Pumpkins are one of England’s seasonal vegetables. Let’s look more at creative plant-based recipe ideas, to use up leftover pumpkins. Whether you find them in our veg box, or they are on sale at the market or grocery. Try this vegan macaroni cheese with pumpkin (Rainbow Plant Life).
Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets. If baking pastry, keep fresh dough away from children and pets. Nutmeg is often used with pumpkin, note this spice is unsafe near animal friends.
Pumpkins are a winter squash and are very tasty, if you buy the small ones. You can also roast and eat the seeds, which are high in zinc. More popular in the USA and Canada (where pumpkin pie is the official Thanksgiving dessert), they are also delicious in soup and quickbreads.
The word comes from the German for ‘pepon’ which means ‘large melon’. They are quite bland and taste a bit like sweet potato, it’s mainly the other ingredients like spices that bring out their flavour.
Abel & Cole sells nice organic small pumpkins (packs of 2) which are more tasty than large pumpkins, which are more bred for carving. These are grown by a Welsh farmer just over the border, and nice in soup with a swirl of vegan double cream and freshly ground black pepper.
Pumpkins are a huge food waste issue, due to Halloween. These large (edible though tasteless) pumpkins are bred, leaving around 22 million to rot on landfills each year. Generating methane gas, instead of feeding hungry people.
How to Prepare a Fresh Pumpkin
Although canned pumpkin puree is good for desserts and baking, it’s best to use fresh pumpkin for savoury dishes. It’s pretty easy to prepare, as long as you have a good serrated knife to slice the pumpkin. Chop flesh into wedges, toss in oil and spices, and bake in the oven for around 30 to 40 minutes.
Scoop out the (rinsed) seeds, boil in salted water for 10 minutes, then roast with oil and spices in the oven for 10 minutes.
If you can’t find canned pumpkin puree (and don’t want to make from scratch) you can use cooked sweet potato (also make ‘pumpkin pie spice’ by blending sweet spices (cinnamon, ginger etc).
Some recipes online for pumpkin use Specoloos biscuits, but they are made with palm oil. You can make your own speculoos cookies with brown sugar, spices, sea salt and vegan butter (Flora has no palm oil).
All these recipes are plant-based, so suitable for all the family!
Pumpkin Breakfast Recipes
This pumpkin smoothie (The First Mess) includes warming spices of ginger and cardamom.
Pumpkin pancakes (Rainbow Plant Life) are made with wholewheat flour. So if paired with fresh fruits, make a delightful breakfast that’s healthier than cereal.
Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal (Ela Vegan) makes porridge far more interesting, by adding pumpkin and spices, and baking it into solid porridge! That’s actually how this Scottish breakfast started, when crofters’ wives would bake oats into a slab for their husbands to take to work.
Pumpkin Spice Pancakes (Isa Chandra) is a very simple recipe by one of the world’s best-selling vegan recipe chefs. Serve with maple syrup and vegan vanilla ice-cream.
Pumpkin Soup & Casserole Recipes
This spicy tomato pumpkin soup (Minimalist Baker) is made with creamy coconut milk, then warmed up by Caribbean spices.
Pumpkin Soup (Ela Vegan) is sure to become a warming autumn staple, only takes 30 minutes. Made with creamy coconut milk and good veggie stock, it also contains plenty of spice.
Pumpkin Soup (Broke Bank Vegan) is a simple yet classic recipe. If you like sweet potato soups, you’ll love this.
Pumpkin Soup (Cookie + Kate) is a classic recipe by a wholefoods chef, made with roasted pumpkin. Nice with sandwiches.
Pumpkin Potato Bake (Ela Vegan) is pure comfort food: a potato casserole contianing pumpkin and lentils.
Pumpkin Pasta & Risotto Recipes
Pumpkin Risotto (Lazy Cat Kitchen) features garlic, cheesy-tasting nutritional yeast and vegan cream, for a lovely take on the Italian classic. Leave out unpastuerised miso for pregnancy/nursing and weak immune system.s
Pumpkin Pasta Bake (Ela Vegan) is a vegan cheesy feast. Serve with broccoli, asparagus, green beans or Brussels sprouts.
