{"id":38022,"date":"2025-11-07T18:12:33","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T18:12:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/usa\/chefs-share-the-10-best-ways-to-use-canned-pumpkin-and-3-recipes-you-should-probably-skip\/"},"modified":"2025-11-07T18:12:33","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T18:12:33","slug":"chefs-share-the-10-best-ways-to-use-canned-pumpkin-and-3-recipes-you-should-probably-skip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/usa\/chefs-share-the-10-best-ways-to-use-canned-pumpkin-and-3-recipes-you-should-probably-skip\/","title":{"rendered":"Chefs share the 10 best ways to use canned pumpkin &mdash; and 3 recipes you should probably skip"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/690e301d21c3f142ebfc53cc?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Sliced pumpkin with nuts, whipped cream on top\"\/><figcaption>Canned pumpkin can work well in a lot of recipes, but you may not want to use it in everything you make this fall.<\/p>\n<p>The Willow Films\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>We asked chefs for of the best ways to use canned pumpkin and recipes where fresh is best.<\/li>\n<li>Canned pumpkin can work well in smoothies, mac and cheese, cocktails, or curry.<\/li>\n<li>One culinary pro said it&#039;s often better to use fresh pumpkin in pies, muffins, and cakes. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Though you may only associate it with holiday pies or spiced lattes, pumpkin is actually a versatile fruit that shines in a variety of sweet and savory dishes. <\/p>\n<p>When using pumpkin in the kitchen, many opt for the canned stuff. Fortunately, canned pumpkin can be an accessible ingredient that elevates all sorts of dishes, drinks, and desserts.<\/p>\n<p>However, some recipes benefit from using fresh pumpkin \u2014 even if a little more chopping and prep is required.<\/p>\n<p>For a little help on deciding which route to take, Business Insider asked chefs to share their favorite and least favorite ways to use canned pumpkin.<\/p>\n<p>Use canned pumpkin to elevate mac and cheese.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/690e269521c3f142ebfc51e6?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Mac and cheese with golden-brown top\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Haruna_cchi \/ Shutterstock<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Chef and culinary consultant Clare Langan told BI that she likes to put canned pumpkin in mac and cheese.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Just stir canned pumpkin into the cheese sauce with freshly chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, or sage,&quot; Langan said. &quot;Add some freshly grated nutmeg and voil\u00e0.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Langan said she suggests using more robust cheeses, such as Gruy\u00e8re or sharp cheddar, when making pumpkin mac and cheese.<\/p>\n<p>Making pumpkin butter may be easier than you think.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/690e2695513c94655a3dd635?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Slice of pumpkin bread with pumpkin butter\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Teri Virbickis \/ Shutterstock<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Pumpkin butter is an indulgent spread that&#039;s fairly easy to make at home.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Make pumpkin butter by simmering canned pumpkin with maple syrup or brown sugar, and then add a few tablespoons of butter and a dash of pumpkin-pie spice,&quot; said Langan.<\/p>\n<p>Cool the mixture and store it in the fridge. You can also dip apples in it or swirl it into oatmeal<\/p>\n<p>Canned pumpkin can make a curry creamier.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/690e2bb0513c94655a3dd744?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Curry chicken dish in bowl\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Tatiana Volgutova\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you&#039;re looking to add sweetness and color to your next curry, try stirring in a bit of canned pumpkin pur\u00e9e.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Canned pumpkin is great in red or yellow curries,&quot; Langan said. &quot;The flavor of pumpkin can be rather neutral, so go heavier on the curry paste and fish sauce.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Finish the curry with several squeezes of fresh lime to add a touch of brightness to the dish.<\/p>\n<p>Use it to make a filling smoothie with an autumnal twist.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/690e2f3c21c3f142ebfc5396?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Spinach, apples, milk in glass\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>J_art\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For a sweet drink that feels like fall, Langan said to try adding canned pumpkin and pecans to a smoothie.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;All you have to do is blend a spoonful of pumpkin with milk, a frozen banana, vanilla protein powder, a handful of toasted pecans, and ice,&quot; said Langan.<\/p>\n<p>For extra autumnal flavor, add a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin-pie spice.<\/p>\n<p>Try adding canned pumpkin and maple syrup to your mashed potatoes.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/690e2fa67f37aa653f55a243?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Sweet potatoes topped with pecans in casserole dish\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Nina Firsova\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Robert Carr, executive chef at La Cantera Resort and Spa, told BI that he likes to use pumpkin and maple syrup to give mashed potatoes a unique twist.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Pumpkin adds such depth of flavor to buttery whipped potatoes,&quot; he said. &quot;Just take your favorite mashed-potato recipe and add pumpkin pur\u00e9e and maple syrup to taste.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>If necessary, reduce the amount of cream or butter in your mashed-potato recipe to keep the dish from becoming too watery after the addition of the pumpkin pur\u00e9e.<\/p>\n<p>Canned pumpkin can be used as a substitute for eggs in bread.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/690e26957f37aa653f55a097?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Pumpkin loaf on cutting board\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Teri Virbickis \/ Shutterstock<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Chef Tracy Wilk said that canned pumpkin can be used as a vegan-friendly egg substitute in many quick bread recipes.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;You can use a quarter cup of canned pumpkin for each egg your bread recipe calls for,&quot; Wilk said. &quot;It adds delicious nutrients and a slight pumpkin flavor.