Repurpose Your Pumpkins: Recipe Ideas!

Don’t let your pumpkins go to waste! Below are recipes for Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Blondies, and even Pumpkin Dog Treats. (And of course, roasted and seasoned pumpkin seeds always make for a great snack.)

NOTE: *The recipes below utilize pumpkin puree. After removing the pumpkin seeds from your pumpkin, cut your pumpkin up and use a food processor or blender to puree until smooth.*

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 4 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 5 whole black peppercorns

Directions:

1. Heat stock, salt, pumpkin, onion, thyme, garlic, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.
2. Puree the soup in small batches (1 cup at a time) using a food processor or blender.
3. Return to pan, and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir in heavy cream. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Blondies

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of unsalted butter, melted
• ⅓ cup of pumpkin puree
• ¾ cup of brown sugar
• ¼ cup of granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13” pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place melted butter, pumpkin puree, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a strand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (You can also use a hand mixer.) Mix until combined. Continue mixing and add the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Add the baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice and mix until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Slowly mix in flour until a smooth dough forms. Stir in your chips.
3. Press dough into prepared pan. Bake for about 18 to 25 minutes or until just browned around the edges and the teeniest bit jiggly in the center (these are better slightly under baked as they finish baking while they cool).
4. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month.

Pumpkin Dog Treats

Ingredients:

• ½ cup pureed pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, softened
• 4 tablespoons water, plus more if needed
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix the pumpkin, softened coconut oil, and water together in a large bowl.
3. Then mix in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder
4. Mix it a bit and then stir in the egg.
5. Continue to stir until it’s all combined. This might take a good minutes and feel free to add a touch more water in order to get all of the mixture into one solid, slightly sticky ball.
6. Once done, roll the dough out on a floured surface to ¼ inch thick.
7. Using a cookie cutter, cut out treats. These can be as small or as large as you want them.
8. Place prepared dough treats on a lined or greased baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until dough has hardened.
9. Let cool and enjoy your pups excitement!

Bon Appetit!