Fall is my favorite time of year! The air gets cooler, the leaves change color and it’s pumpkin everything! I’m not talking about pumpkin spice lattes, I’m talking about pumpkin being cooked and backed into everything! My kids only get excited about pumpkins when they get to carve them. For me, I get excited when I get to eat them!
So what do you do with pumpkins after carving them?
First of all, you have to prep the pumpkins. Of course all these recipes can be made with canned pumpkin puree, but when you have leftover pumpkins you need to figure out something to do with them… so we make pumpkin puree. It’s easy to do and freezes great so you can have fresh pumpkin for your pumpkin recipes all year round!
It’s really simple. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out all the seeds and pumpkin guts.
Next bake the pumpkin. I know recipes give you temperatures and times… but it all depends on the size of your pumpkin. I put it in the oven at 350 and checked on it after an hour and every 20-30 minutes afterwards.
My general rule is once it’s started to darken (and perhaps even blistered on top if it’s too close to the top like mine was) it’s done. If your unsure, take out your pumpkin, flip it over and see if the fleshy parts inside are soft.
Next scoop out all the fleshy pumpkin bits and puree it until it’s a nice smooth similar consistency. Some people add spices to the blending, but I prefer to keep it plain and add the spices when I use the pumpkin puree for cooking or baking.
If your someone who likes specific guidelines and measurements, check out Alton Brown of the Food Network has a great recipe video showing you how to make pumpkin puree from your leftover pumpkins.
I usually freeze some pumpkin puree in bags of either 2 or 3 cups to use for future recipes.
NOTE: If you do freeze the pumpkin you may want to add a little extra to the bag before freezing and wring out the water once it’s thawed.
NOTE: If you are using pumpkin puree as I make it here in a recipe you may want to add additional spices. Most canned pumpkin puree already have spices added ot them, so I always try to add a bit more so it doesn’t go without flavor.
Here are some of my favorite pumpkin recipes:
Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
I am always trying to find ways to get my kids to eat healthier. They also do a lot of sports, so if there is a way that I can get them something nutritious and they can take it with them onto their way to sports. I also add in some hemp hearts so they are getting some protein and you can’t tell. I have tried a few different ones, but I love this recipe by Cookie + Kate.
Pumpkin Molasses Bread
My daughter LOVES molasses cookies. Since I grew up eating them too, I kind of indulge her love for everything molasses. So when I came across pastry affair’s recipes for pumpkin molasses bread I had to give it a try. WOW! I was not disappointed!
Pumpkin Thai Curry Soup
Here are a few more that I love:
Super moist Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies:
Pumpkin Brownies are always a hit and easy to serve. If you want to make them more like traditional brownies then just add some chocolate or vanilla frosting. My favorite is to add cream cheese frosting.
Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies (I like to add some hemp hearts to add protein to this recipe):
Do you have other pumpkin recipes you like? Share below.