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Wilk especially recommends trying pumpkin as an egg replacer in zucchini bread.<\/p>\n<p>Try a fall-flavored margarita with canned pumpkin and cider.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/690e28617f37aa653f55a0f8?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Cider drink in cup\"\/><figcaption>Pumpkin can upgrade all sorts of cocktails and drinks in the fall.<\/p>\n<p>istetiana\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Don Baiocchi, recipe developer at Paleo Gluten-Free Guy, told BI that canned pumpkin is an unexpected but delicious addition to a classic margarita.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Just combine spiced apple cider, tequila, and canned pumpkin in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a glass rimmed with smoky sea salt and you&#039;re done,&quot; he said.<\/p>\n<p>You can adjust the amount of pumpkin pur\u00e9e in this cocktail to your taste, or substitute the tequila with vodka.<\/p>\n<p>You can make a creamy, dairy-free pasta sauce with pumpkin.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/690e2cf5513c94655a3dd783?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Fork in pasta dish with orange sauce\"\/><figcaption>Pumpkin can make a pasta sauce even creamier.<\/p>\n<p>Ezume Images\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Canned pumpkin can add flavor, creaminess, and richness to pasta dishes.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Make a creamy sauce for pasta by using pumpkin as the &#039;cream&#039; element in a tomato sauce,&quot; Wilk said. &quot;I especially love serving this sauce with squash ravioli.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>If you&#039;re not ready to totally cut cream from your sauce, try replacing half of the amount called for with pumpkin pur\u00e9e.<\/p>\n<p>Use canned pumpkin to easily whip up a vegan ice cream.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/690e26957f37aa653f55a098?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Pumpkin ice cream in glass contain\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Alp Aksoy \/ Shutterstock<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For an easy fall dessert, Baiocchi said, try making your own vegan ice cream with bananas and canned pumpkin.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;In a food processor, add two frozen and chopped bananas, a quarter can of canned pumpkin, and maple syrup to taste,&quot; he said. &quot;Mix in spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>If you prefer a harder ice-cream consistency, simply pop the blended ice cream in the freezer for a few hours.<\/p>\n<p>Pumpkin is a sweet addition to a classic French toast.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/690e291c513c94655a3dd6c2?format=jpeg\" alt=\"French toast on plate with syrup, powdered sugar\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>officeU1\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You can make French toast more exciting by adding a helping of canned pumpkin to the batter.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Just take your standard French toast mix and add pumpkin pur\u00e9e,&quot; Carr said. &quot;I like to use sweet Hawaiian bread to make the dish extra indulgent.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>You can even top your pumpkin French toast with whipped cream, crunchy granola, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a dusting of cinnamon.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, canned pumpkin isn&#039;t always the best for soups.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/690e2695513c94655a3dd636?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Pumpkin soup with seeds on top\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Narsil \/ Shutterstock<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Chef Clay Debattista of Chapa Catering told BI that pumpkin soup benefits from the use of fresh fruit rather than canned.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Roasted fresh pumpkin gets a caramelized flavor that really improves pumpkin soup,&quot; he said. &quot;You don&#039;t get that flavor with canned pumpkin.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>If you make soup with canned pumpkin, consider adding caramelized vegetables and onions, or roasted garlic, to add more depth to its flavor.<\/p>\n<p>Canned pumpkin isn&#039;t actually ideal for pie.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/690e269521c3f142ebfc51e5?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream fork\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>gsk2014 \/ Shutterstock<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Though the canned stuff is convenient, it&#039;s really not the most flavorful way to make pumpkin pie, Debattista said.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Making pumpkin pie with fresh pumpkin rather than canned means you get this beautiful nutty flavor that develops when the pie is in the oven,&quot; he added.<\/p>\n<p>Fresh pumpkin could improve the texture of your cake and muffins better than canned stuff.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/690e2c2d21c3f142ebfc530e?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Pumpkin spice muffins topped with nuts in tin\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Natalie Kolb\/MediaNews Group\/Reading Eagle via Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you&#039;re making a pumpkin-flavored cake, opt for the fresh fruit instead.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Fresh pumpkin becomes very creamy when blended,&quot; Debattista said. &#039;This unique texture makes it ideal for baking into a cake.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>This tip can also be applied to other cake-like pumpkin treats, such as muffins or sweet breads.<\/p>\n<p><em>This story was originally published on TK and most recently updated on TK.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Read the original article on Business Insider<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Canned pumpkin can work well in a lot of recipes, but you may not want to use it in everything you make this fall. The Willow Films\/Shutterstock We asked chefs for of the best ways to use canned pumpkin and recipes where fresh is best. Canned pumpkin can work well in smoothies, mac and cheese, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38023,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-38022","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-usa"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38022"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38022\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38023"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}