Now that Halloween is over you may be wondering what to do with your leftover pumpkin. Throwing it out or composting it may seem like the only option, but since pumpkins can stay fresh for 8-12 weeks why not use it to make some great fall foods and DIYs?
Here are some recipes and tips to get the most out of your leftover Halloween pumpkin.
1. Make pumpkin purée
All you have to do to make this fall pantry staple is bake, boil, or steam your leftover pumpkin and then put it in your food processor to get the basis for almost pumpkin recipe out there.
Stumped about what recipes to try out with your freshly made pumpkin puree? How about Pumpkin Bacon Mac and Cheese? If mac and cheese isn’t your thing, there’s a Pumpkin Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie Bowl that’s calling your name.
2. Roast the seeds
A tried and true classic, pumpkin seeds are the first thing most people think of making when they have a pumpkin lying around.
My favorite part about pumpkin seeds is all of the different flavors you can make with them. The seeds’ subtle flavors help carry sweet, salty, and savory flavors incredibly well, so go with whatever fall flavor is your favorite for a great snack on the go.
3. Roast the whole pumpkin
After roasting the seeds, you can just stick the rest of the pumpkin in the oven. Roasted squash is one of the best things about fall, perfect to mix into salads or make into a delicious side dish.
All you have to do to make this fall staple is just cut up the pumpkin into chunks and place them in an oven on high heat with oil and spices for an autumnal veggie packed with flavor.
5. Mix a delicious fall drink
It’s pretty common knowledge that the pumpkin (and the spices that go along with it) make delicious drinks. The best part about making pumpkin drinks is that you can use your freshly made pumpkin puree for them.
For those who are 21 and over, why not elevate fall’s favorite Starbucks drink with a spiked pumpkin spice latte? If getting drunk off PSL’s doesn’t thrill you, there are always great Starbucks dupes out there for you to test out.
6. Relax with a face mask
After all of that cooking you may want to relax. Believe it or not, your pumpkin can come in handy yet again. It turns out that pumpkin are great for your skin, they have loads of vitamins that are known to fight wrinkles and antioxidants that decrease redness.
To make a killer face mask with your leftover jack o’lantern, make a paste out of the pumpkin’s innards (excluding the seeds) and then mix it up with honey and milk. Once you put it on, wait 20 minutes and then wash off gently with warm water for a simple yet luxurious way to treat yourself this fall.
These recipes and DIYs are only a small sampling of all of the cool things you can do with a leftover pumpkin. Since it’s so versatile, you can do almost anything with it and make a delicious fall treat.