Three Seasonal Recipes You Can Make With All Your Leftover Jack-o'-Lanterns

While often treated as vegetables in the culinary world, thanks to their savory flavor profile, pumpkins are actually scientifically classified as a fruit, thanks to the fact that they have flowers that require pollination in order to grow.

Whether you call it a fruit or a vegetable, it's probably safe to say you wonder what to do with your pumpkins after Halloween has come and gone.

You can roast the seeds for a salty snack, blend the guts from carving and cook them into a creamy soup, or cook up the leftover vegetable (sorry, fruit) and try your hand at these perfectly pumpkin pancakes, muffins, or soup.

If you want to roast your pumpkins lickety-split, you'll want to use a smart pressure cooker, like an Instant Pot or this one by CHEF iQ, which we love.

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Smart Pressure Cooker by CHEF iQ

Smart Multicooker with Built-In Scale

The CHEF iQ Smart Pressure Cooker pairs a six-quart nonstick pot with automated pressure release and an integrated digital scale that measures ingredients directly in the basin. Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connect to an extensive guided recipe library, sending precise cooking presets and real-time step notifications straight to the front capacitive screen. While some cooks may prefer traditional manual dials, the automated steam management and streamlined prep make this a capable kitchen upgrade.

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Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker

Classic Multi-Use Pressure Cooker

The Instant Pot Duo combines seven kitchen appliances into a single unit, handling pressure cooking, slow cooking, rice preparation, steaming, sautéeing, yogurt making, and warming. It features a durable, tri-ply stainless steel inner pot alongside simple one-touch smart programs designed to speed up family meal prep. While it relies on a manual steam release valve rather than modern automated venting, its reliable heating performance and straightforward digital controls make it a dependable kitchen staple.

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To prep your pumpkins, scoop out the insides (if you haven't already done so for your jack-o'-lanterns).

Then, cut your pumpkin into evenly-sized chunks, and place them, cut-side up, onto a trivet inside of the pressure cooker with 1.5 cups of water in the bottom of the pot.

Cook them for eight minutes. Once the steam releases, remove the pumpkin pieces, let them cool until you can safely handle them, and then, use a butter knife to remove the skin.

The skin is very easy to remove while the pieces are still warm from cooking.

Once the skin has been taken off, place the pumpkin pieces into a strainer lined with paper towel and let them sit for an hour. This allows any excess water to strain out of the fruit before you purée it (they hold a surprising amount of moisture...they're made of around 90 percent water, after all!).

Then, use a hand-held immersion blender, like this one, to purée your pumpkin.

You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days while you try your hand at these festive fall recipes.

Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe

This recipe makes 12-15 pancakes. Unless your toddlers are like mine and love teeny-tiny pancakes; in that case, it makes a TON of toddler-sized pancakes.

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups pumpkin purée (if you don't have pumpkins on-hand, you can buy a 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree; not canned pumpkin pie filling)
• 4 large eggs
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 cups milk

Method

Preheat a griddle or large non-stick skillet to medium heat while you mix the ingredients.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown and granulated sugars, vanilla extract, pumpkin purée, eggs, melted butter, and milk.

Pour the wet ingredients over top of the dry ingredients, and then whisk to combine them. The batter will look lumpy, but that's what you want. Don't overmix it.

Set aside the batter for five minutes. Spray your griddle with non-stick cooking spray, then pour about a third-cup of batter for each pancake.

Cook each pancake for about four minutes per side, then flip. These pancakes are great on their own, but you can serve them with butter, syrup, whipped cream, or any of your other favorite toppings.

Pumpkin Muffins Recipe

This recipe makes about 36 standard-sized muffins. Enjoy as many as you can fresh, and then load up your freezer to enjoy the rest later.

Ingredients

• 4 cups (32 ounces) pumpkin purée made from your leftover pumpkins (alternatively, you can buy two 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree if your pumpkins didn't make it; don't use canned pumpkin pie filling)
• 1.5 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup vegetable or canola oil (we used a mix of avocado and olive oil)
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice (you can make your own by combining 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 4 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground mace, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

Tip: If you're making your own pumpkin pie spice, if you don't have allspice, cloves, or mace on-hand, you can use a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg as a substitute. Don't use a 1:1 ratio of both cinnamon and nutmeg; use less nutmeg than cinnamon, as nutmeg has a stronger flavor profile.

Method

Preheat your oven to 375°F and line three muffin tins with paper or silicon liners.

In a large bowl, place the pumpkin purée, light brown sugar, vegetable or canola oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until ingredients are combined and smooth. Be sure to break up any lumps of sugar.

Add the pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and kosher salt, and then, whisk to combine.

Add the flour and fold it in with a spatula until it's just incorporated and no dry spots remain (don't overmix).

Add the chocolate chips and fold them gently into the batter.

Divide the batter among the muffin pans, filling each one about 3/4 full.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. If you want to eat these while they're still warm, be careful when removing them from the muffin liners; they're so moist and soft, they'll come apart if they're too warm.

Pumpkin Soup Recipe

This recipe makes six to eight servings of soup; eight if you're having smaller portions as a side, or six if you're enjoying it as the main part of your meal.

Ingredients

• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
• 2 15-ounce cans pumpkin purée (about 4 cups)
• 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (can use vegetable broth to keep the recipe vegetarian)
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream

Method

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until it's simmering. Add the minced garlic cloves and cook for about two minutes.

Add the dried thyme leaves, pumpkin purée, salt, ground cumin, black pepper, ground ginger, and paprika.

Cook over medium-low heat for about five minutes, until it's steaming and fragrant.

Pour in the chicken broth and cook, stirring constantly, for about five minutes, until it starts to bubble.

Add in the maple syrup and heavy cream, stirring to combine. If you like a creamier soup, use an immersion blender at this point (or transfer the soup to a blender) to blend it until it reaches your desired consistency.

Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds, thyme, black pepper, or a dollop of heavy cream.

This delicious soup is great on its own or with sweet potato crackers or fresh rolls on the side.

What's your favorite way to make use of your leftover jack-o'-lanterns? Have you tried your hand at any of these seasonal recipes? Let us know in the Comments section below or connect with us on Instagram to share your thoughts!

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