If you’re searching for the best pumpkin recipes to elevate your fall cooking, you’ve come to the right place! Pumpkin season brings many delicious possibilities, from sweet treats to savory dishes that warm the soul. Whether you’re looking to bake a moist pumpkin bread reminiscent of your favorite coffee shop, whip up a cozy pumpkin soup, or indulge in a luscious pumpkin flan, these recipes capture the essence of fall. Perfect for gatherings, festive occasions, or a simple family meal, these pumpkin recipes are sure to become your go-to favorites this season
Dive into the full list of top-rated pumpkin recipes to discover your next fall favorite!
Pumpkin Ginger Soup
This smooth, velvety pumpkin soup relies on shiitake mushrooms for a deep and rich umami taste. Baking soda helps soften the pumpkin during cooking but also helps develop a richer caramel pumpkin flavor making it taste sweeter.
Veg-Table/Chana Masala Pumpkin Pots
Orange and black! Visually, everything about this dish screams Halloween to me and I even considered carving these little pumpkin pots into jack-o’-lanterns. In this recipe, roasted sugar pie pumpkins are filled with chana masala and then served over a bed of warm forbidden rice. For Thanksgiving or any fall dinner, this makes a delicious and seasonally spectacular entrée.
The full recipe for this dish is available in my cookbook, Veg-Table
Pumpkin Raita
During the fall and winter months, I look forward to a bowl of this cooling spiced pumpkin raita. Serve it as a side with a warm stew or curry and some rice or flatbread. Make a big bowl because it disappears quickly.
Veg-Table/Yellow Curry Pumpkin Rice Soup
I like soups that are hearty with plenty of texture, but also full of vibrant colors and flavor. The turmeric in the yellow curry paste, the bright orange flesh of winter squash, the dark purple grains of forbidden rice, and the bright green of microgreens all make this a beautiful sight to behold. A big spoon to eat this up with is all that you need.
The full recipe for this dish is available in my cookbook, Veg-Table
A Guide to Dals and a Recipe for Pumpkin Baby Kale Dal
This fall-inspired dal is hearty and filled with satisfying flavors and textures from the nuggets of chunky pumpkin and tender soft leaves of baby kale with split pigeon peas that are cooked until they fall apart. The Indian technique of tadka is applied to create the final fragrant finish. Don’t miss out on the curry leaves, you can find them at Indian grocery stores, online, and if you’re lucky grow your own plant at home!
Roasted Pumpkin Barley Burrata Salad
Warm pumpkin, crunchy cucumbers, sweet tomatoes, roasted pepitas, creamy burrata with nutty pearl barley, and a refreshing lemon salad dressing with lots of black pepper. This is the salad I turn to every fall. It’s a meal on its own and doesn’t need anything else to go along with it.
Pumpkin Apricot Bread
A pumpkin loaf with a soft and tender crumb, this sweet bread contains bits of dried apricot and is topped with a layer of bright green pumpkin seeds. A slice of this loaf is lovely with a cup of hot coffee or tea. Lightly sweetened crème fraîche goes along with this pumpkin loaf.
Maple Pumpkin Seed Granola
Be warned, the fragrance emanating from the oven as this granola cooks will make your kitchen smell like fall. This is how I love my granola, which is mildly sweet, scented with spices, and filled with various textures from grains like chia seeds, quinoa, and chewy dried cranberries. I eat this as a snack straight from a jar, or I will top it over creamy yogurt and drizzle a little maple syrup or honey for a sweet treat.
Pumpkin Miso Bebinca
Maybe you can’t be bothered making a pie or want the filling but wish to avoid making a crust. If that’s the case, or you simply want to try something new this year, look no further and make this pumpkin bebinca flavored with miso and sweet maple syrup. it’s sweet, mildly salty just perfect to balance the warm flavors of the pumpkin.
Spiced Pumpkin Flan
Flan or creme caramel is a childhood dessert that’s continued to remain a favorite no matter how old I get. This pumpkin flan is golden and carries a delicate warm scent of spices making it a favorite at home as well as a popular alternative to pumpkin pie at our Thanksgiving dinners. The flan can be made ahead of time making it a fantastic choice for a dinner party.
Pumpkin Nutella Swirl Cake
This pumpkin cake is an ode to one of my favorite childhood treats, Nutella. That rich, creamy paste of chocolate and hazelnuts spread on toast was a snack that I looked forward to at tea.
Every slice of this cake reveals a gorgeous marbled pattern created by alternating swirls of bright orange pumpkin and dark brown chocolate-hazelnut mixture if you make your gianduja feel free to use that here.
