Sweater weather is officially here, and we’re all sorts of pumped. Especially when it comes to everyone’s favorite seasonal gourd! Because the thing is, cheerful orange pumpkins aren’t just for carving and pies. We’re showcasing sweet and savory uses involving everything from pumpkin flesh to pumpkin seeds—with a passing nod, of course, to the all-mighty pumpkin spice!
A Need for Seeds
Whether carving a hefty jack-o-lantern or slicing up a sugar pumpkin for pie, you’re going to be left with handfuls of slippery seeds which should absolutely never go to waste. They happen to be incredible for snacking! Crunchy on the outside and smooth and buttery within, pumpkin seeds are packed with nutrients and antioxidants. So how do you cook pumpkin seeds? All you need to do is coat them with olive oil and seasonings—go sweet with everything from single-origin cinnamon to solar grown ginger honey, or savory with bourbon-smoked paprika or pistachio sesame dipping spices: a take on Egyptian dukkah. Then roast them in a single layer at 400F, tossing occasionally until crispy.
Don’t feel like fooling around in the kitchen? You can absolutely get ahold of seeds that are ready to eat. Our bag-to-mouth faves come coated with everything from dark chocolate to earthy maple. Pumpkin is also our top-seeded pick (sorry, sesame) when it comes to autumnal crackers made with brown rice flour, sweetened with brown sugar, and spiked with cumin and licorice-like fennel.
Spice Odyssey
Thank a certain latte that shall not be named for thrusting this seasonal spice mix into the spotlight. It’s become a bonafide autumn obsession, where you’ll find it sprinkled on everything from popcorn to pasta. Try mixing it into brown butter, spooned over pumpkin ravioli…yum!
Here at Mouth, we’re always on the hunt for the nosh not taken, and love when makers open our eyes to unusual uses for expected ingredients. That’s why puffed quinoa clusters spiked with pumpkin spice and bound with chocolate have really got our blood pump’in. They’re the pick of the patch!
Piece Out
Bye, pie! When it comes to feasts of the flesh, there are plenty of ways to enjoy pumpkin. As far as pumpkin recipes go, we love it stirred into risotto as well as pancake batter. Pair them with a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate (finished with a dash of pumpkin pie spice!), and you’ll definitely agree that life is gourd.