We hit the month of October and it seems like the whole world of food explodes into pumpkin. Pumpkin coffee drinks, pumpkin pies, pumpkin cupcakes, oh my! It can all become a little bit much to take when you are watching your calories—especially if you are a pumpkin lover like me. Did you know that a grande Pumpkin Spice Latte from the ‘bucks will cost you 380 calories from your calorie budget? Wowzas!

Get your pumpkin fix without wrecking your healthy eating by whipping up a batch of this smooth, flavorful, pumpkin dip. I like serve it with a big pile of apple slices, but it’s great with graham crackers, too.

Pumpkin Spice Dip

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

• 3 ounces Neufchâtel cheese (often sold as “1/3 Fat Cream Cheese”), softened
• 1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
• ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
• ⅔ cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
In the bowl of a mixer (or using a hand mixer) combine Neufchâtel cheese and Greek yogurt until well-mixed. Add in brown sugar and mix. Add in remaining ingredients and mix until fluffy and well-incorporated. Cover and chill for about 30 minutes to let flavors meld and dip to thicken. Serve with apple slices or graham crackers.

Nutrition info per ¼ cup serving: 100 calories, 16g carbs, 3g fat, 4g protein