How to Roast a Pumpkin-It’s Easier than You Think

There’s something special about roasting your own pumpkins in the fall! Sure, it takes a little longer than buying pumpkin puree but it’s totally worth it to buy local or use a pumpkin that you grew! My pumpkin plants didn’t do very well this year so I bought a few from a local farmer. I roasted two sugar pumpkins and then made a pie with pumpkin puree to spare. One of the best things about How to Roast a Pumpkin is that it requires very little prep—just wash, cut, season, and pop it in the oven.

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What you Need:

• Sugar Pumpkins (or other pumpkins good for baking-see list below)
• Sheet pan– I really like my cast iron pan. I’ve moved into cooking and baking with more cast iron cookware and I’m so glad I did. Nontoxic kitchenware can be hard to come by and these are a no-brainer for me.
• Olive oil or avocado oil– Go for organic when possible. You can use some kind of oil so your pumpkin doesn’t stick to your sheet pan. My cast iron sheet pan is well oiled and used so I didn’t need any but if you are using another kind of pan I would use some oil!
• Seasoning- This is up to you, I didn’t use any seasonings because I’ll season later but you could use salt and pepper or experiment a little bit!

Choosing the Right Cooking Pumpkin and Health Benefits

Before we get into how to roast a pumpkin, let’s go over types and health benefits of pumpkins. While there are many pumpkins that are edible, there are some varieties that are better for roasting and making pies with and some that are better left to carve and decorate. Here are some pumpkins that I would choose to cook with:

• Sugar Pumpkins (aka pie pumpkins)
• Cinderelle Pumpkins
• Japanese Pumpkin
• Long Island Cheese Pumpkin
• Fairytale Pumpkin
• Honorable Mention: Butternut Squash- This is a good alternative to pumpkin even for pumpkin pies

Pumpkins are high in many nutrients making this great for cooking with, adding to smoothies, or baking pies with…because a pie made with a vegetable counts as healthy, right? 😉

Pumpkins are high in vitamin A, C, and E and help to fight free radicals and support your immune system. Vitamins C & E are both antioxidants which help reduce inflammation and support eye and skin health. Pumpkins are a great source of fiber, which many of us don’t get enough of. Overall pumpkins are an underrated veggie that we all should eat more of.

How to Roast a Pumpkin

Preheat the oven to 350º. Wash and cut the sugar pumpkins in half. Scrap out the seeds and save for them roasting.

Brush the cut side of the pumpkin with oil and season if desired. I didn’t season mine because I planned on using it for pie so the seasonings will come later. Put the cut side down on a baking sheet.

Roast in the oven for about 40 minutes. The pumpkins are done when you can pierce the skin easily with a fork. Allow to cool so you can handle it. I like to flip them over so they cool off a little quicker. Peel off the skin so you’re only left with the pumpkin meat.

If you’re making pumpkin puree for pies or smoothies, use a food processor, food mill, blender, or just a potato mashes, break up the pumpkin pieces until they are smooth.

Pumpkin Recipes for your Roasted Pumpkin

These pumpkin recipes are just begging to be added to my dinners list this week. I hope you enjoy them too.

• Farmhouse on Boone’s Sourdough Pumpkin Coffee Cake
• DeLallo’s Pumpkin Gnocci Soup
• Vodka & Biscuit’s Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Sage Sausage

Don’t forget to check out my Free Pumpkin Crochet Pattern to stick with the pumpkin theme of today’s post! These little pumpkins would be great as table decorations at Thanksgiving or as cute little banner decoration.

How to Roast a Pumpkin

This roasted pumpkin recipe transforms fresh pumpkin into a rich, tender flesh perfect for a variety of dishes. Ideal for soups, pies, purees, and more, it brings out the natural sweetness and flavor of pumpkin in the simplest way.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Servings 4 cups

Ingredients

  

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 sugar pumpkins

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350º.
• Cut the sugar pumpkins in half. Scrap out the seeds and save for roasting.
• Brush pumpkin with oil and season if desired. Put cut side down on a baking sheet.
• Roast in the oven for about 40 minutes. The pumpkins are done when you can pierce the skin easily with a fork.
• Allow to cool so you can handle it. Peel off the skin so you're only left with the pumpkin meat.
• Using a food processor, food mill, blender, or just a potato mashes, break up the pumpkin pieces until they are smooth.