What to Make with Pumpkin Puree - 50 Ways to Use it

Celebrate the perfect pumpkin dish depending on what you're in the mood for and what ingredients you have. Whether you're in the mood for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, sweet, savory, drinks, food, you can pick a combo or come up with your own idea to suit your taste. You can create sweet pumpkin cookies, delicious pumpkin sauce for pasta or gnocchi, enjoy pumpkin oatmeal, the list goes on! 

Joy to the world; autumn is here. I love that the season gives me an excuse to use that pumpkin goodness! I'm not talking the artificial pumpkin flavor that you can find in your chain coffee shop. I'm talking real pumpkin, leftover pumpkin puree, & all that good stuff. I had a very tempting can of pumpkin puree sitting patiently in my cabinet & I figured there's no better time to utilize it. 

Pumpkin is a favorite flavor of fall and winter! It goes great with all sorts of food, from sweets to savories. If you're looking for healthy pumpkin recipes or things to make with leftover canned pumpkin puree, you'll find some inspiration here!

Of course, we all know that there's pumpkin pie, but how else can you use pumpkin puree? Well, check out this list of ways to utilize it. I wanted to challenge myself to find a variety of options to consume pumpkin without feeling bored. I was thoroughly surprised with the flavor & depth it gave my food & drinks. It's as simple as adding it to your favorite grub, beverages, & sauces. Autumnize your recipes by dropping in some pumpkin! Check out this list.

Wanna get excited for autumn? Be sure to read 23 Things to Look Forward to in the Fall! :]

Give your coffee some flavor by mixing in a dollop of pumpkin puree.

Pumpkin Puree Drinks

1. Coffee
2. Chai latte
3. Milkshake
4. Protein shake
5. Smoothie
6. Pumpkin pie spice cider
7. Hot chocolate
8. Pumpkin spice latte with pumpkin whipped cream
9. Egg nog
10. Cocktail

You could even do a pumpkin kombucha! Here are 70+ kombucha flavors to pick from.

 My oatmeal tasted scrumptious with pumpkin puree, pecans, & chia seeds.

Sweet and Desserts Things to Make with Pumpkin Puree

11. Pumpkin oats or pumpkin baked oatmeal

12. Pumpkin pancakes with maple syrup or pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes
13. Waffles

14. Muffins
15. Cookies
16. Macarons
17. Empanada

18. Pumpkin butter
19. Pumpkin cheesecake
20. Yogurt (Greek yogurt or other)
21. Pumpkin bread
22. Scones
23. Brownies
24. Fudge
25. French toast
26. Pudding
27. Ice cream
28. Cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting
29. Donuts/ donut holes
30. Applesauce
31. Cream cheese
32. Granola
33. Syrup
34. Coffee creamer
35. Frosting

36. Pumpkin cake

You can add items like mini chocolate chips, chopped pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon sugar, pie spices like nutmeg, cloves, or ginger, sweetened condensed milk, raisins, honey, coconut milk, vanilla, pure maple syrup, nuts, streusel topping to any dessert. You'll be baking or making these all season long.

 Cook your veggies normally & include some pumpkin puree along with your spices.

Savory Canned Pumpkin Puree

37. Gnocchi

38. Stir fry 

39. Pasta
40. Macaroni & cheese
41. Risotto
42. Quinoa

43. Hummus
44. Cornbread
45. Curry
46. Mashed potatoes
47. Quesadilla
48. Dinner rolls
49. Biscuits
50. Pumpkin Alfredo sauce

51. Pumpkin hummus

52. Soup, stew, chili

You can add items like fresh sage, smoked paprika, garlic, parmesan, salt, whole grains to savory dishes. Add a spoon of pumpkin to leftovers. Want to store something after you made it? You can freeze it in your freezer to have later. No need to waste. Simply thaw it out or cook it on the stove. It makes it easy to whip up a bite to eat rather than cook something from scratch.

 Combine a couple tablespoons of pumpkin puree with your pancake batter.

What to Make with Pumpkin Puree

Do you have a dusty can of pumpkin puree from last year? There are so many delicious recipes with pumpkin that you'll find yourself buying more this year. If you want to make your own pumpkin puree, you can do that too! It's truly as simple as incorporating a little dollop of pumpkin puree to your food. Put some in your quesadilla or drop it in your mac & cheese. There are plenty of healthy pumpkin recipes out there. Most of these can be made vegan or gluten-free. Plop a little into your coffee or latte for some flavor. Mix some into your usual cookie or brownie batter. There are loads of pumpkin puree recipes out there. There are easy dinner recipes, healthy dessert options, pumpkin pasta dish, and a plethora of ways to add some seasonal flavor into your foods. How will you use leftover canned pumpkin puree this pumpkin season? Are you a fan of pumpkin or do you find it overrated? Did I miss something? Leave a comment with other ideas on how to use pumpkin. :]