These little pumpkin souffles are incredibly easy to make, taste great, and they are actually reasonably nutritious. No, the souffles aren't the traditional type which involves whipping the whites of eggs. These souffles do puff up, but they are simpler to make, without a lot of extra steps. In fact, you can mix up the souffles in one bowl. The souffles have the mild taste of pumpkin, sweet spices, and toasted nuts. Low-fat cottage cheese and a little oatmeal gives the souffles extra protein and fiber, and a moderate amount of sugar in the souffles means that you won't crash mid-morning. The souffles make a nice breakfast on weekends with sausages and fruit on the side. You can also make the souffles ahead and reheat them in the microwave for weekday mornings. Enjoy!
Air Fryer Pumpkin Spice Breakfast Souffles -- Makes 4
1 cup of cottage cheese (low fat is good)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup of canned pumpkin puree (fresh is fine, too!)
1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup of quick oats
Topping (see below)
In a medium bowl or measure combine all the ingredients (except the topping mixture) and beat them well with a spoon until everything is well mixed. Spritz four ramekins (1 cup capacity) with non-stick cooking spray. Divide the mixture among the ramekins. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter in the ramekins. Spritz the topping in each ramekin with a little non-stick cooking spray. Put the ramekins in your air fryer basket (you may have to cook the souffles in batches of 2-3, depending on the size of your air fryer), put the basket in the air fryer, and air fry the souffles at 320 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the souffles have puffed a bit and the tops are a deep brown. Remove the ramekins from the air fryer to cool a little. You can serve the souffles directly in the ramekins (the souffles will deflate almost instantly, but taste good). Alternatively, let the ramekins cool, run a knife around the edges of the ramekins, and tip the souffles out of ramekins to serve them.
Topping
2 - 3 tablespoons of chopped or broken walnuts or pecans
2 teaspoons of dark brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl or cup and sprinkle the mixture over the souffle batter in each ramekin, then spritz the topping with a little non-stick cooking spray (this will hold the topping in place and make it less likely to burn).
