101 Pumpkin Recipes From Drinks To Dessert (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular dessert made from pumpkins? ›

The Great Pumpkin Pie Recipe

My beloved pumpkin pie recipe is one of the most popular recipes on my website every fall. It's rich, smooth, and bursting with flavor thanks to a careful combination of pumpkin puree, spices, and one very special ingredient.

Cooking the Pumpkin

If you're roasting, roast at 400 F for 35 to 45 minutes or until the flesh is soft. If you're steaming, fill your steamer pot with a few inches of water, bring it to a boil.

Puree your pulp on its own and add it to canned pumpkin puree to boost flavor in pumpkin recipes like pumpkin bread. You may also add the puree directly to foods like oatmeal, rice and risotto, hummus and butter—for pumpkin butter.

Cook It on the Stove

Briefly cooking your canned pumpkin purée on the stove can help improve both the flavor and texture. This method helps reduce excess moisture, which gives the pumpkin a superior texture. It also releases the natural pumpkin flavor and helps reduce the metallic taste from the can.

Depending on what type of squash you are using you might not need to peel it, with thinner skinned squash such as butternut squash you can eat the skin. For thicker skinned squash it is often easier to cut the squash into large wedges, roast, and then peel the skin off after it's cooked when it's softer and easier.

If you're wanting to use pumpkin puree to make desserts, pasta dishes or even to add to breakfast recipes, then steaming it is the way to go because it heroes the natural flavour of the vegetable. When preparing your pumpkin, try to keep them roughly the same size so that they steam evenly.

Pumpkins that end up in landfills have a hard time breaking down because landfills function to store material and don't have much oxygen to allow organics to decompose properly. When organic materials don't have enough oxygen to break down, they release methane gas, a greenhouse gas that is harmful to the environment.

How do you not waste inside a pumpkin? ›

If trying to avoid the mess that comes with making Jack-O-Lanterns, a sustainable option may be to decorate or paint pumpkins with non-toxic materials. This no-carve method preserves the flesh and seeds within the pumpkin's interior, making it appealing for cooking or repurposing.

Yes, dogs can eat pumpkin and it is actually often added to dog foods. Check the label of some dog treats and you may find pumpkin on the ingredient list there too. However, if you are feeding fresh pumpkin, you will need to be careful about which part you're feeding as the stem and leaves are covered in prickly hairs.

*Draining the pumpkin puree is optional, for those cooks who want the most perfect, persnickety puree. I've skipped this step for over a decade and still had great baking/cooking results using homemade puree. But for you perfectionists, give it a shot and tell me what you think.

Pumpkin puree is made by steaming and pureeing squash so there are no added ingredients. Is canned pumpkin cooked? Yes, it's already been cooked via steaming. It's safe to eat canned pumpkin straight from the can, but it's infinitely better baked into a pan of pumpkin bars.

The answer is absolutely yes. Canned pumpkin does not need to be cooked before eating. It is perfectly safe eaten in it's puree form out of the can, in fact it's used straight from the can in a lot of recipes that aren't cooked. It's also safe to give to your dog right out of the can too to help with digestive issues.

Kabocha. A popular Japanese variety, the Kabocha has a rough but edible peel, and a round plump shape. It can be dark green or bright orange-red, and has firm, orange flesh. One of the sweetest varieties of pumpkin, its flavour has been compared to sweet potato, while its firm flesh holds together well in the oven.

Pumpkin is popular in pancakes, pies, custards, and muffins, but it also works well in savory dishes. You can cook it into a soup or roast it with other vegetables. Canned pumpkin can be combined with coconut milk and spices to make a creamy curry base. You can also eat other parts of the pumpkin plant.

Connecticut Field Pumpkin

The most traditional of all autumn pumpkins, the cultivation of this variety goes all the way back to at least the days of the Pilgrims. Connecticut Field pumpkins are 15-20 pounds and are a favorite for Jack O'Lanterns.

For cooking, you'll want to use sugar pumpkins (also called pie or sweet pumpkins), which are small and round. Long Island Cheese pumpkins, which are more oblong and can look like a wheel of cheese, are also good to eat. Field pumpkin types are larger, have watery, stringy flesh, and are best for decorating.