The best pumpkin recipes from around the globe

From Asia to the Middle East, Mexico to the United States, cuisines the world over use pumpkin in a dizzying variety of ways. We've collected recipes and tips for Halloween celebrations and beyond.

Recipes:

Breads and Breakfasts

Cranberry-Walnut Pumpkin Bread

Ginger-Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin-Walnut Flapjacks

Pumpkin Waffles

Pumpkin Doughnuts with Powdered Sugar Glaze and Spiced Sugar Doughnut Holes

Spiced Pumpkin Loaves with Whipped Cream

Soups, Starters, and Sides

Curried Pumpkin Bisque with Cheddar Cheese

Silky-Coconut Pumpkin Soup (keg Bouad Mak Fak Kham)

Pumpkin and Fennel Pastries

Warm Pumpkin Salad with Polenta and Candied Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Dumplings

Pumpkin Cannelloni with Clams and Sage Brown Butter

Fettuccine with Pumpkin, Shiitakes and Mascarpone

Pan-Seared Scallops with Pumpkin Risotto

Sweets

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie with Gingersnap Pecan Crust

Pumpkin-Pecan Pie with Whiskey Butter Sauce

Frozen Pumpkin Mousse with Walnut-Toffee Crunch

Pumpkin Flan with Pumpkin Seed Praline

Pumpkin Custard Profiteroles with Maple Caramel

Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cake with Sage Ice Cream and Pumpkin Cherry Compote

Seeds

Pollo En Pipian Verde

Pumpkin-Seed-Crusted Trout

Spicy Roasted Squash Soup with Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Chicken in Green Pumpkin-Seed Sauce

Spiced Pumpkin-Seed Flatbread

Pumpkin Seed Brittle

Click here for many more recipes

Tips:

Use the Whole Pumpkin

For a festive touch, try serving soup in bowls made from hollowed-out pumpkins: Cut tops off several small pumpkins, remove seeds, and scrape inside walls clean. Wash thoroughly with warm water, place pumpkins on a baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes until hot (this will help keep the soup warm). Ladle soup into "bowls" and serve.

Save Larger Pumpkins for Carving

For cooking, look for small sugar pumpkins rather than the larger ones used for jack-o'-lanterns. The smaller varieties are sweeter, fleshier, and less watery.

Use Pure Pumpkin

For many baked goods, canned pumpkin purée is as good or better than fresh. Look for cans labeled "solid-pack" rather than "pumpkin pie filling" (which has other ingredients added).

Prep the Crust

When making cream or custard pies, it's helpful to partially bake the bottom crust before filling. This is called "blind baking" and helps ensure that moisture from the filling doesn't make the crust soggy. To blind-bake a crust, lightly prick the bottom all over with a fork (this will prevent air bubbles from forming). Line with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans (these will keep the dough flat during baking). Bake until pale golden, remove weights, then fill and bake again, covering edges with foil to prevent overbrowning.

Select the Right Seeds

When a recipe calls for pumpkin seeds, generally they're the hulled green variety called pepitas that are used in Mexican cooking and available in many supermarkets and health food stores. The unhulled seeds obtained when carving a jack-o'-lantern can also be eaten -- they're delicious toasted and sprinkled with salt. Simply separate from the pulp, rinse, drain, and roast.



MORE FROM EPICURIOUS.COM:

  • Recipes & Menus
    Epicurious.com's portfolio of dishes for all seasons, cuisines and occasions

  • Recipe Slideshows
    Assorted galleries featuring pictures and recipes from Epicurious.com