Do you have leftover fresh or canned pumpkin puree? I’m sharing 30+ recipes that use up the last of your pumpkin puree, plus best ways to store it. I bake a lot of pumpkin treats in the fall season and I know many of you do too, so this post is extra handy!
It’s easy to bake with pumpkin during the fall season (pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!) because it’s a versatile and delicious ingredient that brings moisture and flavor to baked goods. I usually bake with canned pumpkin puree because that’s what’s easiest, so it’s often I have 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup leftover in the can. Or if I make a big batch of homemade pumpkin puree (this homemade pumpkin puree tutorial is great), I usually have leftovers.
Does this sound like you? Is leftover pumpkin puree taking over your life? Maybe not in the dramatic way I just described (LOL), but this post will solve that problem! 😉
How to Store or Freeze Leftover Pumpkin Puree
Store in the refrigerator: Fresh or leftover canned pumpkin puree lasts for about 1 week in the refrigerator. Remove leftover pumpkin puree from the can and spoon it into a container with a tight-sealing lid or into a bowl that you can cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store fresh pumpkin puree the same way—tightly covered.
- Tip for baking with leftover pumpkin: If other ingredients in your recipe must be at room temperature, bring the pumpkin puree to room temperature too.
How to freeze pumpkin puree: You can freeze fresh or canned pumpkin puree for up to 3 months. To freeze, spoon into a zip-top bag, lay flat, squeeze out any air, and lay flat in the freezer. You can also freeze in a tightly sealed container—the less air in the container the better—or in ice cube trays. Once frozen in ice cube trays, remove pumpkin cubes and place in a sealable container. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator, and if there is excess liquid after thawing, drain it off before using the thawed pumpkin.
1 Standard 15-Ounce (425g) Can of Pumpkin Is Almost 2 Cups
1 cup of pumpkin puree weighs 8 ounces (226g), so there’s a little less than 2 cups in a 15-ounce (425g) can. That being said, however, you could certainly use 1 can for 2 recipes that each call for 1 cup of pumpkin—you won’t notice anything is missing. Just leave out 1 Tablespoon of pumpkin (about 15g) from each recipe. (You could even add a Tablespoon or two of unsweetened applesauce to replace the pumpkin puree.) From the lists below, you can mix and match recipes to build up to 2 cups.
- Why don’t some recipes use the entire can of pumpkin puree? Some can’t withstand that extra moisture and weight. If you used the whole 15-ounce can in these pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal bars, the bars won’t set up properly since there’s not enough dry ingredients. (But just double the recipe and use the whole can!)
Recipes That Use Leftover Pumpkin Puree
Measure the amount of pumpkin you have leftover, then find that amount listed below:
These Recipes Use More Than 1 Cup of Pumpkin Puree
- Pumpkin Bread (1 and 1/2 cups; about 340g)
- Pumpkin Muffins (1 and 1/2 cups; about 340g)
- Soft Pumpkin Cookies (1 and 1/2 cups; about 340g)
- Pumpkin Crumb Cake Muffins (1 and 1/2 cups; about 340g)
- Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffins on page 235 in Sally’s Baking 101 (1 and 1/2 cups; about 340g)
- Mini Pumpkin Pies (1 and 1/4 cups; about 285g)
- Pumpkin Streusel Bars (1 and 1/4 cups; about 285g)
- Pumpkin Pancakes (1 and 1/4 cups; about 285g)
Pumpkin pancakes with warm maple syrup & pecans:
These Recipes Use 1 Cup (226g) of Pumpkin Puree
- Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
- No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
- Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- Pumpkin Waffles
- Whole Wheat Mini Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Pumpkin Crumb Coffee Cake
- And Jocelyn’s Pumpkin Fritters look delicious!
