Cozy Fall Recipes to Make With Canned Pumpkin

Updated October 03, 2019
Canned pumpkin puree (pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling that has added sugar and spices) is awesome to keep on hand, especially in the fall. You may think of it as just an ingredient in pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread—but it can be used for so much more! From sweet to savory, find the best recipes to use up your canned pumpkin.
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Easy Pumpkin Dump Cake with Streusel Topping

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A dump cake recipe is exactly what it sounds like—you simply dump all of the ingredients into a pan and bake. There isn't a step where you stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture; instead, it goes into the baking pan in three stages and the result is a pudding-like cake with a streusel-like topping. The two parts together are delicious (and you'd be hard-pressed to find an easier fall dessert)!

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Pumpkin Banana Bread

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Two favorite quick breads come together in this healthy pumpkin banana bread recipe. Pumpkin puree and mashed banana add sweetness to help cut down the amount of added sugar while ensuring this 100-percent whole-wheat loaf stays moist and tender.

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Pumpkin Spice Latte

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No super-sweet sugar bombs here! Make your very own pumpkin spice latte at home with this healthy recipe that allows you to control just how much added sugar goes into your coffee drink. If you would rather have a vegan latte, use whatever nondairy milk you'd like. Real pumpkin puree, maple syrup, cinnamon and coffee--it's fall in a mug!

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Pumpkin Ravioli with Olive & Fennel Tomato Sauce

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This easy ravioli recipe features exotic North African Mediterranean flavors. The sweet pumpkin takes on the fennel and oregano flavors well; the salty olives and cheese combined with acidic tomatoes and lemon balances everything out. Look for wonton wrappers in the refrigerated section of the deli.

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Pumpkin Dump Cake

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This pudding-like pumpkin cake has a luscious cream cheese swirl amid the spiced pumpkin layer. Organic cake mix is "dumped" on top, then the cake is smothered with butter. Once baked and cooled, the mix forms a sweet and crispy topping.

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Pumpkin Overnight Oats

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Make these easy vegan overnight oats with whatever nondairy milk you have on hand. It's a great way to use up leftover canned pumpkin--plus, you can multiply the recipe to meal-prep healthy breakfasts for the whole week.

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Waffles

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These gluten-free spiced pumpkin waffles with your choice of toppings will soon be a new family favorite.

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Pumpkin Spice Pudding

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The key to making this healthy, smooth pudding is constant slow whisking. A staff favorite, this recipe is one you'll want to pin for an easy make-ahead dessert.

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Pumpkin-Pie Egg Rolls

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A delightful twist on classic pumpkin pie, these sweet, crispy egg rolls will be your new favorite spiced pumpkin treat. Don't be concerned about the quantity of oil used for frying: only about half of it is absorbed during the cooking process.

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Our Best Traditional Pumpkin Pie

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Get the classic creamy pumpkin taste but less saturated fat and sugar with this lightened-up recipe.

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Pumpkin Pancakes

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This healthy whole-grain pumpkin pancake recipe produces fluffy cakes with a beautiful orange hue from pureed pumpkin and light crunch from toasted pecans. If you want to experiment with different types of whole grains, replace up to 1/2 cup of the whole-wheat flour with cornmeal, oats and/or buckwheat flour. Or add extra fiber and omega-3s by adding up to 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed or chia seeds.

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Pumpkin-Apple Smoothie

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This tasty fall blender breakfast gets protein from almond milk and Greek yogurt.

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Pumpkin Bars

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Get your pumpkin flavor fix with these diabetic-friendly Pumpkin Bars. With only 90 calories per bar, this is the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving or any Fall occasion.

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Pumpkin Swirl Bread

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Give ordinary mashed potatoes a delicious lift of color and flavor by adding pumpkin. If you like, serve in mini pumpkins for a special presentation.

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Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies

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Indulge your PSL obsession with these pumpkin spice cookies. Instant espresso powder gives these soft, cakey cookies a subtle yet recognizable coffee flavor. Spread with cream cheese frosting (with more pumpkin pie spice flavors) and sprinkle with cinnamon to finish. And, go ahead, drink a pumpkin spice latte while you eat them for the full PSL experience. After all, it's only fall for so long (though we'd eat these cookies year-round). To make these cookies kid-friendly, simply omit the espresso powder.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

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What could possibly make pumpkin muffins even better? Mini chocolate chips! Our healthy pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are made with white whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour and are sweetened with just the right amount of brown sugar to make them sweet without being cloying.

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Healthier Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Deliciously warm spiced cake layers are rolled together with slightly tangy cream cheese frosting. This pumpkin jelly roll tastes decadent, but each serving is under 200 calories and has less than 20 grams of sugar. Don't be intimidated by this jelly roll—so long as you work quickly while the cake is warm, it's hard to mess it up or crack the cake.

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Easy Vegan Pumpkin Spice Bagels

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Our popular two-ingredient dough bagels are easy to make vegan with a simple swap. Here, we use pureed pumpkin (instead of Greek yogurt) combined with self-rising flour to make a dairy-free version of the easiest bagels ever. A little pumpkin pie spice takes them to next-level deliciousness. Want to go even further? Add a tablespoon of pure maple syrup to the dough. Then spread on some nut butter or vegan cream cheese and breakfast is served!

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Gnocchi with Bacon & Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

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Get into the fall spirit with this one-pan gnocchi with a creamy pumpkin sauce. Some pumpkin and other squash sauces can be cloyingly sweet, but not this one—it's savory all the way, thanks to the bacon, garlic and thyme. Instead of being boiled, a package of store-bought gnocchi—one of our favorite convenience products—is browned and crisped in a little bit of bacon fat. Then the sauce (made with canned pumpkin—another great convenience product) is prepared right in that same pan, so cleanup is minimal too. Serve with a simple green salad for an easy dinner that comes together in 30 minutes.

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Slow-Cooker Pumpkin Cheesecake

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This easy slow-cooker pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap-and-walnut crust is full of all your favorite fall flavors. Cooking dessert in the slow cooker frees up oven space, making this healthy dessert perfect for entertaining. It might just bump your regular old pumpkin pie off the Thanksgiving menu. To make this recipe gluten-free, swap out the regular gingersnap cookies for gluten-free gingersnaps.

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