16 Simple Pumpkin Recipes For Kids

Image: Shutterstock

Pumpkin is a seasonal fruit or vegetable, rich in protein, vitamin C, minerals, fatty acids, and essential amino acids. It’s often associated with Halloween and the autumn/fall season. However, you may often find it difficult to feed pumpkins to your kids. In such cases, you can try a variety of pumpkin recipes for kids. Make sure that the vegetable is deliciously blended so that your child may enjoy the dish. Plunge into this post for some interesting and creative pumpkin recipes that your children will relish.

16 Easy Pumpkin Recipes For Kids

1. Cinderella Pumpkin Soup In A Pumpkin:

Image: Shutterstock

You Need:

• 3 tbsp. olive oil and some more for brushing.
• 8 small pumpkins with the top removed and deseeded. Do not throw away the seeds.
• 3-4 lb halved pumpkin with strings and seeds removed. Do not throw away the seeds.
• 1 chopped onion
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 6 c. chicken broth
• 2 tsp. minced Italian parsley
• 1/4^th milk
• 2 tsp. honey or maple syrup
• Water
• Salt and pepper as per taste

How To:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place the halved pumpkins in a baking dish with the cut sides facing down. Cover with water.
3. Place small pumpkins on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with the cut sides facing down.
4. Brush the insides using olive oil.
5. Bake the larger pumpkins for an hour and the smaller ones for 30 minutes. Once cool, scoop out the flesh from the pumpkins.
6. Keep the small pumpkins to a side and reduce the oven temperature to 350.
7. Heat oil over medium heat and sauté garlic and onion. Add the parsley, broth and pumpkin and let it all boil. Cover and simmer on low heat for another 30 minutes.
8. Wash and dry the seeds. Mix them with oil, pepper and salt. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes.
9. Puree the soup in a blender and place back in the pot. Add the honey and milk. Serve in the pumpkins and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the seeds and parsley.

2. Creamy Pumpkin And Lentil Soup:

Image: Shutterstock

You Need:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 chopped onions
• 2 chopped garlic cloves
• 100 g split lentils
• 800 g chopped pumpkin including seeds
• 1 hot vegetable stock
• 50 g crème Fraiche
• ½ pack of thyme leaves
• Pinch of salt and sugar

How To:

1. Heat the oil and fry the onions.
2. Add the garlic, pumpkin, thyme and lentils. Add the stock. Cover and cook for about 25 minutes till everything turns tender.
3. Wash and dry the seeds. Heat 1 tbsp oil and fry seeds. Once they are toasted, add a little salt and sugar.
4. Blend the cooked pumpkin and add the crème FraicheⁱRich cream that has been thickened and somewhat soured with buttermilk . Garnish with crème Fraiche, thyme leaves, and toasted seeds.

Quick tip

Serve the creamy soup with whole wheat lavash or croutons for a hearty snack.

3. Pumpkin And Chicken:

Image: Shutterstock

You Need:

• 2 chicken breasts skinless and bite-sized bites
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼^thtsp salt
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• Cooking spray
• ¼^thcup pumpkin puree
• Water

How To:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix flour, salt and poultry seasoning in one bowl.
3. Mix water and pumpkin puree in a second bowl.
4. Place the breadcrumbs in a third bowl.
5. Cover the chicken pieces in flour mix, coat with pumpkin puree and place in the crumbs.
6. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake till cooked.

4. Sausage And Pumpkin Roast:

Image: Shutterstock

You Need:

• 8 large sausages
• 800 g pumpkin wedge
• 2 chopped red onions
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. caraway oil
• 300 g fresh meat gravy

How To:

1. Heat oven to 220 degree C.
2. Add everything except gravy in a non-stick roasting pan. Toss with oil and roast for about 20 minutes.
3. Add the gravy to the pan and place in the oven for another two minutes.