- Something savory: Jessica’s Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
- Pumpkin Donuts
- Pumpkin Crumb Cake Cookies
These Recipes Use 1/2 Cup–3/4 Cup (115–170g)
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie (3/4 cup; about 170g) – pictured below
- Mini Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins (3/4 cup; about 170g)
- Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal Cups (2/3 cup; about 150g)
- Pumpkin Roll (2/3 cup; about 150g)
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (2/3 cup; about 150g) – pictured below
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls (1/2 cup; about 115g)
- Harvest Spice Bread (1/2 cup; about 115g)
- Pumpkin Granola (1/2 cup; about 115g)
- Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecakes (1/2 cup; about 115g)
- Healthier Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies (1/2 cup; about 115g)
Use Less Than 1/2 Cup (115g) of Pumpkin Puree Here:
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (6 Tbsp; about 86g)
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles (6 Tbsp; about 86g)
- Pumpkin Spice Roll Cookies (6 Tbsp; about 86g)
- Jessica’s Pumpkin Pecan Granola looks wonderful (1/3 cup; about 75g)
- Pumpkin Spice Truffles (1/3 cup; about 75g)
- Pumpkin Coffee Creamer (2 Tbsp; about 30g)
- Soup: Add 1–4 Tablespoons to Minestrone Soup when you stir in the spinach
- Hummus: Add 2–3 Tablespoons to your favorite hummus
- Yogurt: Stir a couple Tablespoons + a pinch of cinnamon into vanilla/plain yogurt
- Oatmeal: Stir a couple Tablespoons into cooked oatmeal or 1/3 cup (75g) into pumpkin pie overnight oats (tried and loved Ashlea’s recipe!)
- Yogurt Popsicles: Skip the blueberries and replace them with 1/4 cup (60g) pumpkin in these blueberry yogurt swirl popsicles
What are your favorite uses for leftover pumpkin puree?
And These Recipes Use an Entire Can of Pumpkin
As it turns out, recipes that use an entire standard 15-ounce can (425g) of pumpkin are few and far between. If you’re in no mood for making more recipes with pumpkin, the following recipes (conveniently) use the whole 15-ounce can.
- Pumpkin Pie
- Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Bars
- Pumpkin Cake
- Chocolate Swirled Pumpkin Tart (this looks incredible and I love Annalise’s recipes)
- Pumpkin Chili
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake
P.S. Wherever there’s pumpkin, there’s pumpkin pie spice, and you can make your own with this homemade pumpkin pie spice blend. The recipe post also includes free printable labels for your spice jars.
Reader Comments and Reviews
hio I couldn’t seem to leave a comment on your great pumpkin pie recipe so I will leave one here. do you think I could make a pumpkin cranberry pie? if so how would I go about that? thanks!
Hi T, we haven’t tested a version with cranberries in the pumpkin pie filling, but we love sugared cranberries on top!
I make a pumpkin spice chai latte. If I have time, I will make a homemade chai concentrate, but I also use the Tazo pumpkin spice chai concentrate and stir in a few more spices and a hefty 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree per mug. Topped with whipped cream and my best chai spice blend, it feels like I ordered the best drink at a local coffeeshop. Also, if you have dogs like I do, most of them love nothing more than an extra tablespoon added to their breakfast or dinner 🙂
Where was this post over the weekend! I made Sally’s Simple Pumpkin Muffins and had about 1/4 cup leftover canned pumpkin. Since wasting pumpkin is strictly forbidden in my house, I tried making homemade pumpkin coffee syrup (sorry, not Sally’s Pumpkin Creamer). I eyeballed the brown sugar, water, and pumpkin pie spice and simmered it until it thickened slightly. My daughter and I made copycat coffee shop drinks: a pumpkin chai for her and a pumpkin spice latte for me. SO much better than the bottled syrups! I will be bookmarking this page to use the rest of the season. Thanks!
I love your recipes and have made so many of them, however, now when I got to see them they are covered in ads! I see a window of about only 2″-3″. All the ads are a total waste of space and time, and a total turn-off for me. So sorry that all the great cooking websites have turned to this.
Hi Lynn, thank you so much for your kind words about my recipes. I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying them! I completely understand how frustrating ads are. They’re what allow me to keep the site (and all recipes) free for readers, but I always want the experience to be as smooth as possible. I’ll continue working with my ad team to balance things better, and I truly appreciate your feedback.
Look interesting and delicious
I use pumpkin in place of applesauce or banana in breakfast protein mug cakes! I mix a scoop of protein powder, 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and a tsp of pumpkin pie spice. Pour into a large microwave-safe mug sprayed with oil. Microwave for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and add a dollop of vanilla yogurt for a high protein high fiber breakfast!
As mentioned here, it freezes beautifully!
Can your lemon pudding cakes recipe be baked in one larger pan instead of
the individual 6 oz ramekins
Hi Cheryl, yes, our lemon pudding cakes can be made in one large dish, see the Notes after that recipe for details: I’m unsure how this recipe will turn out as one large cake, but the batter should fit into a 9-inch square baking pan. I’m unsure of the best bake time.
Hello. I’m looking at ways to use leftover pumpkin puree. The photo of the pumpkin pie with the piped meringue on the border is what I’m interested in. Is that meringue? How did you apply it? thanks.
