Celebrate Fall With These Eight Unusual Pumpkin Recipes
Get inspired to experiment in the kitchen by these fun, unique dishes and drinks
Fall means different things to different people – football, brisk weather, the start of the holiday season, but there’s one thing that seems to inspire everyone to embrace autumn, no matter when the season arrives in your city: pumpkins. From pumpkin spice lattes to pumpkin pie, the flavor is inescapable during this season. But if you’re tired of the tried-and-true staples, check out our selection of unusual pumpkin recipes.
In This Article
1. Pumpkin Pineapple and Rum Cocktail
Photo courtesy of www.cookieandkate.com
Mix rum, pineapple juice and pumpkin puree to create a boozy beverage that’s perfect for happy hour or served for dessert. Don’t be afraid of the pineapple-pumpkin combination – it’s just weird enough to work perfectly. To learn how to create this concoction, check out the recipe.
2. Pumpkin Wild Rice Salad
Photo courtesy of www.triedinblue.blogspot.com
Craving something a little healthier and feeling adventurous? Filled with cauliflower, wild rice, pumpkin puree, apples, raisins and pecans, this flavorful salad is far from boring or basic – in fact, it’s downright odd. Get the pumpkin wild rice salad recipe here, and to ensure it doesn’t overwhelm your taste buds, add ingredients with care; a little goes a long way.
3. Autumn Cobb Salad With Smoky Pumpkin Dressing
Photo courtesy of www.heatherchristo.com
Try topping a salad with smoky pumpkin dressing, or add pumpkin chunks and seeds to your usual mix of veggies. While this may not be quite as satisfying as a sweet pumpkin treat, eating this means you’re at least a little more likely to fit into your clothes by the time Thanksgiving rolls around. Check out this recipe for Autumn Cobb Salad With Smoky Pumpkin Dressing to discover how to create both, and you can enjoy them together or apart.
4. Fettuccine Pumpkin Cauli-Fredo
Photo courtesy of www.cupcakesandkalechips.com
Pumpkin, cauliflower and parmesan cheese blend beautifully in this fettuccine pumpkin cauli-fredo recipe, which is a lighter (and definitely different) alternative to traditional fettuccine Alfredo. Considering how well pumpkin and cheesecake go together, this mix of pumpkin and parmesan could definitely be a winner.
5. Pumpkin and Cashew “Ricotta” Stuffed Shells
Hungry for more pasta? Give this vegan pumpkin and cashew “ricotta” stuffed shells recipe a shot. Omnivores, don’t be scared – a creamy sage sauce keeps this dish from tasting too healthy. The only thing you have to worry about is having enough patience to fill each of those shells with pumpkin. Good luck!
6. Spicy Pumpkin Soup With Coconut Milk
Photo courtesy of www.glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
Instead of whipping up your to-go chili recipe, try out this spicy pumpkin soup with coconut milk recipe. With green chiles and salsa, it’s sure to warm you up! But if you can’t handle the heat, you don’t have to get out of the kitchen – just add more agave and coconut milk, and back off on the spices.
7. Spiced Pumpkin Cornbread
Photo courtesy of www.dailygarnish.com
Pair your soup with this recipe for spiced pumpkin cornbread, which combines ingredients like corn, maple syrup and, yes, pumpkin. The sweet and savory combination keeps things interesting, but if you need to sweeten the deal, pour a little syrup on the cornbread just before digging in.
8. Chocolate Whoopie Pies With Pumpkin Custard Filling
What’s black and orange and perfect for a Halloween treat? Chocolate whoopie pies with pumpkin custard filling! Sure, they take a little more work than grabbing a bag of candy from the supermarket, but they look like they’re worth the wait. Bonus: This flavor combination actually doesn’t seem all that strange!
*Lead photo courtesy of Barbara Krawcowicz, available under a Creative Commons license.
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