Pumpkin PatchesNear Me

What To Do With Your Pumpkin: 5 Simple Recipes

Published June 25, 2026

A carving pumpkin and a pie pumpkin cook differently, and the single most common mistake is trying to bake with the wrong one. Use a small, dense pie or sugar pumpkin — see our variety guide if you are not sure which you picked. Everything below starts from that pumpkin, not a can.

1. Basic pumpkin puree

The base for everything else on this page.

  1. Halve the pumpkin through the stem and scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp (save the seeds — recipe 2).
  2. Place cut-side down on a lined baking sheet. Roast at 375°F (190°C) for 40–50 minutes, until a fork slides in easily.
  3. Let it cool, then scoop the flesh from the skin.
  4. Puree in a food processor or blender until smooth.
  5. Drain excess water: line a sieve with cheesecloth or a clean tea towel, add the puree, and let it sit 20–30 minutes. Real pumpkin holds more water than canned, and skipping this step is the main reason homemade pumpkin pie comes out runny.

One 5–6 lb pie pumpkin yields roughly 3–4 cups of puree — about the same as two standard cans. It freezes well for up to three months in an airtight container or freezer bag.

2. Roasted pumpkin seeds

Do not throw these away.

  1. Rinse the seeds under cold water, pulling off the stringy pulp as you go.
  2. Pat completely dry — this is the step most people rush, and wet seeds steam instead of crisping.
  3. Toss with 1 tablespoon of oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt per cup of seeds.
  4. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast at 300°F (150°C) for 35–45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until golden and crisp.

Cinnamon and sugar, cayenne, or garlic powder all work well tossed on after roasting, while the seeds are still warm and the coating has something to stick to.

3. Pumpkin pie

Makes one 9-inch pie.

Ingredients: 1¾ cups pumpkin puree (drained, see above), 3 eggs, ¾ cup brown sugar, 1 cup heavy cream (or evaporated milk), 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, ¼ tsp cloves, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp salt, one 9-inch unbaked pie crust.

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
  2. Whisk the puree, eggs, sugar, cream and spices together until smooth.
  3. Pour into the crust and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.
  4. Reduce heat to 350°F (175°C) and bake a further 40–50 minutes, until the center is just set and no longer jiggles like liquid.
  5. Cool completely — at least 2 hours — before slicing. It firms up considerably as it cools.

Real pumpkin puree is watery and slightly less sweet than canned, so do not skip the draining step in the puree recipe, and taste your filling before baking — you may want an extra tablespoon of sugar depending on the variety.

4. Pumpkin bread

Makes one loaf.

Ingredients: 1¾ cups flour, 1 cup pumpkin puree, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp cloves.

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
  2. Whisk puree, oil, eggs and sugar together.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the dry ingredients, then fold into the wet mixture until just combined — do not overmix.
  4. Pour into the pan and bake 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  5. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack.

Fold in a cup of chocolate chips or chopped walnuts if you want to dress it up. It keeps well wrapped at room temperature for three days, or freezes whole for up to two months.

5. Pumpkin soup

Serves 4.

  1. Sauté one diced onion and two minced garlic cloves in 2 tablespoons of butter until soft, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add 3 cups pumpkin puree, 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Blend until smooth (an immersion blender works well directly in the pot), then stir in ½ cup cream.
  5. Taste and adjust salt — pumpkin needs more seasoning than most people expect.

A swirl of cream and a scattering of the roasted seeds from recipe 2 turns this from a weeknight soup into something worth serving guests.

Picking the right pumpkin to start

All five recipes above depend on starting with a dense, sweet pie variety rather than a hollow carving pumpkin. If you have not been to the patch yet, our pumpkin varieties guide covers exactly which ones to look for, and you can find a u-pick farm near you to cut your own.