It’s easy to forget but pumpkins aren’t just for carving and pumpkin pie. Here is how to bake a pumpkin as a side dish or to create homemade puree.
Ingredients
- 4 pound pumpkin, or smaller
- Sea salt
- Olive, avocado, or coconut oil
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a baking dish or flat cookie pan with parchment paper.
- Wash the pumpkin and pat it dry.
- Cut the pumpkin in half or quarters and remove the seeds and stringy bits *You can save the seeds to roast.
- Sprinkle a bit of salt on the inside of the pumpkin and lay face down on the parchment paper.
- Poke each half or quarter a few times with a fork to vent.
- Coat lightly with your oil of choice, coconut if you want to sweeten it up.
- Bake for 45 to 60 minutes until it is easy to pierce with a fork, and the skin peels off easily.
- Let cool at least 5 minutes before serving. Let cool at least 20 minutes if you are going to puree your pumpkin.
Eat as a delicious side dish or puree to make pumpkin soup, whoopie cookies, or to make pumpkin pie.
