What to Cook with Pumpkin: 22 Recipes, from Cream Soup to Cheesecake
People buy a whole pumpkin in autumn and then wonder what to do with the leftover half. We gathered 22 tested recipes from our site in one place: from cream soup and porridges to cheesecake, a smoothie and winter preserves. Every recipe comes with step-by-step photos, exact time and calories, and the table below helps you choose by time.
In short: pumpkin is not just porridge. This roundup has 22 recipes from our site: cream soups, porridges, fritters and draniki, baking from cake to cheesecake, a smoothie and three winter preserves. The fastest recipe: the smoothie, 15 minutes. The most unexpected: a cheesecake that holds its shape as well as the classic one.
All 22 recipes: the table
| Recipe | Time | Yield and kcal | Why try it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin cream soup | 60 min | 6 servings, 27 kcal | the autumn classic, only 27 kcal |
| Pumpkin-pea puree soup | 60 min + 7 h | 6 servings, 43 kcal | heartier than the classic, peas soak in advance |
| Pumpkin porridge with rice in milk | 35 min | 1 serving, 90 kcal | a childhood classic, 35 minutes |
| Millet porridge with pumpkin in milk | 45 min | 3 servings, 117 kcal | the rustic version, made with millet |
| Pumpkin porridge in a multicooker | 40 min | 4 servings, 223 kcal | almost completely hands-off |
| Pumpkin with buckwheat in the oven | 45 min | 3 servings, 197 kcal | a full main course without meat |
| Pumpkin and potato draniki | 25 min | 3-4 servings, 147 kcal | egg-free, ready in 25 minutes |
| Pumpkin pancakes with raisins on kefir | 40 min | 3 servings, 320 kcal | fluffy, made with kefir |
| Fluffy pumpkin fritters with kefir | 40 min | 3 servings, 264 kcal | a second, lighter take on fritters |
| Pumpkin pancakes with sesame seeds | 40 min | 5 servings, 134 kcal | thin pancakes with a bright orange color |
| Pumpkin baked with honey | 40 min | 4 servings, 72 kcal | a handful of ingredients and an oven |
| Pumpkin with dried fruits baked in the oven | 60 min | 2 servings | a lenten dessert with no sugar and no flour |
| Pumpkin cake with walnuts | 80 min | 5 servings, 209 kcal | a moist loaf for tea |
| Pumpkin muffins with chocolate glaze | 60 min | 6 servings, 314 kcal | individual, with a chocolate top |
| Chudu with pumpkin | 60 min | 4 servings, 183 kcal | a thin Dagestani flatbread |
| Sharlotka with pumpkin and orange | 45 min | 6 servings, 409 kcal | sharlotka, the apple-style sponge cake, made with pumpkin |
| Pumpkin cheesecake | 3.5 h | 12 servings, 114 kcal | the showpiece dessert, 12 servings |
| Pumpkin-orange cookies | 25 min | 5 servings, 227 kcal | cookies in 25 minutes |
| Pumpkin smoothie | 15 min | 4 servings, 79 kcal | the quickest way to eat pumpkin |
| Pickled pumpkin for winter | 35 min + 8 h | 2 jars, 1.5 L, 147 kcal | an unexpected appetizer in a jar |
| Pumpkin jam with dried apricots | 120 min | 6 servings, 104 kcal | amber jam with dried apricots |
| Apple-pumpkin juice for winter | 1 h | 3.5 L, 37 kcal | 3.5 liters of juice in an hour |
Pumpkin soups
Cream soup is the most common thing people look for with pumpkin, and for good reason: the flesh gives a creamy texture on its own, no thickener needed.
Pumpkin cream soup
The pumpkin recipe of the season: a velvety cream soup. An hour of work, 6 servings, only 27 kcal per 100 g. If you are cooking pumpkin for the first time, start here.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: pumpkin cream soup.
Pumpkin-pea puree soup
The same format but heartier: peas add body and protein. An hour of cooking plus 7 hours of soaking, 6 servings, 43 kcal.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: pumpkin-pea puree soup.
Porridges and main dishes
Pumpkin holds its shape when baked and melts down in porridge: two opposite qualities of the same vegetable.
Pumpkin porridge with rice in milk
A milk porridge with rice, the one everybody remembers from childhood. 35 minutes, 90 kcal per 100 g.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: pumpkin porridge with rice in milk.
Millet porridge with pumpkin in milk
The rustic version made with millet: 45 minutes, 3 servings, 117 kcal. Millet suits pumpkin even better than rice.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: millet porridge with pumpkin in milk.
Pumpkin porridge in a multicooker
The slow cooker does everything: load it and forget it for 40 minutes. 4 servings, 223 kcal.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: pumpkin porridge in a multicooker.
Pumpkin with buckwheat in the oven
Pumpkin and buckwheat bake together on one tray and make a full main course. 45 minutes, 197 kcal.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: pumpkin with buckwheat in the oven.
Fritters, pancakes and draniki (grated potato fritters)
Batter with pumpkin comes out bright and moist, and the vegetable is sweet enough to let you cut back on sugar.
Pumpkin and potato draniki
The fastest hot dish here: 25 minutes and no eggs. Pumpkin and potato hold together on their own. 147 kcal.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: pumpkin and potato draniki.
Pumpkin pancakes with raisins on kefir
Fluffy kefir pancakes with raisins: 40 minutes, 3 servings. The most filling of the pumpkin fritters here: 320 kcal.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: pumpkin pancakes with raisins on kefir.
Fluffy pumpkin fritters with kefir
A second, lighter take on fritters: 264 kcal, the same 40 minutes. The batter and ratios differ.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: fluffy pumpkin fritters with kefir.
Pumpkin pancakes with sesame seeds
Thin pancakes with sesame and a bright orange color. 40 minutes, 5 servings, 134 kcal.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: pumpkin pancakes with sesame seeds.
