With pumpkin lattes in every cafe and coffee shop, Halloween decorations popping up around every corner, and what seems like anything and everything pumpkin-flavored lining the shelves of every grocery store, it’s safe to say that autumn has arrived—and along with it, that yearly cultural fascination with all things pumpkin. If, like me, you've found yourself unavoidably wrapped up in this preeminent pumpkin passion—just as one wraps themselves up in a cozy orange blanket on a wispy autumn’s night—and with a sudden desire to incorporate pumpkin into everything you eat, you’re in the right place. Here are eight exciting and delicious pumpkin recipes to autumn-ify your cooking this fall:
#SpoonTip: You can either use canned pumpkin puree (just make sure it’s “pumpkin puree” and not “pumpkin pie filling”) or you can make your own! (Follow this recipe through Step 5 or use this recipe from The Pioneer Woman)
#1: Pumpkin Oatmeal
Oatmeal is one of the most versatile breakfast options out there—you can make it in a microwave, with a kettle, on the stovetop, or even in the oven overnight! Not only does this versatility make oatmeal a staple college food (you can make it in your dorm room), but it also makes it incredibly easy to modify and play around with. And at this time of year, what better ingredient to add than—you guessed it—pumpkin! Throw ¼ cup of pumpkin puree and a dash of pumpkin spice in your oats just as they’re finishing for a wonderful autumn comfort breakfast. This is probably one of the easiest ideas on this list, but if you want to take it a step further, check out this recipe for an overnight option!
#2: Pumpkin Pizza/Pasta Sauce
Pumpkin is one of few ingredients that are often just as good in savory applications as they are in sweet ones. Most people’s minds jump to baked goods when they think of pumpkin recipes, but as the next few items demonstrate, savory pumpkin meals shouldn’t be overlooked. Chief among these is Italian-inspired Pumpkin Pasta Sauce. There are a few methods for making this type of pumpkin sauce, some cream cheese based, some cream based, but my personal favorite is based in a french bechamel sauce, which results in a rich and welcoming buttery flavor. Because pasta is such an easy weeknight meal, it's always nice to have some extra sauce around. Then when it comes time for pizza night, you can wow your friends and roommates with a new fall flavor!
#3: Pumpkin Soup
On top of being the season of pumpkin, sweater weather, colorful leaves, and scary movies, autumn is also decidedly soup season. After all, what better comfort food is there to foreground the increasingly frigid fall weather? Soup is also a great way to meal-prep: a pumpkin makes a lot of soup, and because this soup can be frozen and reheated, you can get it out whenever you need a quick meal—it's always nice to have a backup plan if you can’t make it to the grocery store and have nothing left in the pantry. I recently tried this recipe from one of my favorite recipe blogs (Cookie and Kate) and it knocked my themed Halloween socks right off!
#4: Pumpkin Curry
Of course—we can’t discuss soups and sauces without discussing curry! It's astoundingly easy to turn your favorite curry recipes into fall staples with a little bit of pumpkin magic—all you have to do is incorporate a little pumpkin just before the puree step. Although it might not seem like it at first, the squashy goodness pumpkin brings is an excellent compliment to the masala flavor of many curries (though using pumpkin in red curry is my favorite). This one-pot recipe is super nice for weeknights, but if you can’t find some of the more scarce ingredients in your pantry, a lot of Thai and Indian restaurants love to offer this seasonal variety this time of year
#SpoonTip: If you’re in Berkeley right now, Little Plearn Thai Kitchen is offering pumpkin curry as an exclusive seasonal item. Try it before it's gone!
#5: Pumpkin Hot Cocoa
For me, there’s nothing cozier than snuggling up to a warm mug of cocoa on a cold day, perhaps doing some leisure reading or binging my favorite shows as I sip down that decadent melted chocolate. This coziness is only amplified by introducing seasonality to the mix: for the Christmas season, maybe some hints of peppermint or gingerbread; once spring has sprung, maybe a healthy dose of butterscotch; and when the leaves change colors and the fog rolls in early over the bay, nothing beats pumpkin. Fans of the infamous pumpkin spice latte will know that pumpkin is right at home in a warm beverage, but if you’re not a coffee drinker or cafe fanatic or perhaps you’re looking for a more profoundly-chocolate decadence, this is the autumn drink for you.
#6: Pumpkin Eggnog
Okay fine, warm beverages aren’t your cup of tea (pun intended). Perhaps you’ll find your liquid pumpkin satisfaction in this list’s second dessert drink: pumpkin eggnog. On concept alone, this brings a lot to the table–promising a heavenly fusion between December and October staples–and after making this dozens of times, I think I can safely say that it absolutely delivers on that promise. I originally had the idea to experiment with this idea when I was putting some extra pumpkin puree away in my fridge and the only free space was right next to some boxed eggnog. The switch clicked on in my mind, and I was instantly hooked; the flavors of pumpkin spice are welcome additions to the custardy richness of the eggnog, and the consistency of the puree disappears into the dreamy thickness of the winter drink. You can make this from scratch using this recipe (I omit the rum), but if you can find boxed eggnog in stores it's only a matter of blending a cup of it alongside about ¼ cup of puree and a teaspoon of pumpkin spice to get your hands on this amazing beverage.
#SpoonTip: If you don’t want to worry about tempering eggs and separating yolks, or you’re looking for a healthier version of this pumpkin recipe, check out the easy yogurt-based recipe in this video.
#7: Pumpkin Bread
Quick breads like pumpkin bread, banana bread, and zucchini bread are some of the best easy baking recipes out there. During this wonderful harvest season, pumpkin provides arguably the strongest flavor-backbone for such baked goods. Pumpkin bread is great because, like the soup discussed before, it tends to make a lot. Make one batch of pumpkin bread (or pumpkin-bread muffins if you have muffin tins) on a Sunday evening and you can have pumpkin bread with your breakfast all week long! Quick breads are also endlessly customizable—start with a strong base recipe (this one is great!) and throw in up to a cup of your favorite nuts, chocolate chips, or any other salty or sweet add-ins for a unique flavor explosion in each bite.
#8: Pumpkin Pie
An indisputable classic, this listicle would be incomplete without the inclusion of one iconic autumnal dessert: pumpkin pie. A staple of Halloween parties, Thanksgivings, and Christmases alike, this pie’s undeniable mass appeal solidifies pumpkin’s position as the quintessential flavor of the holiday season. While it may be one of the most overly-discussed pumpkin recipes out there, its popularity is decidedly well-founded. Pumpkin pie is one of the tastiest and most satisfying desserts you can get your hands on during this time of year (and arguably of all time). There are a lot of recipes out there that try different tricks to incorporate more or less moisture like using milk powder or condensed milk, but if you’re going for a traditional, good-ol-fashioned pumpkin pie you can’t go wrong with the classic Libby’s Famous Pumpkin Pie recipe.
Make it Your Own! Have Fun!
As you've surely noticed, it's actually exceptionally easy to pumpkin-ify your favorite foods and dishes—it's really just a matter of adding the appropriate amount of pumpkin puree and a little bit of pumpkin spice. If you take away anything from reading through this listicle, let it be this. There are hundreds, even thousands of possibilities for incorporating pumpkin into you food. You just need to take that first step and go for it, try it out, see what works and what doesn't. Using these eight amazing pumpkin recipes as a guide, you'll easily get the hang of how to implement pumpkin into your own recipes and ideas.
#SpoonTip: Chances are you’ll have some leftover pumpkin puree after making these pumpkin recipes, this is a great opportunity to experiment and see what you can come up with!