Pumpkin Pasta alla Vodka (It’s Liv B) adds pumpkin to the traditional way of making pasta, that brings out the flavours.
Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese (Minimalist Baker) uses the creaminess of pumpkins to recreate cheese, then flavours it with cheesy-tasting nutritional yeast and vegan cheese.
Pumpkin Curry & Chilli Recipes
Pumpkin Tofu Curry (Rainow Plant Life) is a great recipe to try out tofu, which absorbs flavours of what it’s cooked with. We like Tofoo (organic and made in Yorkshire!)
Pumpkin Chilli (Broke Bank Vegan) shows that chilli does not always have to be about red kidney beans. Serve with rice and a cold beer.
Oil-Free Pumpkin Chilli (Shane & Simple) is by a Deep South chef, who says he is does not think you should put pumpkin in coffee. So he makes chilli with it instead. This is also oil-free.
Pumpkin Beverage Recipes
Pumpkin Spice Latte (Broke Bank Vegan) will save you pennies, as once you master this recipe, you can drink it at home in a mug, instead of hitting the chain coffee store.
Iced Pumpkin Chai Latte (Floured Frame) combines American iced coffee, Italian latte and Indian chai, all in one recipe.
Pumpkin Espresso Cold Brew (Floured Frame) gives a unique slant on Italian morning drinks.
Pumpkin Dessert Recipes
No-bake Pumpkin Bars (Ela Vegan) don’t even require you to turn on the oven. A chocolate treat for those who can’t resist.
Pumpkin Rice Pudding (Domestic Gothess) updates the stodgy school pudding, by adding maple syrup, cinnamon spice and vanilla.
Vegan Pumpkin Ice Cream (Domestic Gothess) replaces dairy and coconut with cashew, for a nutty ice-cream, served with candied pecans or walnuts.
Pumpkin Butter (Addicted to Dates) is nice to add to desserts, and use to top bakes and cakes.
Vegan Pumpkin Creme Brulee (Addicted to Dates) recreates the classic French dessert, this time making it plant-based with pumpkins.
Pumpkin Pie & Baked Recipes
Baked Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake (Rainbow Nourishments) uses ready-made ginger cookies for the crust, and tops with a caramel pecan glaze.
Pumpkin Cookies (Rainbow Nourishments) are super-simple to make, with just a few ingredients. Sugary treats, to dunk in tea or coffee.
Pumpkin Marble Cake (Rainbow Nourishments) uses one main cake batter, then swirls pumpkin through one and chocolate through the other, for a fudgy treat.
Pumpkin Cake (Rainbow Nourishments) is simple to make, but looks demure with a maple cinnamon frosting.
Pumpkin Cupcakes (Rainbow Nourishments) are made in one bowl.
Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Pudding (School Night Vegan) recreates the world’s favourite pudding (made in Cumbria) by adding pumpkin puree and warm spices to the toffee sauce.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies (Ela Vegan) are super-simple to make, with an optional easy icing.
Pumpkin Cake with Cashew Frosting (Ela Vegan) is a lot more simple to make than it appears. Ideal when company’s arriving.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie (Ela Vegan) is ideal of you can’t have conventional pastry. The recipe uses a homemade gluten-free crust.
Pumpkin Bourbon Cupcakes with Maple Frosting (Short Girl, Tall Order) will make you think you’re in Canada, leave out the bourbon if wished, they’re still delicious.
Pumpkin Bars (Broke Bank Vegan) can be made ahead of time, ideal for snacking or hiking in the mountains.
Pumpkin Cupcakes (Addicted to Dates) are topped with vegan cream cheese, and feature Canadian maple syrup and pecans.
No-Bake Pumpkin Caramel Slices (Addicted to Dates) are a lovely treat, and simple to make.
Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cookies (Floured Frame) is a lovely recipe by a trained baker.
Vegan Pumpkin Cheese Bread (Floured Frame) may sound unusual, but it’s a popular American flavour combination, blending pumpkin bread with vegan cream cheese.
