25 Canned Pumpkin Recipes Made Easy

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Canned pumpkin recipes are being browsed and pulled out of recipe boxes and off cookbook shelves already. Can you hear the printing of web recipes and the note-taking on index cards? I still use the ones my family has passed down to me. 

Simple ingredients like canned pumpkin puree are available year round, but we home cooks are getting serious about our holiday season full of savory dishes and sweet recipes. 

(Be sure when using canned pumpkin you don’t accidentally purchase and use canned pumpkin pie mix. It already contains sugar, spices and milk and is liquidy.)

If you want to try any of these canned pumpkin recipes, you can use your own home-processed pumpkin puree as a one-to-one substitute. Freshly cooked pumpkin works well, too. Mash the fresh pumpkin puree thoroughly in a large bowl or put it in a food processor to make your own fresh pumpkin puree.

In some recipes, you may also be able to substitute other cooked winter squash in place of pumpkin if you don’t happen to have any cans on hand. 

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Canned pumpkin puree is one of the most versatile canned ingredients you can have in your cupboard. It doesn’t have to sit there for a year until the season of pumpkin is back again. If you don’t know what to do with pumpkin puree, I have a few here for you to try.

1. Easy Pumpkin Soup

Authentic, from-scratch pumpkin soup can take hours to make. You have to carve up the pumpkin, remove the seeds, and much more. With recipes with canned pumpkin, you can skip the hard parts! 

🥫🥣 Even more: 13 Glorious Pumpkin Soups here. 🥫🥣

2. Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Time to get your pumpkin fix. Pumpkin blends well with cream cheese because they both have vibrant flavors. These coffee shop quality pumpkin cream cheese muffins are perfect for any season as long as you have a sweet tooth. The mix of regular and brown sugar offers great depth of flavor.

3. Pumpkin Butter

Lots of great tips with this recipe: You can’t can it because of the low acidity, so it will spoil; you CAN cook this in a slow cooker instead of the stovetop. (I bet the aroma would be incredible!)

If you’re looking for something to do with your can of pumpkin puree, pumpkin butter is an awesome ingredient you can add to several recipes. Pumpkin butter is also glorious as a spread or poured over cream cheese with crumbled bacon (just add crackers!) Or top your toast in the morning instead of dairy butter or slather it on muffins and biscuits as an afternoon snack.

4. Pumpkin Cookies

Another delicious pumpkin-based dessert, our tried-and-true pumpkin cookies will put a smile on your face. We pat ourselves on the back pretty hard with this recipe because they are so easy to make. 

While everyone is talking with their mouths full, just mention casually you slaved away all day over these easy Pumpkin Cookies, and that you NEVER give up classic family recipes. SO SORRY. 

(Psst, it uses a box spice cake mix, NO EGGS, NO OIL, a heaping teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and canned pumpkin.) We love this pumpkin cookie with the glaze, but you don’t have to use it.

🔥  Learn the secret to the warmth of fall spices in our homemade Pumpkin-Pie Spice Mix  🔥

5. Savory Pumpkin Hummus

Not every recipe using canned pumpkin needs to be sweet.  Use this recipe using pumpkin puree to make some savory hummus as well. The sweet pumpkin will add an interesting flavor to the zesty lemon and tahini. 

6. Pumpkin Banana Smoothie

Are you looking for a filling smoothie to start your day? You can’t go wrong with this pumpkin banana smoothie. The banana and pumpkin have vital nutrients and arguably some health benefits that will get your day started on a positive note. 

Add a dollop of peanut butter for extra richness or more honey or maple syrup if your bananas are a little underripe and it’s not sweet enough.  This is a great recipe for using up any leftover pumpkin puree, too.

7. Pumpkin Donuts

While I admit I’m hungry right now, these plump, pretty donuts will make a splendid addition to your Thanksgiving table. Or for brunch the next day when your company comes back to eat on the leftovers. The cinnamon is a delicious addition of traditional fall flavor, while the vanilla glaze will give you some extra sweet dreams.

