Canned pumpkin is one of the shining stars of fall ingredients. It’s versatile, flavorful, and has a long shelf life. There’s not much more you could ask of the stuff. While the canned fruit (yes, pumpkins are considered a fruit) is notoriously associated with pumpkin pie, it has the ability to transform everything from pasta to cheesecake. Read on for some of our favorite outside-the-box canned pumpkin recipes. Not a pumpkin fan? Check out these creative cranberry recipes.
1. Pumpkin Bread
We would never forgive ourselves if we wrote about the best canned pumpkin recipes without mentioning the moist and mouthwatering goodness that is pumpkin bread. This easy pumpkin bread recipe gives you two loaves, and it’s easy to customize. Make it as-is if you just want those spiced pumpkin flavors, or enhance it with cinnamon chips, chocolate chips, nuts, or a powdered sugar glaze.
Pumpkin bread recipe: Tastes of Lizzy T
2. Pumpkin Cheesecake
The canned pumpkin puree in this cheesecake recipe takes on a life similar to a pumpkin pie. The texture is lustrous and creamy with a melt-in-your-mouth fluffiness, and the tang of the cream cheese maintains pace with the deep pumpkin flavors. It all results in a dessert that is as refreshing as it is decadent.
Pumpkin cheesecake recipe: Girl Inspired
3. Pumpkin Spice Latte
Move over, Starbucks. This pumpkin spice latte recipe puts fall in your mug from the comfort of home. All you’ll need is some coffee, canned pumpkin, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, and the milk and sweetener of your choice. You can customize and control the ingredients in this PSL without fearing the upcharges on that pesky Starbucks ticket!
Pumpkin spice latte recipe: Chocolate Covered Katie
4. Pumpkin Roll
If you ask us, the pumpkin roll is the king of canned pumpkin recipes. It’s all in the texture, and man does this pumpkin roll recipe deliver some off-the-charts texture (and flavor, of course). The cake is fluffy and moist while the cream cheese frosting is smooth, creamy, and delivers the perfect sweet hit to your tastebuds.
Pumpkin roll recipe: Tastes Better From Scratch
5. Pumpkin Pancakes
There are about a million and one different ways to interpret pancakes, but if your tastebuds are feeling autumnal, nothing can beat this pumpkin pancakes recipe. The canned pumpkin makes these bad boys extra fluffy and moist. Top them with a couple of pats of butter, some pure maple syrup, and a sprinkling of chopped pecans for added crunch.
Pumpkin pancakes recipe: Eating on a Dime
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6. Pumpkin Curry
Canned pumpkin recipes are not exclusive to the breakfast and dessert worlds. Canned pumpkin also offers itself up to an assortment of savory dishes, like this pumpkin curry. This fragrant one-pot meal blends aromatics with lushious creamy textures for a delicious vegan dish.
Pumpkin curry recipe: Ela Vegan
7. Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Canned pumpkin offers a handful of nutrients, including magnesium, potassium, and calcium, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. This pumpkin chili recipe embraces sweet and earthy undertones for a unique and nutritious chili heightened by the ground turkey, pungent spices, and blend of beans.
Pumpkin chili recipe: Salt & Lavender
Interested in other creative chili recipes? Check out this round-up.
8. Pumpkin Dump Cake
Dump-and-bake desserts are the easiest gift to the kitchen since sliced bread, and this pumpkin dump cake recipe is calling our names. Grab some canned pumpkin puree, a box of spice cake, butter, pumpkin pie spice, and a can of whipped cream cheese frosting and you have everything you need to whip up this easy dessert.
Pumpkin dump cake recipe: Salty Side Dish
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9. Pumpkin Soup
Fall cuisine is ruled by a few things, and pumpkin and soup are at the top of that list. This canned pumpkin recipe transforms into a creamy and flavorful soup that’s ideal for dipping a slice of French bread into. To make things even more enticing, this easy pumpkin soup recipe only includes seven ingredients (plus salt and pepper to taste).
Pumpkin soup recipe: Bowl of Delicious
10. Pumpkin Risotto
Texture and flavor meet right in the middle in this canned pumpkin recipe. Creaminess abounds and the umami of the parmesan paired with the earthy sweetness of the canned pumpkin in this pumpkin risotto recipe is basically what autumn dreams are made of.
Pumpkin risotto recipe: Food Wine & Love
11. Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
If there are two things we love in the culinary world, it’s pasta and recipes that embrace pantry ingredients. This pumpkin pasta recipe delivers both. The alfredo-like sauce comes to life with canned pumpkin, which brings a rich flavor and color to the dish. Topped with a dash of nutmeg and a sprinkling (or heavy dusting) of parmesan, and this stuff is peak autumnal pasta.
Pumpkin pasta recipe: Dinner Then Dessert
12. Pumpkin Muffins
This pumpkin muffin recipe is the ultimate fall breakfast. Make a big batch and throw some in the freezer for easy weekday mornings. These muffins freeze and thaw beautifully, maintaining their moist, cake-like texture.
Pumpkin muffin recipe: Sally’s Baking Recipes
13. Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese frosting is the ultimate complement for this pumpkin bars recipe. The frosting on these bars brings balance to the depth of the pumpkin flavor for a sweet, tangy, and creamy balance that makes our mouths water just thinking about it.
Pumpkin bars recipe: Gimme Some Oven
14. Pumpkin Cookies
From cinnamon chips to pumpkin snickerdoodles, there are plenty of pumpkin cookie recipes to explore, but this classic is a great place to start. Canned pumpkin can be hard to master in cookies, often resulting in a cookie that’s a little too cakey, but this recipe promises a soft and chewy cookie instead.
Pumpkin cookie recipe: In Bloom Bakery
