During the fall season, I make my fair share of pumpkin treats such as pumpkin cheesecake bars, pumpkin enchiladas, pumpkin bars and pumpkin chocolate chip bread. That being said, one of my favorite ways to enjoy this seasonal ingredient is with a simple roasted pumpkin dish.
Roasted Pumpkin Ingredients
This roasted pumpkin recipe requires fresh pumpkin, olive oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and black pepper. This roasted pumpkin makes for a fun Thanksgiving vegetable side dish. If you are looking for more vegetable side dishes try my broccoli casserole, roasted sweet potatoes and candied carrots.
How Do You Make Roasted Pumpkin?
Start this roasted pumpkin recipe by preparing your pumpkin. Cut the stem off a fresh whole pumpkin with a sharp knife. Slice the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Next, cut the pumpkin halves into wedges. Place olive oil, brown sugar, maple syrup and seasonings in a bowl, then stir to combine. Pour the olive oil mixture over the pumpkin and toss to coat. Roast the pumpkin on a baking sheet in a single layer until it’s tender and slightly caramelized, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
I prefer to cut my pumpkin into wedges for a more elegant presentation. It’s also fine to cut it into cubes. This recipe also works well with other types of winter squash such as roasted butternut squash, roasted acorn squash and delicata squash. You can also use root vegetables such as roasted sweet potato or carrots. Save your pumpkin seeds so that you can make roasted pumpkin seeds! Roasted pumpkin stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serve this recipe as a side dish, or dice up the pumpkin and add it to soups, pasta, salads or use as a pizza topping. No cinnamon on hand? Pumpkin pie spice is also a great choice! You can also add other seasonings such as nutmeg, ginger or cloves. You can blend up leftover roasted pumpkin to make your own pumpkin puree!
Roasted Pumpkin Variations
I love this sweeter version of roasted pumpkin, but there are so many different ways to switch up the flavors in this recipe to suit your tastes.
Bacon: Add 1/2 cup cooked crumbled bacon right before serving. Garlic and Herb: Omit the brown sugar, cinnamon and maple syrup. Instead add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and 1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning to the olive oil. Red Onion: Add 1/2 cup of sliced red onion to the pan before the pumpkin goes into the oven. Cheese: Omit the brown sugar, cinnamon and maple syrup, and sprinkle the pumpkin with 1/4 cup of feta or parmesan cheese after it comes out of the oven. Simple Savory: Omit the syrup, cinnamon and sugar. Just mix a little sea salt and black pepper into the olive oil. Savory Seasonings: Feel free to omit the sugar, cinnamon and syrup and add your favorite seasonings like smoked paprika, chili powder, oregano, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder or cumin.
This recipe is a unique and unexpected side dish that is sure to get rave reviews!
Roasted Pumpkin Video
