumpkin pie.”
But before you allow your turkey feathers to get ruffled, hear Garten out.
“Instead, I like to make Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Maple Frosting,” she wrote. “Pumpkin is a great base for cupcakes because it keeps the cake moist. They still have classic pumpkin pie spices, like cinnamon and ginger, but instead of sharing a pie, everyone gets their own individual cake.”
If we’re being honest, Garten had us at everyone getting their own individual cake. Plus, this dessert recipe still uses plenty of healthy canned pumpkin, which offers some health benefits in addition to being a classic fall flavor.
What’s more, Garten adds a way to make her pumpkin cupcakes even more yummy using leftover Halloween candy from your kids’ trick-or-treating. “For Halloween,” she said, “it’s fun to crumble some Heath Bars on top for added crunch.”
Even better, Garten’s Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Maple Frosting recipe mostly calls for ingredients you already have in your pantry, like flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and brown sugar. Of note, Garten says to use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, so keep an eye on those labels while grocery shopping. The homemade maple frosting recipe also uses simple ingredients like cream cheese, butter, vanilla and maple syrup. All in all, the recipe is fairly straightforward and sounds like it packs plenty of festive fall flavors into delicious, cupcake-sized bites.
Her dislike of pumpkin pie isn’t Garten’s only Thanksgiving hot take. Last year, Garten said in an interview with Williams Sonoma that she doesn’t really think dinner rolls are needed at the Turkey Day feast. “Do you really need dinner rolls for Thanksgiving?” she asked. “I certainly wouldn’t make my own.” (Garten did say she’d be open to buying some well-made rolls from a local bakery.)
While canceling pillowy carbs and silky bites of pumpkin pie may feel like Thanksgiving sacrilege to some, there’s one thing we’re sure of: Ina has yet to lead us astray. From buttery lobster rolls in summer to raspberry rhubarb crostata in spring, Garten seems to have a handle on what’s most delicious in every season.
Looking to add even more Ina to your Thanksgiving meal? Check out Garten’s make-ahead mashed potatoes, the “best turkey” she’s ever made and the pie she does love having on her Thanksgiving table: bourbon chocolate pecan. And remember, what matters on any holiday is gathering with the people you love most to share a delicious meal, so it’s totally OK to serve pumpkin pie (and rolls) to your dinner guests if that’s what brings you Turkey Day joy.
