If It’s Fall, It’s Time for Pumpkin Fluff

Each year, Marcia Nix, who teaches third grade at , looks forward to the fall and pumpkin season.

She relishes the chance to work pumpkins into her lesson plans, whether it be pumpkin facts or doing a math unit featuring pumpkins—or perhaps learning about the history of jack-o'-lanterns.

For the more than 10 years that she has been teaching there, Nix has made an annual ritual of making her Pumpkin Fluff, a lightly sweetened treat that is so easy to make, children can do it in the classroom. It is made with a couple ingredients, stirred together quickly and served in tiny portions for a small snack. 

It had become a rite of passage for those in Nix's class, with children anticipating the unit where they got to make Pumpkin Fluff. After making and tasting it, the students got to bring home the recipe, and many families were known to incorporate it as a child-pleasing holiday dessert at their own family gatherings.

But times change, and all things come to an end at one time or another—for one reason or another. This year, Webster is adhering to a school district "wellness policy" that prohibits desserts during classroom parties, so Mrs. Nix's Pumpkin Fluff will sadly bite the dust. 

It's a shame that a policy designed to promote wellness can demonize a whole class of foods. For many of us, holiday desserts signify the ending to a delicious meal and help us celebrate the sweet life we have and appreciate so much. Eliminating them entirely seems almost to suck the joy out of a party.  

But not so fast. We rescued the recipe and present it here for you today. As you can see, it is decidedly easy. Your children may even be able to make it themselves!

It would be a perfect Halloween dessert, but also very appropriate for Thanksgiving dessert buffets or any time during the upcoming fall party season when pumpkin reigns.

Nix got the recipe from a teacher magazine. The full recipe makes 25 to 30 servings in tiny, child-sized cups, so plan accordingly when you make it. I also think it would be nice to fancy it up by putting it in parfait glasses and layering with the crushed graham cracker crumbs (you could even use cinnamon-flavored graham crackers). Suit yourself!

Marcia Nix's Pumpkin Fluff

2 (16-ounce) containers nondairy whipped topping (such as Cool Whip), thawed
1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling (such as Libby's brand Pumpkin Pie Mix)
Crumbled graham crackers
Cinnamon
3-ounce plastic cups

In a large bowl, mix together the whipped topping and pie filling. Spoon mixture into the cups.

Top each cup with graham cracker crumbs and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Makes 25-30 servings (meant to be very small servings, to feed a whole classroom).

Note: Pumpkin pie filling (also known as pumpkin pie mix) is already sweetened and spiced, so make sure you are buying that and not simply plain pumpkin puree.