Looking for creative, edible uses for your Halloween pumpkin? You’re in the right place! The ideas below will delight your taste buds, save you money, and help keep pumpkins out of the landfill.
Pumpkins may be one of the only foods that modern Americans still eat seasonally. It’s now standard to eat tomatoes in January, but pumpkins typically don’t make their culinary appearance until the actual harvest season, from late summer through fall.
Sadly most pumpkin recipes that are featured each fall call for canned pumpkin even though many people have fresh pumpkins sitting by their front door.
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Pumpkin pie. This classic Thanksgiving dessert is well-deserving of a place in our top 20. …
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Pumpkin curry with chickpeas. …
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Halloween pumpkin cake. …
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Pumpkin soup. …
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Stuffed pumpkin. …
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Pumpkin pie s’mores. …
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Pumpkin hummus. …
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Roast pumpkin & spinach lasagne.
14 delicious uses for Halloween pumpkins
Before using your Halloween pumpkin, you should wash it thoroughly to remove any pesticide residue since most Halloween pumpkins are not grown organically. You may also wish to remove the pumpkin’s skin, which is quite easy to do once the pumpkin is cooked.
Now, with that info in mind, here are a bunch of delicious uses for Halloween pumpkins that are WAY better than putting them in the trash!
The first step to reducing food waste starts when you carve your jack-o’-lantern. Pumpkin seeds can be scooped out with a spoon, tossed with a little olive oil and salt, and baked or wok-fried to create a healthy and delicious snack.
After you’re done using your jack-o’-lantern as a decoration (and you’ve removed the seeds for eating as per tip #1), you’ll want to make pumpkin puree.
Obviously you’ll want to do this before your jack o’ lantern is showing signs of spoilage. Whole pumpkins can be stored for many months, but once they’ve been carved, they should be used within a few days.
On Tyrant Farms, we have detailed instructions showing you how to roast pumpkin seeds AND make pumpkin puree.
It may sound a bit odd at first, but pumpkin pickles are actually really tasty. They’re a great way to preserve a lot of pumpkin if you have too much to use before it spoils or your freezer is already full of pumpkin puree.
When most people think of eating pumpkin, they typically think of the classic American pumpkin pie. Nothing wrong with that, since pumpkin pies are delicious and can even be pretty darn healthy as well (watch the sugar and use a whole grain pie crust).
Use your homemade pumpkin puree with this pie recipe.
Pumpkin spice lattes contain almost no pumpkin. And at $5/cup, a month’s worth of pumpkin spice lattes would cost you $150.
Instead, why not make your own pumpkin spice lattes using pumpkin puree from your jack-o’-lantern? Make your own at home with this easy recipe.
Pumpkin chili is a delicious and seasonal way to warm up on a chilly fall day. We can say with certainty that this pumpkin chili with turkey and black beans recipe is amazing.
Another great way to use up your pumpkin is to make pumpkin pie leather aka pumpkin fruit leather.
They’ve got the flavor of pumpkin pie but are great for on-the-go, making them an excellent seasonal snack for kids. If you don’t already have one, we highly recommend getting an Excalibur dehydrator to make these and other dehydrated treats.
Homemade pumpkin bread or muffins are sure to be a hit at any fall gathering, especially if you toss in a few chocolate chips!
If you don’t like pumpkin or really feel you can’t use all of yours, you may want to share some with your pet.
Many animals such as chickens, pigs, and even dogs can have pumpkin. Just be sure to do your research or talk to your veterinarian before making changes to your pet’s diet.
You’ve probably had apple butter before, but pumpkin butter is also a tasty way to use your excess pumpkin.
Pumpkin butter is quick to make and can be eaten on toast, crackers, or frozen for later use.
You can replace butternut squash with pumpkin in any squash ravioli recipe you find on the web.
Pumpkin for breakfast? Dang right. Disappearing whole wheat pumpkin spice pancakes will have you and your kids scrambling for a seat at the breakfast table.
Speaking of breakfast, the best coffee cake we’ve ever had is this fall harvest coffee cake with apples and pumpkins. This treat is far better than any trick. (Oof, that was bad.)
Ok, people from the actual Champagne region of France would stone us if they heard us calling a sparkling wine made from American pumpkins “champagne,” but this pumpkin sparkling wine can at least dress up as champagne on Halloween.
Halloween pumpkins are an oft-overlooked source of food waste. Rather than treating them purely as a throw away holiday decoration, utilize them as the nutritious, delicious, history-rich food that they are.
We hope the creative uses for Halloween pumpkins outlined above provide you with delicious food, save you money, and help keep food out of our landfills!
So how are you going to use your jack-o’-lantern this year?
Help Reduce Food Waste By Eating Your Halloween Jack-O’-Lantern
Each year, thousands of acres of farmland are used to grow Halloween pumpkins only to have tons of jack-o’-lanterns sent to the landfill once the holiday is over.
This is a waste of a valuable, nutritious, and delicious food — it’s also a waste of your money.
Pumpkins are only one small part of the staggering amount of food waste in the United States. In fact, 50% of all the food we Americans buy ends up in the trash can.
Imagine walking out of the grocery store after just having paid for four bags of groceries. Would you then immediately throw two of those bags in the garbage? Of course not!
Thankfully, there are much better uses for Halloween pumpkins than throwing them in the garbage. Once Halloween is over, we suggest you turn your jack-o’-lantern into delicious homemade food, which is a surprisingly easy way to help cut down on your food waste.
3 Ways To Reuse Halloween Pumpkins
What can I make with pumpkin?
Pureed pumpkin makes an incredible filling for ravioli, and it’s surprisingly simple to whip up at home. Tip: We love using store-bought wonton wrappers as a shortcut for pasta dough. 6. Pumpkin Bread Does anything scream “fall is here” louder than a loaf of fresh pumpkin bread? We certainly don’t think so. 7. Pumpkin Butter
How can one prepare pumpkin to eat?
The pumpkin can be prepared boiled or baked. In both cases, it can be consumed with the peel and the seeds that will provide fiber. It can also be seasoned with oil and other aromatic seasonings, such as rosemary.
What can I do with the insides of a pumpkin?
You can actually take the insides of the pumpkin and get a delicious tasting stock. You can use this recipe to make a delicious ‘gut soup stock.’ It sounds gross but promises to be good. 5. Use as a Planter
Can Pumpkins be used for cupcakes?
Pumpkins can be used to make delicious and festive cupcakes. But this cupcake recipe is actually pretty easy and is packed with tons of flavor too. If you are needing cupcakes to share with coworkers or classmates, then consider putting your harvest to use there too. 30. Pumpkin Pancakes We end our pumpkin journey with pancakes.