Our last Wickedly Delicious Wednesday is a twofer of tasty treats to make with the parts of the pumpkin that usually wind up in the trash after carving!

Before you begin, you’ll want to set aside the pumpkin seeds and guts from any pumpkins you carve. Separate the seeds from the guts and make sure everything looks ripe – if it doesn’t look good, don’t eat it!
Roasted Garlic & Herb Pumpkin Seeds Ingredients
- Pumpkin Seeds
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- Dried rosemary
- Dried thyme
- Garlic powder
- Rinse the pumpkin seeds in cool water, removing as much of the pumpkin guts as you can.
- Using a mortar and pestle (or your preferred method), combine the dried rosemary, dried thyme, and a pinch of garlic powder. Use as much as you need for your preferred level of flavor and grind to a fine powder.
- In a small bowl, combine 3 tbsp of olive oil with the herb powder. Add a garlic clove using a garlic press and combine the mixture. Allow the flavors to develop for a few minutes.
- Toss the pumpkin seeds in with the olive oil mixture, making sure they are fully coated.
- Transfer the pumpkin seeds to a lined baking sheet and bake in a single layer at 300°F for 40 – 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting.
- Remove once the seeds are browned.
- Allow the pumpkin seeds to cool and enjoy!
- Pumpkin puree (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/4 cup apple juice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- Using a food processor or blender, puree the pumpkin guts until smooth.
- Combine the pumpkin puree, apple juice, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, sugar, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a large pot on the stove.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat and then reduce heat to simmer until the mixture thickens, about 30 minutes. Stir frequently while simmering.
- Remove from heat and place the pumpkin butter into a glass container.
- Allow to cool and serve warm or refrigerate in an airtight container.
When carving pumpkins before Halloween, it’s so easy to just toss all of the innards in the trash and carry on – but why not make full use of the pumpkin? That’s what I really love about these recipes – they are simple, versatile, and make use of ingredients you already have!
For the pumpkin seeds, note that they will still be a little oily after baking, so try to pat them dry with a paper towel to cut down on some of that. You can also substitute melted butter for the olive oil. When it comes to the herbs, you can use a lot or a little – it’s entirely up to you! Feel free to experiment with other flavor combinations, too!
As for the pumpkin butter, you’ll want to make sure that the pumpkin guts are pureed until they are very smooth to avoid any excess stringiness. You can also change the amounts of spices you put in depending on your flavor preferences. It will set up quite a bit once it’s finished, but you can also add a small amount of corn starch (no more than 1/4 tsp) to help thicken it. Make sure to refrigerate the pumpkin butter after use.
And that’s a wrap on Wickedly Delicious Wednesdays! I’ve really enjoyed sharing some of my favorite recipes over the past few weeks and I hope your kitchens are a little extra spooky this Halloween!
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