8. Pumpkin Biscuits from Scratch

Make warm, buttery pumpkin biscuits that fill your home with cozy autumn aromas. Perfect for beginners, these biscuits are an easy from-scratch recipe.

9. Pumpkin Pasta Shells With Spinach And Walnuts

Sometimes the traditional red and white sauces for pasta can get boring. Ever thought of adding a little pumpkin instead? Try this healthy pumpkin pasta to add an exciting twist to your noodles. Combining it with spinach and walnuts makes a great vegetarian starter for any meal.

🎃 🥧 Check Out 25 Pumpkin Desserts At Their Finest 🥧 🎃

10. Slow Cooker Pumpkin Cobbler

A “dump cake” of pumpkin dessert that cooks low and slow: soft cake beneath a crumbly cake topping, with pecans added for nutty crunch. An easy, foolproof dessert for a Thanksgiving Brunch.

11. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I used to be a chocolate chip cookie purist—no extras allowed. But once I added pumpkin, everything changed. These chewy, egg-free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are packed with warm spice, melty chips, and fall flavor in every bite. Perfect for easy baking, cozy nights, or sharing a little chocolate-chip joy this season.

12. Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup

I love Thai food. I so rarely make a real Thai dish because it often has an ingredient list a mile long, none of which I can get at the local grocery store. 

So when I want to indulge I just order in. But I also know that I can throw together some onion, garlic, curry, coconut milk, and canned pumpkin with the best of ‘em.

I’d top my bowl with a skosh of fresh minced ginger and a squeeze of lemongrass paste and be so satisfied with this soup! The eye-popping soup pics over at Just A Taste got me feeling in a soup mood, so I’ll be making this one soon.

You can make it traditionally with chicken stock or sub it out for a vegetarian alternative. 

13. Pumpkin Baked Spiral Pasta

If the previous pumpkin pasta recipe didn’t ignite your taste buds, this one will. 

As is, over at elavegan.com, they’re saying this is a vegan recipe. The slow-baked pumpkin pasta has a delicious creamy sauce and is completely dairy, oil, and gluten-free. This stuff looks like the cheesiest mac n cheese spirals ever, so I guess the rich gold pumpkin is enchanting us to believe.

14. Homemade Pumpkin Ravioli With Garlic Brown Butter

Another option for pumpkin-based pasta is this popular pumpkin ravioli. This classic ravioli bursts with pumpkin puree stuffing. And we’re rolling out the brown butter again because it’s got such depth of flavor.

I Am Homesteader gives great steps to making your own ravs, using a ravioli maker. You won’t get this meal done as fast as pulling out a frozen bag of raviolis, but if you’re cooking to impress, this is the way to make the pumpkin flavor shine.

Just like store-bought, you can make these and freeze them for up to six months, so triple a batch so you can enjoy them faster next time.

🥫🥫 So Much Pumpkin, So Little Time! 25 Savory Must-Try Pumpkin Recipes 🎃 🎃

15. Moist & Fluffy Pumpkin Crazy Cake (Egg-Free & Dairy-Free Recipe)

This moist and fluffy Pumpkin Crazy Cake is made without eggs, butter, or milk! Perfect for those with dietary restrictions, this easy fall dessert uses pantry staples. Try it with our cinnamon buttercream (that does have dairy, though.)

16. 3-ingredient Fudgy Pumpkin Brownies

Prepare to be amazed, as they say. Chocolate chips, a brownie mix, and a can of pumpkin are all you need. And it’s pure chocolate bliss all the way down—I couldn’t taste pumpkin or anything vegetal about this. No extra oil or eggs!

17. Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole

If you’re looking for a meatless morning pumpkin sweet treat then you should try this pumpkin breakfast casserole. I mean, they describe it thus: Think of this Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole as the love child of pumpkin pie and french toast.”

Weird visual, and yet when I saw the photo, I was kind of like okay, let’s have some of THIS. As a card-carrying FIEND for french toast, I’m checking this off my to-make list PRONTO.

18. Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Bake

Another delicious way to make a pumpkin breakfast happen in your life any time of year is some tasty pumpkin oatmeal…baked into a cake. It’s not the classic bowl of goo that oatmeal usually is, but a delicious cake instead. The pumpkin adds a much-needed element to the dish. 

The recipe touts this as being great for toddlers who aren’t using a spoon yet, but let’s just call it finger food, then call it good, with some hot tea.

19. Bacon Pumpkin Mock Souffle

For the love of bacon, I present to you this mock souffle recipe. If you want a delicious pumpkin dish that’s marked as grain-free too, then try this one.

Don’t be confused by the souffle part though, this is one of those savory pumpkin recipes that is better served as dinner than a dessert.

20. Sweet Potato Pumpkin Casserole

This recipe has all the advantages of the pumpkin casserole I mentioned earlier with the added flavors of sweet potato. 

21. Chicken Pumpkin Bake

While pumpkin is an excellent ingredient for vegetarian and vegan meals, it also pairs well with meat. This recipe has a long dry ingredients list, but she’s using real food, lots of good spices, and a TON of canned pumpkin. 

It looks like a baked casserole and Reluctant Entertainer is calling it a souffle, but she had me at herbed cream sauce.  This chicken and pumpkin blend looks like a hearty dinner for any meat lover and will give you a nice serving of veggies at the same time.

22. Vegan Pumpkin Risotto

If you love risotto, then you need to try this twist on the classic dish. I love how people say “don’t let risotto intimidate you” but it does require a lot of attention. 

The pumpkin here makes for an even thicker and creamier sauce, and I can get behind thick and creamy sauce. 

I admit I’ve never really been a huge fan of risotto, comfort food or not. I eat it when it’s offered to me, and the flavors are always fine, but it just sits heavy for me. This recipe is one I thought you might like because it is gorgeous. 

The presentation is stunning, and I bet it is good…for risotto. So if you make this one, let me know what you think. Should I make it and give risotto another chance?

23. Pumpkin Flatbread

Wow, the pictures of the dough are just such a nice pale orange, about the same thickness as a flour tortilla. It also pairs well with Indian food, like curries and butter chicken, but I could see this flatbread, warm and fragrant alongside EVerything. 

24. Brown Butter Pumpkin Galette With Caramelized Onions, Goat Cheese & Sage

Galette looks a lot like an oven-baked pumpkin pizza with bumpers but this one is cradling some of our favorite ingredients. This pumpkin galette includes goat cheese and sage to add some character to the pumpkin spread. 

I’m adding this galette to my list, especially because I LOVE sage and can never seem to think of using it in everyday recipes. 

This recipe calls for making a pâte brisée, but I’m going to throw down and unroll a Pillsbury pie crust, y’all. I mean, come on. I’m looking at this wondering why I don’t make more galettes. This looks perfect for a side dish when you’re unsure what to make.

25. Easy Pumpkin Bread

Forget cornbread and banana bread. And move over Starbucks. Pumpkin Bread made from scratch will fill the house with the scent of warm, aromatic spices. We like the recipe—the post talks about what “double acting” baking powder means and why it’s important to get this batter in the oven immediately. 

What are we always saying? You deserve good food. Yes, your family—your kids, your husband, your neighbors, your neighbors’ plumber’s cousin Frank—all deserve to eat well and be well.

AND SO DO YOU. 

And if you’re going to put your time, money and effort into a beautiful, homemade, luscious pumpkin bread, make it as good as it can be.

The bottom line

The thing about pumpkin, as you may know by now, is that on its own, there’s not a lot of flavor to it. Stick a spoon into your canned pumpkin and taste it: Practically flavorless, slightly vegetal, tasting of mushy squash. 

AND YET. It’s a blank fiber-rich canvas upon which you shall bestow all of the best fall flavors.

Did I show you well enough that your canned pumpkin is more than a pumpkin pie recipe filling? 

Experiment with these recipes to ignite your pumpkin passion.