5. Pumpkin Polenta Cheese Fries:

Image: Shutterstock

You Need:

• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

How To:

1. Use wax paper to line a pan and spray with cooking spray.
2. Boil the milk and chicken stock. Add the oil, thyme and salt. Reduce heat and add the cornmeal. Add the cheese and pumpkin and keep stirring for about five minutes.
3. Pour into the lined pan and refrigerate for about four hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
5. Take out the mix from the fridge and cut in long strips. Place them on the greased cookie sheet and bake for about 25 minutes.
6. Serve this fun and family-friendly snack while it is warm.

6. Pumpkin And Chickpea Curry:

Image: Shutterstock

You Need:

• 1 kg pumpkin
• 1 tbsp. sunflower oil
• 2 chopped onions
• 6 cardamom pods
• 3 tbsp. Thai curry paste
• 250 ml vegetable stock
• 3 large stalks of lemongrass
• 1 tbsp. mustard seeds
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 400 g chickpeas
• 2 limes
• Handful mint leaves

How To:

1. Heat oil and fry the onions, cardamom, lemongrass, mustard seeds and curry paste untill fragrant.
2. Add pumpkin, followed by the coconut milk and stock. Let it simmer.
3. Add chickpeas and cook for another 10 minutes.
4. Squeeze the lime juice and garnish with mint leaves.

7. Roast Pumpkin With Thyme, Cream And Parmesan:

Image: Shutterstock

You Need:

• 1 ½ kg pumpkin
• 150 ml milk
• 2 tsp thyme leaves
• 3 crushed garlic cloves
• 300 ml double cream
• 85 g grated Parmesan

How To:

1. Heat oven to 150 degrees C.
2. Cut off pumpkin head, deseed and place on a baking tray.
3. Heat the milk, thyme, garlic, and cream. Pour into the pumpkin and add the cheese. Close back with the pumpkin head.
4. Bake for about 1 ½ hours and take out from the oven.
5. Increase oven heat to 400 degrees C.
6. Add pepper and remaining cheese in the pumpkin and bake for another 5 minutes. Add the thyme leaves.
7. Scoop it out into bowls and serve with cheese on top.

8. Pumpkin French Toast:

Image: Shutterstock

You Need:

• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• ¾^thcup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 8 slices bread
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp. packed light brown sugar
• 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Butter

How To:

1. Preheat a skillet and keep aside.
2. Mix the milk, eggs, pumpkin, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugars and vanilla in a bowl.
3. Heat butter in the skillet. Dip a slice of bread in the mix and cook in the skillet.

9. Pumpkin Pancake:

Image: Shutterstock

You Need:

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground allspiceⁱSpice derived from the berries of a tropical American tree

How To:

1. Mix the pumpkin, egg, milk, and oil. In a separate bowl, mix the baking powder, allspice, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar, salt, and flour. Add to the pumpkin mix.
2. Heat a frying pan on medium heat and pour the batter. Cook till both sides turn golden brown.

Quick tip

You can eliminate or reduce the amount of brown sugar and drizzle honey or maple syrup on the pancake to give the desired sweetness in a healthy way.

10. Pumpkin And Sage Spaghetti:

Image: Shutterstock

You Need:

• 800 g pumpkin flesh
• 1 tsp golden caster sugar
• 100 g butter
• Small bunch of sageⁱA Mediterranean plant that has a number of intriguing health advantages leaves
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 50 g grated Parmesan
• 350 g dried spaghetti
• Water
• Salt and pepper as per taste

How To:

1. Put pumpkin in a pan and sprinkle it with salt and sugar. Add 6 tbsp. water.
2. Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add more water if needed.
3. Heat sage and butter in a pan and turn off heat. Keep aside.
4. Boil the spaghetti in salted water, keep aside a little bit of the salted water and drain the spaghetti.
5. Heat back the pan of sage and butter and add lemon juice. Add the sage and butter, pumpkin, half of the Parmesan and salted water into the spaghetti. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

11. Roasted Pumpkin With Maple Roast:

Image: Shutterstock

You Need:

• 1 kg peeled and cut pumpkin
• 4 tbsp. maple flavored syrup
• 4 tbsp. olive oil

How To:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Use baking paper to line a tray and keep aside.
3. Mix the olive oil and pumpkin and place on the tray. Cook for about 30 minutes.
4. Take out and drizzle with maple syrup.
5. Place in the oven again and cook for another 20 minutes.

