Have you been looking for a way to get your fall on, but not sure where to start? Pumpkin season is in full swing my friends, and I have prepared an easy, step-by-step guide for you on how to roast your own pumpkin- (hello homemade pumpkin everything!) seeds and all!
- Pick Your Pumpkin
You’re gonna want a small one, not the big one’s that you carve. This is key, and it also makes them way more manageable to handle! In the stores, they may be referred to by different names like “Autumn Gold”, “Baby Boo”, or “Jumpin’ Jack”.
- Prep it!
This may seem straightforward, but you need to clean that baby up! You’ll want your pumpkin to be free of any debris or dirt, and you also will need to break off the stem- which isn’t as hard as it sounds! Next, cut your pumpkin in half. Make sure your knife is decently sharp, and go at it the hamburger (for lack of a better description) way!
- Seeds
If you want the seeds, as in to roast separately for a yummy and healthy snack, you will need to remove them prior to baking your pumpkin! If you aren’t interested in that venture today, skip this step and leave them intact- they’ll be easier to remove and discard once your pumpkin is cooked. To roast your seeds, scoop out the ‘guts’ and seeds and set aside. It’s a simple process to cook those up too- but that’s a story for another day!
- Cook it!
Once your oven is preheated to 400*F, place your cut pumpkin face down on a baking sheet with sides. Pour a small amount of water onto your sheet, this will help ‘steam’ your pumpkin and assist in the cooking process, ensuring that the outside shell doesn’t burn.
- Success Check
A done pumpkin will be very soft to the touch, and will scrape fairly easily out of the husk! Be careful not to splash the water when testing it, but if you’re questioning if it’s tender enough, throw it in for a few more minutes- you can’t really over do it for these purposes!
- Scoop it!
To keep your pumpkin, you can either keep it fresh for relatively quick use in the fridge, or freeze it for months to come! I like to use tupperwares in the fridge, but baggies in the freezer (squish your pumpkin flat in a freeze bag for a space saving shape)!
- Use it!
Pumpkin is a super versatile and healthy source of fiber and a plethora of vitamins! It’s super low calorie but a great moisturizer for baking literally anything! Here are some of my favorite uses (don’t knock them til ya try them, okay!).
- Mix Ins
I love to mix pumpkin into so much, even canned pumpkin when fresh ones aren’t in season. Some of my top go to’s are greek yogurt or cottage cheese with cocoa powder, oatmeal, and smoothies! I have even used pumpkin in a chili recipe (you could do just soup, too) and it was a huge success!
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Baking
Aside from your classic pumpkin pie, you can use pumpkin as base for so many recipes! Breads, brownies, mug cakes, you name it! Pinterest will be your friend on this one- give it a shot!
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Pumpkin Pancakes
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Last but not least, I love mixing a serving of pumpkin into my favorite pancake mix or concoction, (you can even do protein powder with this), and just adding baking soda and enough water or liquid to give it a good consistency!
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It’s pretty hard to mess up this super festive fall favorite, and it’s versatility means you can let your creative juices run free! I’ve linked a website with some of my favorite pumpkin recipes below, happy baking!
https://amyshealthybaking.com/?s=pumpkin