Every year, we carve pumpkins for Halloween — but what happens to all that leftover pumpkin flesh?
Instead of letting it go to waste, here are five easy, family-friendly recipes to help you turn every part of your pumpkin into something delicious.

All recipes below use fresh homemade pumpkin purée, which you can make in advance and store in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for up to a year.

🥣 1. Homemade Pumpkin Purée

The base for all your autumn cooking.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium pumpkins (about 3–4kg total)
• Olive oil (for roasting)

Instructions:

1. Cut off the lid, scoop out the seeds (save these for roasting!), and remove the stringy bits.
2. Chop the pumpkin into chunks and spread on a baking tray.
3. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and roast at 180°C for 25–30 minutes, until soft and golden.
4. Scoop the flesh away from the skin and blitz in a food processor until smooth.

🧡 Storage tip: Keeps for 1 week in the fridge or up to 1 year frozen..

🍞 2. Pumpkin Bread

A cosy, spiced loaf perfect for breakfast or snacks.

Ingredients:

• 300g pumpkin purée
• 100g brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 250g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp mixed spice
• (Optional: walnuts or chocolate chips)

Instructions:

Bake for 45–50 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Preheat oven to 170°C and line a loaf tin.

Mix purée, sugar, and eggs.

Add flour, baking powder, and spices; stir until smooth.

Fold in extras if using.

🥧 3. Classic Pumpkin Pie

The ultimate autumn dessert.

Ingredients:

• 500g pumpkin purée
• 100g brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 200ml evaporated milk (or cream)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1 shortcrust pastry case

Instructions:

1. Pre-bake pastry at 180°C for 5–10 minutes.
2. Mix all filling ingredients together until smooth.
3. Pour into pastry case and bake 40–50 minutes until golden and just set.
4. Cool before slicing — if you can wait that long!

🌰 4. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (3 Flavours)

Zero waste snacking done right.

Base:

• Pumpkin seeds (cleaned)
• Olive oil
• Pinch of salt

Flavour Options:

• Spicy: 1 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp harissa, pinch of chilli flakes
• Savoury: 1 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp cumin
• Sweet: 1 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp sugar

Instructions:

Cool and store in an airtight jar for up to two weeks.

Boil seeds in salted water for 10 minutes, then dry thoroughly.

Toss in your chosen seasoning.

Spread on a tray and roast at 170°C for 20–25 minutes, shaking halfway.

🍲 5. Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Comfort in a bowl — simple, warming, and full of flavour.

Ingredients:

• 700g pumpkin purée
• 1 onion (diced)
• 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 900ml vegetable stock
• 100ml coconut milk or cream
• Salt, nutmeg, and black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Sauté onion and garlic in oil until soft.
2. Add pumpkin purée and stock; simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Stir in coconut milk or cream and season.
4. Serve warm with fresh bread.

🍪 6. Pumpkin Cookies

Quick, fun, and perfect for baking with the kids.

Ingredients:

• 250g self-raising flour
• 75g butter
• 50g brown sugar
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 200g pumpkin purée
• 1 egg

Instructions:

Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes until golden.

Rub butter into flour until crumbly.

Add sugar, spice, purée, and egg; mix to a soft dough.

Spoon onto trays (leave space to spread).

♻️ Zero Waste Tip

Don’t throw out those pumpkin seeds — roast them for snacks or sprinkle on soups and salads!
Every part of your pumpkin can be used in some way.

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