Once cooler temperatures start to creep into the mornings, it starts: pumpkin mania. Yes, this nutritious orange squash has a cult-like following starting in September. It’s a short season, so the time is here. Let’s make all the pumpkin recipes! Pumpkin is extremely versatile: it’s most popularly used in desserts, but it works in savory recipes like pasta sauce or a bright orange hummus that’s perfect for fall parties. Here are all the top pumpkin recipes that are easy to make with healthy, whole food ingredients. Want recipes by type? Try these 10 Pumpkin Breakfast Recipes, 20 Pumpkin Desserts, or 10 Pumpkin Bread Recipes.
And now, our best easy pumpkin recipes!
Pumpkin puree vs pumpkin pie filling
Let’s get technical for a moment. What’s the difference between pumpkin, pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling? Also try: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread Also try: Pumpkin Spice Pancakes Also try: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins Also try: Pumpkin Spice Latte or Pumpkin Spice Coffee
Pumpkin refers the fresh pumpkin squash! All of the pumpkin recipes above don’t call for this because it’s easiest to find and work with pumpkin puree. Pumpkin puree is cooked pumpkin that has been blended down into a puree and canned. It is unflavored. Take a taste out of the can, and it tastes very bland. When you’re shopping, do not accidentally grab pumpkin pie filling because… Pumpkin pie filling is sweetened and includes pumpkin spices. Many of the pumpkin recipes above are savory, so you’ll want plain old pumpkin puree. (Remind us to tell you the time we accidentally made our pumpkin Parmesan penne with pumpkin pie filling…!)
Canned pumpkin can contain butternut squash, too
That can of pumpkin puree sometimes has other squashes too! Here’s what’s really in your canned pumpkin puree. Butternut squash is sweeter and creamier than pumpkin, which can be bitter and stringy. So many times manufacturers add butternut squash. Don’t worry, it’s not cheating: it’s just the best way to that creamy, sweet puree that we can call pumpkin!
What is pumpkin spice?
Now, some pumpkin recipes don’t even use that bright orange puree at all. They rely solely on pumpkin spices! Pumpkin has a fairly neutral flavor: our brains just associate the flavor of pumpkin with the spices in pumpkin pie. Some types of recipes simply don’t work with actual pumpkin: like iced coffee or energy bars. Pumpkin spice can stand in to evoke the flavor in a pumpkin recipe where adding the actual vegetable would be too gooey. What spices are in pumpkin spice? Here’s our Pumpkin Pie Spice recipe. It’s a blend of:
Cinnamon Ginger Allspice Cloves Nutmeg
More pumpkin recipes
There are so many ways to include pumpkin in recipes! Here are some more serving ideas:
Use it in soups, stews, and curries Bake it into cakes and pumpkin desserts Add it to your breakfast routine with pumpkin oatmeal Cozy up with pumpkin frozen yogurt or pumpkin parfaits
5 from 2 reviews
10 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 cups all-purpose flour (280 g) 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground allspice ½ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling 1 egg yolk 1 tablespoon molasses 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup pumpkin puree (Libby brand is most consistent for baked goods*)
For the glaze
1 cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons milk ½ tablespoons butter
**You can also chill the dough longer than it takes to bake the first tray, but let it come to roughly room temperature before making the balls. (Baking the dough right from chilled yields different results.)
