Healthy Ways to Use Canned Pumpkin

When you are looking for a healthy way to put together meals or desserts in the fall, you 
might think about pumpkin. While you can definitely roast a pumpkin and make your 
own puree, this isn’t necessary every time. There is nothing wrong with using canned 
pumpkin as a more convenience option. The following methods show you just how 
many ways there are to use canned pumpkin.

Make Your Own Yogurt Bowl

Smoothie bowls have been extremely popular lately, but you can go another direction 
by simply having a yogurt bowl. It is very similar to a smoothie bowl, though often 
contains less ingredients and is creamier. You are not using the acai powder often 
found in traditional smoothie bowls. With a yogurt bowl, it is healthy, delicious, and 
really easy to make. Start with your favorite type of yogurt or Greek yogurt, and add in 
some pumpkin puree. Choose any fruits and nuts you want in the bowl, add all the 
ingredients to the blender, and grind it up. Pour it into a bowl and top it how you like.

Blend Up a Smoothie

Another super easy way to use canned pumpkin for a healthier meal is to make a 
smoothie. There are a lot of recipes out there, but the main basis of a smoothie like this 
is using canned pumpkin, yogurt, and milk or nut milk. There are so many options here, 
from using non-fat Greek yogurt and unsweetened almond milk, to regular cow’s milk 
and vanilla yogurt. You can then decide on the other ingredients, like blending up fruit, 
nuts and seeds, or even adding pumpkin spices to your smoothie. Get creative and try 
some different combinations until you are happy with the results.

Make Pumpkin Butter

Why not try a little pumpkin butter? If you enjoy peanut butter and almond butter, you 
might also want to make pumpkin butter. You can definitely make this from pumpkin 
seeds, but an easier option is to make it from the actual canned pumpkin or pumpkin 
puree. This makes it a little thicker and is wonderful to add to muffins, scones, and your 
morning toast. Typically, the ingredients for pumpkin butter include your canned 
pumpkin, pumpkin pie spices, a little sugar (or sugar substitute), and some apple juice. 

Heat it over the stove to combine ingredients and set aside until it has thickened. Make 
sure you store it in the refrigerator to keep the pumpkin butter fresh. 
