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 list is extra handy!
I bake with pumpkin a lot this time of year (pumpkin cookies!), which means I almost always have some leftover. I usually use canned pumpkin puree because it’s the easiest, and so many recipes leave me with 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup still in the can. And whenever I make a batch of homemade pumpkin puree (this homemade pumpkin puree tutorial is great), I usually have extra of that, too.
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 list will solve that problem! 😉
How to Store 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 Leftover Pumpkin Puree
You can freeze 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 Recipe
Homemade pumpkin bread is an easy fall favorite. No mixer needed!
Uses 1 and 1/2 cups (about 340g) pumpkin puree
Simply Pumpkin Muffins
These are my super-moist, deliciously spiced, extra soft pumpkin muffins that are perfect as is, or feel free to add chocolate chips.
Uses 1 and 1/2 cups (about 340g) pumpkin puree
Super Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Soft and cakey and positively packed with pumpkin. Fantastic on their own or topped with maple cream cheese icing.
Uses 1 and 1/2 cups (about 340g) pumpkin puree
Pumpkin Crumb Cake Muffins
These soft and moist pumpkin crumb cake muffins are a reader-favorite each fall. After one bite, you’ll see why!
Uses 1 and 1/2 cups (about 340g) pumpkin puree
Chocolate Marble Pumpkin Bread
This is classic pumpkin bread, swirled with rich chocolate and finished with a crumbly chocolate streusel topping.
Uses 1 and 1/2 cups (about 340g) pumpkin puree
Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffins
Classic pumpkin muffins get the coffee shop treatment! This recipe is on page 235 in my book, Sally’s Baking 101.
Uses 1 and 1/2 cups (about 340g) pumpkin puree
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Based on my original pumpkin pie recipe, this is my mini hand-held version. Always a huge hit at Thanksgiving and fall get-togethers.
Uses 1 and 1/4 cups (about 285g) pumpkin puree
Pumpkin Pancakes
Soft, thick, and perfectly flavored.
Uses 1 and 1/4 cups (about 285g) pumpkin puree
These Recipes Use 1 Cup (226g) of Pumpkin Puree
Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
These easy chocolate pumpkin muffins are moist and deeply chocolatey with lots of pumpkin spice flavor.
Uses 1 cup (226g) pumpkin puree
Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
This recipe combines several of the fall season’s top baking flavors. It’s best prepped ahead of time!
Uses 1 cup (226g) pumpkin puree
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
These chewy pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal bars are egg free, vegan if using dairy-free chocolate, and gluten free if using certified gluten-free oats.
Uses 1 cup (226g) pumpkin puree
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Super moist pumpkin cupcakes are easy to make, perfectly pumpkin spiced, and finished with tangy cream cheese frosting.
Uses 1 cup (226g) pumpkin puree
Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
These wildly popular soft and chewy brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies are the perfect choice if you’re looking for a fun, flavorful, and satisfying fall bake!
Uses 1 cup (226g) pumpkin puree
Pumpkin Spice Waffles
As delightfully crisp as the fall mornings they’re made for!
Uses 1 cup (226g) pumpkin puree
Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
Simple, nutritious, and great prepped at the beginning of the week for easy breakfasts!
Uses 1 cup (226g) pumpkin puree
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies
Inspired by the nostalgic classic treat! These are chewy pumpkin oatmeal cookies sandwiched with spiced cream cheese filling.
Uses 1 cup (226g) pumpkin puree
Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping
Incredibly moist and flavorful, piled high with a crumb topping, and finished with vanilla icing!
Uses 1 cup (226g) pumpkin puree
Baked Pumpkin Donuts
My go-to special pumpkin treat! No mixer required and these are baked, not fried.
Uses 1 cup (226g) pumpkin puree
Pumpkin Crumb Cake Cookies
Like your favorite pumpkin coffee cake, only in hand-held cookie form!
Uses 1 cup (226g) pumpkin puree
These Recipes Use 1/2 Cup–3/4 Cup (115–170g)
Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
Just like regular pumpkin cheesecake, but takes a fraction of the time. No water bath needed.
Uses 3/4 cup (about 170g) pumpkin puree
Mini Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins
These fan-favorite cinnamon sugar-coated treats are a cross between cake-style donuts and mini muffins!
Uses 3/4 cup (about 170g) pumpkin puree
Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal Cups
A relatively healthy option and super easy to make.
Uses 2/3 cup (about 150g) pumpkin puree
Pumpkin Roll Recipe
This homemade pumpkin roll recipe yields a moist pumpkin cake with a thick layer of tightly packed cream cheese frosting inside.
Uses 2/3 cup (about 150g) pumpkin puree
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Readers have described this smoothie as “drinkable pumpkin pie!”
Uses 2/3 cup (about 150g) pumpkin puree
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
An indulgent fall favorite.
Uses 1/2 cup (about 115g) pumpkin puree
Crunchy Pumpkin Spice Granola
Super crunchy with big clusters.
Uses 1/2 cup (about 115g) pumpkin puree
Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecakes
Smooth and creamy pumpkin cheesecake topped with silky salted caramel. Made in a muffin pan!
Uses 1/2 cup (about 115g) pumpkin puree
Use Less Than 1/2 Cup (115g) of Pumpkin Puree Here:
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
A sugar cookie and shortbread-style cookie hybrid! I top these with spiced buttercream.
Uses 6 Tbsp (about 86g) pumpkin puree
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
My recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies was developed to create a soft and chewy (not cakey) cookie.
Uses 6 Tbsp (about 86g) pumpkin puree
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
You can enjoy these pumpkin snickerdoodles “plain” or with white chocolate chips.
Uses 6 Tbsp (about 86g) pumpkin puree
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Truffles
They taste even better after a day or two in the refrigerator.
Uses 1/3 cup (about 75g) pumpkin puree
Homemade Pumpkin Coffee Creamer
Takes less than 15 minutes!
Uses 2 Tbsp (about 30g) pumpkin puree
A few more ideas for when you have just a few Tablespoons of leftover pumpkin puree:
- 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!).
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.
The Great Pumpkin Pie Recipe
My absolute go-to pumpkin pie, and one I make every single Thanksgiving!
The Best Pumpkin Bars I’ve Ever Had
Soft and sturdy with impeccable flavor. Makes a big batch!
The Best Pumpkin Cake I’ve Ever Had
Supremely moist, soft, rich, and spiced with pumpkin spice flavor, this is simply the best pumpkin cake I’ve ever had.
Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pie
This pie combines my tried-and-true flaky pie crust, smooth and spiced pumpkin pie filling, and a sweet/salty crunchy pecan topping.
Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili
Combines easy canned ingredients with a few fresh components. We love this one.
Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Hands down my favorite recipe for pumpkin bundt cake. Batter comes together easily and you have options for add-ins and toppings!
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
Everything you love about pumpkin cake with a decadent cheesecake layer hiding inside.
Easy Pumpkin Pie Bars
Like pumpkin pie, but so much easier.
Pumpkin Slab Pie (Feeds a Crowd)
This pumpkin slab pie is perfectly creamy and spiced and guaranteed to be a crowd favorite.
*This recipe uses 2 standard 15-ounce cans (425g) of pumpkin puree.
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!