12. Baked Pumpkin With Onions:

Image: Shutterstock

You Need:

• 1 whole pumpkin
• 10 finely chopped sage leaves
• 25 g bread crumbs
• 25 g butter
• 1 tbsp. light brown sugar
• 50 g GruyereⁱA Swiss cheese that is hard, has tiny holes and tastes salty
• 125 ml double cream
• 2 chopped onions

How To:

1. Cut off the top of the pumpkin and remove seeds.
2. Heat oven to 180 degrees. Heat butter and cook the onions. Add the sage and sugar. Remove from heat and add the breadcrumbs, cheese and cream. Add this inside the pumpkin and close the lid.
3. Wrap it in a foil and bake for about 40 minutes to 1 ½ hours. Remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes till it turns tender.

13. Simple Pumpkin Soup:

Image: Shutterstock

You Need:

• 1 peeled, deseeded and cubed pumpkin
• 1 peeled and chopped carrot
• 1 diced onion
• 1 peeled and diced potato
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 tbsp. chicken flavored stock powder
• Water
• Salt and pepper as per taste

How To:

1. Heat oil and fry all vegetables.
2. Add 2 liter boiling water in the pan and mix the stock powder. Let it boil and simmer for another 20 minutes.
3. Season with salt and pepper.

14. Pumpkin Yogurt:

Image: Shutterstock

You Need:

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• Vanilla yogurt
• Granola

How To:

1. Mix the pumpkin puree and the yogurt.
2. Layer with some granola.

15. Pumpkin Hummus:

Image: Shutterstock

You Need:

• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 2 tbsp. tahini
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• Salt as per taste

How To:

1. Mix all the ingredients together.
2. Serve with toasted pita bread or alongside other festive treats.

Quick tip

Roast the pumpkin on a charcoal grill or an oven to give the hummus a smokey flavor.

16. Pumpkin Bars:

Image: Shutterstock

You Need:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 ⅔  cups brown sugar
• 15 ounces (1 can) pumpkin
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon (ground)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

For icing

• 6 oz softened cream cheese
• 1 to 2 tbsp milk
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¼  cup softened butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

How To:

1. In a bowl, add beaten eggs, brown sugar, oil, and pumpkin.
2. Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl.
3. Add the flour mix to the pumpkin mixture gradually and mix well.
4. Transfer to an ungreased baking pan.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set at 350°.
6. Let cool.
7. For the icing, beat the cream cheese with brown sugar, butter, and vanilla extract in a bowl.
8. Add milk to get the desired consistency.
9. Add icing over the bars and refrigerate.

Infographic: Delicious Easy-To-Make Pumpkin Dishes For Children

Pumpkins contain several essential nutrients for children’s growth and development. However, making a child eat their veggies and fruits can be challenging for parents. So, if you wish to add pumpkin to your child’s diet, the following infographic presents ideas to turn pumpkins into lip-smacking delicacies.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: Simple Pumpkin Recipes For Kids

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

Check out this video for four delicious pumpkin recipes you can try this fall! From pies to soups, there is something for everyone!

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Dr. Sonal DhemlaPhD

Dr. Sonal Dhemla, a gold medalist with four years of experience, is working with a pediatric hospital as a consultant dietitian/clinical nutritionist. She founded ‘Dr. Sonal’s Nutrittude’, a diet clinic specializing in child nutrition, complementary feeding, juvenile diabetes, celiac disease, autism, ADHD, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, growth issues among children, different deficiencies, and much more.

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Swati PatwalM.Sc. (Food & Nutrition), MBA

Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist, a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and a toddler mom with more than a decade of experience in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career as a CSR project coordinator for a healthy eating and active lifestyle project catering to school children.

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