Leftover pumpkin puree

I wish I had gotten this a week ago, when I accidentally bought the wrong size of pumpkin puree and ended up throwing the extra away because I had no clue what to do with it.  This was taken from Simple bites, these ideas/ recipes use 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree or LESS!

Stir it Into Your Favorite Beverage

It seems that this time of year, recipes for Pumpkin Spice Latte’s abound. But don’t limit it to just latte’s. Stir some purée into your favorite hot chocolate recipe, make a milkshake or smoothie, add it to some hot apple cider or even a cup of spiced tea. Just don’t forget to add some Pumpkin Spice!

Recipes:

• Pumpkin Spice Latte | Sugar Crafter (uses 1.5 tablespoons)
• Pumpkin-Spiced Hot Chocolate | Kitchen Simplicity (uses 1/3 cup)
• Pumpkin Pie Blizzard | Dulce Dough (uses 1/4 cup)
• Pumpkin Spice Smoothie | Healthful Pursuit (uses 1/2 cup)
• Pumpkin Spice Vietnamese Iced Coffee | Food + Words (uses 1 oz)

Use it in Sweets and Baking

Not all sweets use a large amount of pumpkin. If you find a recipe that interests you, and uses a small amount of pumpkin, make note of it so you can reference it later.
Make sure to include it in some of your tried and true favorites as well. Stir some into rice pudding, frozen yogurt or ice cream, vanilla pudding or substitute it for some banana in banana bread.

Recipes:

• Pumpkin Bao Buns | Stetted (uses 1/2 cup)
• Pumpkin Gingersnap Cookies | Two Peas & Their Pod (uses 1/2 cup)
• Mini Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecakes | Gingerbread Bagels (uses 1/3 cup)
• Pumpkin Biscotti | Dessert for Two (uses 1/4 cup)
• Pumpkin Chai Spiced Mantecados | A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa (uses 2 oz)
• Pumpkin Garlic Knots | Handle the Heat (uses 1/2 cup)
• Pumpkin Semifreddo | Tartelette (uses 1/2 cup)

Serve it Up for Breakfast

Mix it with cream cheese and spread it on a bagel, stir it into oatmeal or your favorite pancake recipe. Breakfast is the perfect vessel for including small amounts of pumpkin. Try mixing some into yogurt and layer it with granola to make a parfait or turn it into a spread and eat it with toast.

Recipes:

• Microwave Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal | The Craving Chronicles (uses 2 tablespoons)
• Pumpkin Spice Pancakes | Pennies on a Platter (uses 1/2 cup)
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese | Easy. Everyday. Eats. (uses 1/3 cup)
• Pumpkin Spice Granola | Baking Bites  (uses 1/2 cup)
• Pumpkin Maple Butter | Healthy Happy Life (uses 1/2 cup)
• Maple Pumpkin Pie Yogurt Breakfast Parfait | The Yummy Life (uses 1/2 cup)

Use it for Dinner

Pumpkin isn’t only for sweets, it has it’s place on the dinner table too. Stir some into risotto or a creamy pasta sauce. Add it to soup to give it some body and warmth or use it as a substitute for squash to switch up an old favorite.
Don’t forget about mashed potatoes! Give them a well-buttered look by adding a few tablespoons of pumpkin purée in while mashing. Delicious!

Recipes

• Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Cream Sauce | Cheeky Kitchen (uses 1/2 cup)
• Super Mac & Cheese | Simple Bites (uses 1/2 cup)
• Easy-As-Pie Pumpkin Rotini | Simply Stardust (uses 6 spoonfuls)
• Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage Butter | Dishing up Delights (uses 1/2 cup)
• Spicy Pumpkin Hummus | Once Upon a Cutting Board (uses 1/2 cup)

With a little bit of creativity no pumpkin need go to waste. Have fun experimenting and if something doesn’t turn out, don’t sweat it. That’s all part of the fun of experimenting in the kitchen.