20 Healthy Pumpkin Recipes

I love to use fresh pumpkin whenever I can, and it’s a great way to make your jack-o-lanterns and fall décor dual purposed. Here are some simple steps to follow:

1. Clean out your pumpkin and cut it in half. Brush the flesh with olive oil or vegetable oil. Keep the seeds if you plan on roasting them.
2. On a baking sheet lined with tin foil and cooking spray, put the pumpkin halves skin side up, flesh side down, and bake at 400 for 45-60 minutes. It will vary based on pumpkin size, but you’ll know it’s done when the skin is easily punctured with a fork.
3. Take your pumpkin out of the oven and let it cool. Once it’s cool enough to touch, use a large spoon to scrape the meat from the skin and put it in a food processor. Pulse into a purée and store in the fridge for up to a week, or freezer for 3 months. Use it to replace canned pumpkin in any recipe!

Unfortunately whole pumpkins are seasonal at most stores, and usually pop up sometime in August or September. Canned pumpkin can always be found on your grocery store’s baking aisle.

Pumpkin can replace other winter squash in any recipe. For instance, a recipe that uses butternut squash would also do well with pumpkin. Like this Honey Chipotle Glazed Butternut Squash would also taste great with pumpkin.