Maple Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bacon Spread

It sounds like a mouthful to say, but it is even better when you get a mouth full of this yummy dip/spread!
Just one more way to enjoy the seasons favorite vegetable….pumpkin!

Maple Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread

8 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)
1 cup Libby’s pumpkin
1 onion, finely minced
6 strips thick cut bacon
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pinch of salt and pepper

Fry bacon until crisp.  Discard all but about 2 tablespoons of fat.  Cook minced onion with salt and pepper in the bacon fat until the onion is transparent.  While the onion is cooking, beat cream cheese until smooth and then add pumpkin,  maple syrup , brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice.  Beat until well blended.  Add onions and mix well.  Crumble bacon reserving 1 piece as garnish for top of spread.  Mix in the rest of the crumbled bacon to the pumpkin cream cheese mixture.  Place spread in a serving bowl and top with reserved bacon crumbles.  Serve with plain crackers or slices of lightly toasted baguette.

Happy Halloween everyone 🙂