The pumpkin and pumpkin spice craze has taken over our fall food products over the past few years. But hardly any of those store-bought food products contain actual pumpkin! Put the pumpkin back in your favourite fall foods with these 25 real pumpkin recipes for fall. #pumpkinrecipes

25+ Real Pumpkin Recipes to Make At Home This Fall

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Collage of fall-themed pumpkin images: roasted pumpkin seeds in a red bowl on a patterned cloth; text reads '25+ Real Pumpkin Recipes to Make This Fall'; and a pumpkin with rolled pumpkin snacks beside it, capturing an autumnal vibe. Save money, eat better & put fresh pumpkin into your favourite foods this fall season with these 25 real pumpkin recipes.

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There’s something so comforting and nostalgic about pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice, which I think is why we’ve become so obsessed with it. The warm smell of creamy pumpkin mingling with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger is enough to make anyone feel cozy this time of year. But in recent years the pumpkin spice craze has paved the way for a plethora of processed junk food (and I really hesitate on the “food” part).

There’s pumpkin and pumpkin spice everything nowadays: The notorious pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin spice oreos, pumpkin spice marshmallows, pumpkin spice cheerios, pumpkin spice air freshener, pumpkin spice jello… There’s even a pumpkin flavoured cake mix… for your dog!

The sad part about this trend is that there’s hardly any actual pumpkin in these products (if any at all!) Mostly they’re full of sugar, preservatives, modified corn products and extremely processed flavourings and ingredients acting as pumpkin imposters. You might get a taste of real pumpkin pie spice in there, but TBH, it’s mostly junk.

The good news is, there is a better way. You can have your pumpkin spice cake and eat it too (well, not the dog cake. Don’t eat that).

Because let’s face it: fresh pumpkin isn’t so bad. In fact, it’s really good for you! Pumpkins are packed with healthy vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that can do our bodies a world of good.

And there’s nothing unhealthy about authentic pumpkin spice, which is simply a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice. When we take our food choices into our own hands we can control what we put in our meals and our bodies, and keep dangerous additives off of our dinner (and dessert) plates.

So embrace the pumpkin madness of the fall season by trying out some of these REAL pumpkin and pumpkin spice recipes. And save the junk food for Halloween;)

Savory Pumpkin Recipes

A top-down view of savory pumpkin bowtie pasta with fresh herb and parmesan garnish on a white plate

Savory pumpkin recipes are less common than sweet treats and desserts. But they really do rival their sweet counterparts in both taste and ease of cooking.

These simple and delicious savory recipes can take you from the pumpkin patch to your dinner table tonight! You might even find something to add to the menu for the holiday season.

“Way Better Than Canned” Pumpkin Purée by Back To Our Roots

Pumpkin Pasta by Buy This Cook That

Rich & Savory Pumpkin-Thyme Soup by Back To Our Roots

Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good by Dorie Greenspan – Epicurious

Sweet Pumpkin Dishes

A slice of creamy no-bake whipped pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream on top sits on an ornate plate on a fall decor table.

Sweet dishes are where pumpkins rule supreme. There’s no end to the number of desserts, breakfasts, breads and snacks to satisfy your sweet tooth that you can make with pumpkin. Here are just a few of the very best homemade sweet treats to get you started…you might even find your new favorite fall dessert!

No-Bake Whipped Pumpkin Pie by yours truly at The House & Homestead

Never-Fail Pumpkin Cheesecake by Feathers In The Woods

Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Sugar Cookies by Melissa K. Norris

Homemade Pumpkin Roll by Melissa K. Norris

Pumpkin Spice Scones by Common Sense Homesteading

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins by Buy This Cook That

Pumpkin Spice Steel Cut Oats – The Reid Homestead

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling by Shut The Front Dorr

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Cranberries and Walnuts by Common Sense Homesteading

Pumpkin Cranberry Banana Bread by Country Living In A Cariboo Valley

Pumpkin Spice Waffles with Maple Cinnamon Whipped Cream by Common Sense Homesteading

Homemade Pumpkin Caramels by Feathers In The Woods

Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles by Purposefully Simple

Pumpkin Preserving Recipes

Pumpkin and fruit leather roll-ups in a mason jar

Sometimes it’s just not possible to use up all of that fresh pumpkin at once. Luckily, pumpkins store very well in cold storage for a long time thanks to their hard outer skin.

If you’re looking for other ways to preserve your pumpkin to last a little longer, here are some great ideas by some trusted homesteaders!

*Remember: NEVER can pumpkin puree at home! You may pressure can cubed pumpkin, but pureed pumpkin is too thick to can at home as home canners do not reach high enough temperatures to kill dangerous bacteria. Freeze puree or pressure can cubed pumpkin and puree when ready to use.

8 Ways to Preserve Pumpkin at Home by Melissa K. Norris

How to Can Pumpkin At Home by yours truly at The House & Homestead

Pumpkin Fruit Leather by Common Sense Homesteading

Homemade Pumpkin Drinks

A glass bottle of homemade pumpkin spice syrup being poured into a glass. Fresh pumpkins and cinnamon sticks are in the background

There’s nothing quite like the drink that started it all: The infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte (or “PSL”). But you don’t need to shell out $7 a drink at Starbucks to get your hands on a pumpkin spice latte this fall. Make your own pumpkin spice syrup for a fraction of the cost (and be sure that there’s some actual pumpkin in there!). Lattes not your thing? How about some pumpkin spice kombucha or wine? The choice is yours. Pick your potion!

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup from yours truly at The House & Homestead

Pumpkin Wine by Common Sense Homesteading

Pumpkin Spice Kombucha by Common Sense Homesteading

Everything Else

A red ceramic dish on a wooden surface full of spiced roasted pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds, pumpkin spice (sans pumpkin) and pumpkin pot-pourri are just a few of the “other” things you can do with pumpkins aside from cooking and eating the flesh.

If all else fails or you’re just at a loss when it comes to what to do with your carved Jack-O-Lantern after Halloween, remember you can always add it to your compost pile and build up your soil for next spring. No pumpkin should ever go to waste!

But here are a few more ideas on how to use them up anyway (and other uses for pumpkin spice!)

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds by Our Stoney Acres

Roasting Pumpkin Seeds with Garlic & Cumin by Lady Lee’s Home

Pumpkin Spiced Peach Sauce by The Old Walsh Farm*

Pumpkin Pie Potpourri Recipe by My Homestead Life*

*While there’s no actual pumpkin in these last two recipes, they are made with real pumpkin spices and natural ingredients.

So there you have it! 25 real pumpkin and pumpkin spice recipes you can make at home. Save money and eat better with all the comforts of fresh pumpkin this fall.

Stay cozy my friends:)

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About Anna!

I’m Anna, and I’m a former city girl turned modern homesteader who lives with my family (human, furry and feathered) on a ¼-acre property on Vancouver Island. Here we produce and preserve hundreds of pounds of our own food each year and strive to live a more self-reliant lifestyle through all that we do. Now, I’m on a mission to help others—like you—do the same, no matter where you live or how much space you have!

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