11/3/23 Time to make these tasty treats again, so I thought I would bring the recipe forward. Enjoy!!
Using pumpkin was the goal, in fact it was a required ingredient for a recipe contest. What you made with pumpkin was up to you, so I choose to make these delicious No Bake Pumpkin Chai Clusters. For years I have entered Taste of Home recipe contests. Happily, I have won multiple times. Cash to gift prizes are great but seeing your creation in their magazine in even better.
Taste Testing the No Bake Pumpkin Chai Clusters
No Bake Pumpkin Chai Clusters are so easy to wipe up, additionally they are great to give as gifts. One of my favorite things to do when creating new recipes is to have my neighbors sample the food and give their feedback. I ask for honest opinions and I take them seriously. One of the comments I received when handing out the samples was the clusters seemed slightly sweet. After reviewing my recipe I decided to introduce a touch of salt. Perfect decision!!
Are “Golden” Raisins a Must Use Ingredient?
Golden raisins are a part of this No Bake Pumpkin Chai Cluster recipe but if you have regular sun-dried raisins, they will work also. The milder flavor of a golden raisin is something I like . I also wanted to keep the clusters a mono tone color and not have dots of dark raisins tossed through out. I like chew that raisins add to the treat, so either variety will still provide that texture.
Quality Products Can Make the Difference
In the spice section of the store, they sell jars of crystalized candied ginger. I prefer to buy smaller amounts at a time and in jars that are sealed for freshness. I have seen crystalized candied ginger that is very dried out. You can find plenty of online stores to buy bags of it from. It really just depends upon how much you want on hand.
My choice for crispy cereal is the brand I grew up eating, Kellogg’s Rice Krispy Cereal. I have tried the store brands but I really feel that Kellogg’s cereal is in fact crispier and overall better. If you can’t tell the difference then it will not matter what brand you choose.
When it comes to buying baking chips for cookies or bars, I also have a tendency to purchase name brands that I have grown up with, like Nestle’s Toll House and Hershey’s. White melting chips are also a product I am choosy with. Some have a very artificial taste to them. For this recipe I used Guittard’s. It melts and taste very good.
Can I Use Unsalted Cashews or Other Nuts in this No Bake Pumpkin Chai Clusters Recipe?
Yes, you could use unsalted cashews but remember how my taste testers thought the treat seemed slightly sweet. Not only does the small amount of kosher salt help balance the sweetness but the salted cashews do as well. Chopped almonds or even walnuts would be great in this cluster. Whatever nut you choose to use, salted or not, make sure to toast the nuts ahead of time if they are not already toasted when you purchase them. This brings out the full nutty flavor.
This recipe was created for one of Taste of Home recipe contests. If you love to create recipes and think they are prize worthy, take the chance and enter it. Check out current contests at Calling All Contestants.
Want more pumpkin? Check out my Pumpkin Cranberry Pistachio Bread. Little bits of tart cranberry with nibbles of pistachio nuts.
No Bake Pumpkin Chai Clusters
Pumpkin Chai Clusters are a no bake treat. A homemade mix of chai spices are blended with candied ginger, cashews, golden raisins, crispy cereal and melted vanilla milk chips. Easy to make and great to share.
Ingredients
- 2-12 oz. packages of vanilla milk chips (white melting chips) I used Guittard’s
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin filling)
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. ground ginger
- ¼ tsp. ground cardamom
- 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups roasted and salted cashews, rough chopped
- ¾ cup golden raisins
- 1 oz. crystalized ginger, chopped (approx. ½ jar found in the spice isle)
- 2 cups crispy rice cereal (I used Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Cereal for the best texture)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the rough chopped cashews, golden raisins, chopped crystalized ginger and crispy rice cereal and set aside.
- In a large microwavable bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree and the dry spices. Then add in the vanilla milk chips and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and return to the microwave for another minute. Stir until smooth and creamy. Microwave another 20-30 seconds if needed to melt the chips completely.
- Combine the dry ingredients with the melted pumpkin mixture. Using two tablespoons, scoop and drop clusters onto parchment paper, making 40-45 clusters.
- Allow to rest at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until set and firm to remove from the parchment. Store in an air tight container at room temperature.