Baking and desserts
The biggest group: from honey-baked pumpkin to cheesecake. Here pumpkin works both as a filling and as part of the batter.
Pumpkin baked with honey
Pumpkin wedges with honey, cinnamon and sesame, all baked on one tray. 40 minutes, 4 servings, 72 kcal.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: pumpkin baked with honey.
Pumpkin with dried fruits baked in the oven
A lenten dessert with no sugar and no flour: pumpkin baked with dried apricots, prunes, raisins and nuts. An hour in the oven, 2 servings.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: pumpkin with dried fruits baked in the oven.
Pumpkin cake with walnuts
A moist loaf with walnuts: pumpkin keeps the crumb juicy for days. 80 minutes, 209 kcal.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: pumpkin cake with walnuts.
Pumpkin muffins with chocolate glaze
Individual muffins under a chocolate glaze: an hour of work, 6 servings, 314 kcal.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: pumpkin muffins with chocolate glaze.
Chudu with pumpkin
A thin Dagestani flatbread with a pumpkin filling. An hour of work, 4 servings, 183 kcal.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: chudu with pumpkin.
Sharlotka with pumpkin and orange
Charlotte is not only about apples: this one has pumpkin, raisins and orange. 45 minutes, 6 servings.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: sharlotka with pumpkin and orange.
Pumpkin cheesecake
The showpiece dessert here: 12 servings, 114 kcal per 100 g. It takes 3.5 hours, but most of that is chilling time you do nothing for.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: pumpkin cheesecake.
Pumpkin-orange cookies
Cookies with orange in 25 minutes: a quick way to use the oven while it is still hot.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: pumpkin-orange cookies.
Drinks and winter preserves
Pumpkin keeps in a cellar until spring, but part of the harvest is easier to put into jars: juice, jam and pickled cubes.
Pumpkin smoothie
The quickest way to eat pumpkin: 15 minutes, 4 servings, 79 kcal.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: pumpkin smoothie.
Apple-pumpkin juice for winter
An hour of work gives 3.5 liters of juice, the biggest yield here. Apples bring the acidity, pumpkin the body. 37 kcal.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: apple-pumpkin juice for winter.
Pumpkin jam with dried apricots
Amber jam with dried apricots: 2 hours, 6 servings, 104 kcal. The apricots add tartness and color.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: pumpkin jam with dried apricots.
Pickled pumpkin for winter
An unexpected appetizer: pickled pumpkin in jars. 35 minutes of work, plus 8 hours cooling under a blanket (the jars are wrapped so they cool slowly). Yields two 1.5-liter jars.
Step-by-step recipe with photos: pickled pumpkin for winter.
How to choose and prepare pumpkin
- For soups and porridges pick butternut-type varieties with dense orange flesh: they are sweeter and more aromatic.
- The pumpkin should feel heavy for its size, with a dry stem and no soft spots.
- Large winter varieties keep in a cool pantry until spring, butternut types usually 3-4 months, so use those first. Wrap a cut pumpkin in cling film and keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Peel young pumpkins with a vegetable peeler and large ones with a knife: winter varieties have tough skin.
- Do not throw away the seeds: rinse them, dry them in the oven and you have a snack ready to eat.
Common mistakes
- Using a big carving pumpkin instead of a sugar (pie) pumpkin: the flesh is watery and barely sweet.
- Adding water when roasting pumpkin: it is juicy enough already, and extra moisture prevents caramelization.
- Putting watery puree into batter without cooking it down first: the bake will stay raw in the middle.
- Overboiling pumpkin when you want it in pieces, in a stew or a side dish: 15-20 minutes is enough, longer and it loses both shape and flavor.
- Keeping cut pumpkin at room temperature: the cut surface sours quickly.
See also
❓ Frequently asked questions
Which pumpkin is best for cooking?
Cooking varieties with dense orange flesh, most often butternut or other sugar (pie) pumpkins. Large fodder pumpkins are watery and barely sweet, and they make a bland soup. Judge by weight: a good pumpkin is heavier than it looks.
Does pumpkin need peeling?
Young pumpkins with thin skin can keep it, as it softens when baked. Large winter varieties have tough skin that is cut off with a knife. For cream soups and porridges you always peel it.
How long does pumpkin keep?
It depends on the variety: large winter pumpkins with a dry stem keep in a cool dark place until spring, butternut types usually 3-4 months. A cut one is wrapped in cling film and kept in the fridge for 3-4 days, after which the cut surface darkens and sours.
Can pumpkin be frozen?
Yes, and it is the simplest way to save a harvest: in cubes for soup, or pureed and frozen in single portions. After thawing the texture suits porridges, soups and baking, but not salads.
How do I get rid of the grassy taste?
Roast the cubes at 190-200 C for 20-25 minutes, until soft with browned edges, and only then add them to soup or batter: roasting concentrates the sugars and removes the raw vegetal note. Spices help too: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger.
What can replace pumpkin in a recipe?
In soups and porridges zucchini or carrot will do, though the flavor changes noticeably. In baking, sweet potato or carrot puree comes closest: they bring the same moisture and sweetness.
Is pumpkin really low in calories?
On its own, yes: about 25-30 kcal per 100 g for culinary varieties, a little more for butternut types. But the calories of a dish come from what you add: cream, sugar, butter, nuts and dried fruit. That is why the cream soup here comes to 27 kcal while the sharlotka is already 409.
When is pumpkin season?
The main harvest comes in September and October, when prices are lowest and flavor is best. Thanks to its long storage life, pumpkin stays available all winter.
What is the quickest thing to make with pumpkin?
A smoothie (15 minutes), draniki (25 minutes) and orange cookies (25 minutes). All three are in this roundup.