How to Roast a Pumpkin

The tradition of roasting a fresh pumpkin is one the boys and I have had for years. 🎃🎃🎃

We love using freshly roasted pumpkin, also referred to as cooked pumpkin, in my pumpkin dessert recipes like homemade Low-Carb Pumpkin Pie.

While I like freshly roasted pumpkin, because it’s cheaper and has an amazingly rich depth of flavor, my friend Deb who is a master in the kitchen, prefers to use canned pumpkin in her pumpkin recipes.

Along those lines, my Nut-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe calls for canned pumpkin, which is a great way to go if you’re in a hurry.

Either way, my how to cook pumpkin tutorial will give you valuable kitchen skills.

Canned Pumpkin or Cooked Pumpkin?

And a quick note to avoid confusion. Some of my recipes call for fresh cooked pumpkin, i.e., freshly roasted pumpkin, while others use canned.

With a few of them, you get to choose between freshly roasted or canned pumpkin. However, that is not the case for all of them. If a recipe calls for one, do not substitute the other.

How Long Does it Take to Cook Pumpkin in the Oven?

So, first things first, how long does it take to cook a whole pumpkin? It kinda depends on the size of your pumpkin. A larger one will take a bit longer because there is simply more of it to cook. Likewise, a smaller pumpkin will take less time. Overall, I find it takes somewhere between 45-70 minutes to roast a pumpkin in the oven.

How to Choose a Pumpkin for Roasting

Choose a firm, small pie pumpkin, not more than 3-4 pounds. Smaller pumpkins tend to be a bit sweeter. Skip that giant pumpkin and save it to make a jack-o-lantern.

How to Cook Pumpkin in the Oven

Now we’re going to learn to cook pumpkin in the oven so that you can get to the super fun part of this article and learn how to make many low-carb pumpkin desserts for you and yours.

How to Roast A Pumpkin The Easy Way

If you are in a rush, cut the pumpkin into smaller pieces and it will cook faster. The pumpkin in the picture above was rather large (for a pie pumpkin) and I had to cook it for over an hour.

Use Pumpkin or Other Winter Squash for Roasting

The above pumpkin preparation technique is great for pumpkins and other winter squash such as:

• Butternut
• Buttercup
• Acorn Squash
• Kabocha
• Hubbard

I often substitute these squash in my recipes that call for pumpkin and it works very well, sometimes even better than sugar pumpkin.

How to Cook Butternut Squash

I do have a wonderful little How to Roast Butternut Squash tutorial that you can check out. It’s very similar to the how-to roast a whole pumpkin tutorial that you have here.

What to Do with Roasted Pumpkin?

Now for the fun part. We’re getting to all of the amazing ways to use the roasted pumpkin.

Healthy Low-Carb Pumpkin Recipes

First, though, did you know that pumpkin is a healthy low-carb food that’s full of fiber? It’s not just delicious, it’s really good for you. Here’s a link to all of my pumpkin recipes.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

I have two incredible easy homemade pumpkin pie recipes for you. If you have an egg allergy, my Vegan Pumpkin Pie is for you. This is an easy no-bake pumpkin pie recipe that our whole family loves.

The filling has seven ingredients total and calls for baked pumpkin. Although it has a dash of sweetener in it, it’s so low-carb that we consider it a keto pumpkin pie.

I created my classic yet healthy, Paleo Pumpkin Pie back in 2013. It’s our family’s healthy version of the Libby’s Pumpkin Pie recipe. Baby Pantry asks me to make it all year round, he loves it that much. This is a baked custard made with 6 ingredients total, and you can use roasted pumpkin or canned pumpkin in the recipe.

Does Pumpkin Pie Need to Be Refrigerated?

A quick digression from the recipes for a pro-tip on how to store pumpkin pie. If you’re wondering does pumpkin pie need to be refrigerated, the short answer is yes.

I leave mine out on the counter overnight to cool, but that’s it, after that into the fridge it goes. It won’t matter if your pie filling is made with fresh roasted pumpkin or canned pumpkin, throw it in the fridge to make it stay fresh for up to four or five days. If it lasts that long!

Nut-Free Pumpkin Crumb Muffins

My family goes crazy for these Nut-Free Pumpkin Crumb Muffins made with a coconut flour base and a coffee cake-like streusel on top. These are so good I want to stop typing and run to the kitchen to bake them right now.

Paleo Pumpkin Bread

Did you know that when my younger son was a baby he ate so much squash and pumpkin that he turned orange? This amazing Paleo Pumpkin Bread was, and still is, one of his favorite treats. Try it for yourself and see why.

Nut-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you’re not in the mood to roast a pumpkin, you can make my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies which are made with canned pumpkin. These pumpkin cookies are incredible for the spooky season but we love them so much we make ’em all year round. While most of my cookie recipes are made with almond flour, these are an incredible nut-free treat.

Pumpkin Cranberry Granola

My easy Pumpkin Cranberry Granola has eight ingredients total, that’s it. If you want to turn it into a low-carb, keto granola recipe, leave out the cranberries and you’re good to go, with only seven ingredients. It’s super easy to make granola from scratch. The only problem I have is that when I make it for the family it’s gone in one day. They like it that much!

What’s Your Favorite Pumpkin Recipe?

Here’s wishing you a good time on your roasted pumpkin adventures! I hope you had fun learning how to roast a pumpkin! Leave a comment and let me know. What’s your favorite pumpkin recipe? 🎃

This post is an oldie but goodie from the archives, I first published it in 2008.