Ever since childhood, I’ve loved pumpkin. As soon as the air started turning crisp, all my doodles would turn to pumpkins. In middle school, I remember asking my mom for a pack of colored highlighters. Not so much for studying, but because I needed the orange one to really make my gourd drawings pop.
I still love pumpkins—whether they’re part of a fall porchscape or going into my mouth. I know some people feel like we really overdo pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavors this time of year, but I am firmly in Camp Pumpkin. The color is pretty, pumpkin is a good source of vitamin A and fiber, and the taste takes me back to childhood holidays. Also, I feel like pumpkin is kind of the weird, underdog seasonal flavor who’s charmed his way into the hearts of millions. (Sean Astin could play him in Pumpy, a movie I’ve just made up about a pumpkin who dreams of becoming a Starbucks latte.)
Recently, I ended up with a little bit of extra pumpkin purée and decided to try and find some super easy ways to use it up. (Because sometimes you have some leftover pumpkin and feel motivated to make pumpkin cheesecake, but other times you are very, very tired.) Here are the best ones I came up with!
Uses for Extra Pumpkin Purée:
- Add a spoonful or two of pumpkin purée to your morning bowl of oatmeal.
- Add a spoonful of pumpkin purée and a bit of cinnamon to a serving of applesauce.
- Make Pumpkin Cream Cheese. (I thought this was really nice on a cinnamon raisin bagel!)
(Recipe)
1 Tbsp pumpkin purée
1/2 cup whipped cream cheese
1 tsp brown sugar
Generous sprinkle of cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
- Add a teaspoon of pumpkin purée and a dash of cinnamon or pumpkin spice to your cup of coffee.
- Turn plain hummus into pumpkin hummus! (Pictured at top of page.)
(Recipe)
2 Tbsp pumpkin purée
½ cup classic hummus
Cumin
Smoked paprika
Spoon hummus and pumpkin purée into a bowl. Sprinkle with cumin and smoked paprika. Mix well. Garnish with a bit more smoked paprika to make it pretty.
- Still unsure what to do? Freeze leftover purée in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, store the cubes in a bag in your freezer to use at your leisure!
Do you have a favorite use for pumpkin? Or are you already so over PSL season and ready to start scarfing down gingerbread and peppermint?
