40 Best Pumpkin Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Is there a difference between canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree? ›

Canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree are the same thing. These terms are often used interchangeably in recipes, though you may also see the term solid-pack pumpkin. All these terms mean 100% steamed and pureed pumpkin—no extras, no add-ins—not even in the canned variety.

Cinderella pumpkins, also known as Rouge Vif d'Étampes, are a similar shape to fairytale pumpkins, but they have a bright red-orange color as opposed to the orange-brown of a fairytale. Additionally, Cinderella are less flavorful and more watery, making them less suited for baking.

We like butternut pumpkins best when they're roasted, but this hardy oblong variety is one of the most versatile options in the pumpkin aisle. Butternuts are a little sweeter, dryer and can be turned into soups, roasted with cinnamon or put to use in most cooked pumpkin dishes.

Even so, nutritionally, you might be better off with canned pumpkin than with fresh cooked: One cup of canned has more carotenoids and fiber (7 grams), plus about a fifth of your daily iron needs.

Pumpkin pie filling shouldn't be used in place of pumpkin puree since the finished dish will be too sweet. You can always set the can aside to make a quick pumpkin pie another day.

Don't use pumpkin pie filling in place of pumpkin purée.

Every can of pumpkin pie filling has a different amount of sugar and spices and if you add it to a bread or muffin recipe you might get a very sweet and not-spiced-enough loaf. Try this instead: Buy pumpkin purée!

Blue pumpkins are native to the Americas and are one of the rarest pumpkin colorings. The pumpkin's blue-grey, sometimes green, tone is a natural genetic trait developed through traditional crossbreeding and hybridization techniques.

Knucklehead pumpkins are most commonly used as a decorative pumpkin to make jack o'lanterns and can also be used in sweet and savory culinary applications.

For cooking, you'll want to use sugar pumpkins (also called pie or sweet pumpkins), which are small and round. Long Island Cheese pumpkins, which are more oblong and can look like a wheel of cheese, are also good to eat. Field pumpkin types are larger, have watery, stringy flesh, and are best for decorating.

The pumpkins we eat, often labeled pie or sweet pumpkins, are smaller and less watery than the ones used for decorating. Heritage varieties that are good for cooking include Baby Pam, Autumn Gold, Fairytale and Cinderella pumpkins.

What is Crown Prince pumpkin? ›

Cucurbita pepo 'Crown Prince' is a winter squash with blue-grey skin and a bright orange flesh.

Yes, dogs can eat pumpkin and it is actually often added to dog foods. Check the label of some dog treats and you may find pumpkin on the ingredient list there too. However, if you are feeding fresh pumpkin, you will need to be careful about which part you're feeding as the stem and leaves are covered in prickly hairs.

Due to its high soluble fiber content, pumpkin is very good for your dog's digestion. If you feed your dog some pumpkin, it will add bulk to their stool. This helps reduce issues with diarrhea. In addition, fermentation of the same fiber produces beneficial fatty acids that supply energy to cells.

A pumpkin, from a botanist's perspective, is a fruit because it's a product of the seed-bearing structure of flowering plants. Vegetables, on the other hand, are the edible portion of plants such as leaves, stems, roots, bullbs, flowers, and tubers.

Canned pumpkin (labeled as "100% pure pumpkin") is a purée of pumpkin that is sometimes mixed with other kinds of winter squash. It is unsweetened and does not contain any added spices. Canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree are the same thing, and you'll often see the terms used interchangeably in recipes and cookbooks.

Most canned pumpkin is pureed pumpkin. It's been cooked and canned, but you'd have to cook it anyways to make it soft enough to puree. As long as you get plain canned pumpkin without added seasonings, it's the same as what you would make at home. And honestly, it's a better choice.

Canned pumpkin is simply cooked pumpkin. To substitute fresh pumpkin, all you do is cook your pumpkin and scoop out 15 ounces (about two cups) of pumpkin flesh. You open it up and scoop out the seeds (which can themselves be roasted for a tasty snack).