Hi Rae, we do have a chai spiced pumpkin meringue pie recipe, but the slice featured in the photo collage is our no-bake pumpkin cheesecake with whipped cream on top. Hope this helps!
So great had leftover pumpkin and you gave me many ideas because you broke down in measurements instead of searching for recipe after recipe for the measurement I needed . Thank you.
This was great, exactly what I needed after making pumpkin bread. I went for the mini cheesecakes and they came out great!
Thank you, Sally. This is so helpful. I’ve referenced it many times!
Sally to the rescue I baked 2 pumpkin rolls from your recipe but my can was the 29oz so I have A LOT of leftover pumpkin Thanks to you I won’t have to scour the internet looking for recipes to make. I’m eyeing 3 recipes but I just might have enough to make 4. I really wanted to make the pumpkin oatmeal cookies but I read that using quick oats will effect the outcome. Is there anything I can add to the batter so that doesn’t happen? I’d use reg oats but I only have the quick ones on hand. Plus, I need to use them up asap. Either way, thanks again Sally. You’re much appreciated….
Hi Tammie, so glad you’re enjoying our recipes! Quick oats will work in a pinch. We don’t recommend any recipe adjustments. Happy baking!
I would like to add walnuts and raisins to your pumpkin bread recipe, how much should I add, Thank you, Helen Hand
Hi Helen! We would try adding 1/3 cup walnuts and 1/3 cup raisins to our pumpkin bread. Enjoy!
Thanks so much for these recipes as I’ve always struggled with how to use up the leftover pumpkin from my pumpkin cream cheese pie.
Love your recipes Sally. Many thanks for all you send! Our family loved the pumpkin coffee cake. I had to add an egg cause I never baked a cake without one. Thanks again…love your website and recipes!
Hi Sally! Didn’t know why your Classic Scone Recipe was left off of the “half cup“ pumpkin list, but it needs to be added! Those are awesome! Thank you for a great baking site!
Hi! I’d like to try this recipe but only have quick cook oats, do they have to be whole?
Hi Finny! I’m sure which recipe you’re referring to, but generally quick oats can be used, but they will dry out whatever you’re making and the results may not be as intended.
Hi, I’m sorry I meant to comment this on the pumpkin oatmeal cookies recipe! But I think I will make muffins instead!
What a wonderful post, Sally! So many delicious pumpkin recipes to try! Thanks for including my pumpkin pie overnight oats! <3
How helpful! Thank you!
This post is so helpful, Sally! Thank you!!!
You know how you can sub pumpkin for eggs? Is there any way to sub it for all of your liquids so you can taste the pumpkin? I tried it on brownies but I can’t taste the pumpkin.
Hi Alma, it would take quite a bit of recipe testing in order to successfully sub pumpkin for all liquids in a recipe, particularly in a recipe like brownies where the chocolate flavor is quite dominant. Have you tried our Skinny Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies? You might enjoy those if you’re looking for a brownie + pumpkin combination!
Hi! I’m trying to check out the recipe recommended in this comment, but it’s redirecting me to another recipe and I can’t find the recipe using the search feature. Is this recipe still available? Thank you for your help with this! I adore this incredibly helpful page on pumpkin puree!
Hi Alisha! We were no longer satisfied with the outcome of that older recipe, so we unpublished it. We still have it, so send us an email and we can forward it to you. sally@sallysbakingaddiction.com
These are all great ideas! Thank you so much for including my granola recipe
This is genius Sally! Run into this issue every year. Thank you 🙂
A great idea is to use up in cheese sauce for mac and cheese. Because it really has no flavor in will blend right in. My picky mother/siblings couldn’t tell.
Very informative
I use a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin as a treat for the dog
This is awesome!
I absolutely LOVE that you took the time to write this very useful post. I love baking with pumpkin but hate seeing leftover puree go to waste, so I am constantly looking up different pumpkin recipes and doing the math to try to use up a whole can. It is so nice to have it all laid out in one post for easy reference. Thank you so much!
Perfect! And I’m the same way!
Hi Sally! What a helpful post! I have already made your pumpkin chocolate chip bread this season (a new favorite now!) and have a bunch of your other pumpkin recipes on my baking list. I’ve been trying to do the math on how much pumpkin they each require and what I’ll have leftover so this is perfect timing and very helpful!
Oh perfect! I thought including the measurements right here would be handy. Thanks Veronica and happy baking!