44 Sweet and Savory Pumpkin Recipes That'll Warm Your Soul (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.

Sugar pumpkins

Also known as pie pumpkins or sweet pumpkins, the sugar pumpkin is perfect for pies because they aren't as stringy and contain less water than other pumpkins. As their name indicates, the sugar pumpkin can be quite sweet compared to other pumpkins.

"It's actually a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves." Pumpkin flavoring actually harkens back to the pilgrims, Cundiff says. "In the early 1600s, pumpkins were a source of vitamins and minerals and used in a multitude of dishes prepared to help nourish the pilgrims," Cundiff says.

Pumpkin is notorious for pairing well with warm winter spices – as found in a variety of Moroccan-inspired cuisines. Try incorporating cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cumin and chilli with your pumpkin dishes for flavour-packed feasts.

1) Cream Brulee (FRANCE) -

All pumpkins are edible. The decorative kind yield a lot of delicious seeds after toasting and salting. Not the best for pie but edible, just ask my squirrels.

Cinderella pumpkins are a type of winter squash with a mild, sweet flavor and moist texture that makes them great for soups, sauces, purees, and curries. They can be roasted, baked and steamed, and used for ornamental purposes.

The best type of pumpkin for cooking and baking

Instead, I recommend using a pie pumpkin or sugar pumpkin (pictured above). During the fall and winter seasons, most stores will have them available. Try to pick pumpkins between 3-6 pounds — that's usually when the flesh is best.

A sprinkle of cinnamon is a delicious nod to the usual pie and transforms the squash into an enchanting side dish recipe. The EatingWell Test Kitchen is comprised of a group of culinary professionals who develop and test our recipes.

Covering the inside of your pumpkin with cinnamon can help inhibit mold growth. The ingredients that make the spice flammable, cinnamaldehyde and eugenol, also have antifungal and antibacterial properties that prevent mold and bacteria growth. Cinnamon is also a great pest repellent, as bugs can't stand the scent.

What do you rub on pumpkins to make them last? ›

If you decide to carve your pumpkins, extend their life by rubbing petroleum jelly ($3, Target) around the carved areas of the pumpkin. If you don't have petroleum jelly, use olive or coconut oil.

To complement pumpkin with sweet flavor pairings, consider using spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and vanilla, or sweet ingredients like chocolate, maple, honey, cranberries or brown sugar. Create savory dishes by pairing pumpkin with spices like chilies, cajun, cayenne or pepper.

The major and common ingredient in pumpkin spice lattes include: cinnamic aldehydes for cinnamon, eugenol for clove or allspice, terpenes such as sabinene for nutmeg, and zingiberene for ginger. They may also contain vanillin and cyclotene for the burnt butter or maple notes to round off the flavor.

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.