Just like everything in life, not all pumpkins are created equal. Some are actually favored for cooking and baking because of their high sugar content. So if you’ve been wondering what the best pumpkin varieties for cooking and baking are, look no further.
Typically I like to use a lot of my pumpkins just for fall decorating, sugar pie pumpkins being one of my favorites, because they last forever, taste great, AND they look festive on my front porch.
But if you are headed to the farmstand or store to buy a pumpkin for cooking and/or baking {or planning out your garden for next year} there are a few varieties that are better than others.
Fact: Smaller varieties tend to work best in baking.
The Small Sugar pumpkin and the New England Pie pumpkin are the most popular. They have smooth flesh and get sweeter the longer they sit. The white pumpkin, the Lumina, is also a good choice for baking.
A 3-4 pound pumpkin is ideal for flavor. Don’t be put off by a dull orange flesh–the sweeter pumpkins dull faster, but it does not affect the flavor on the inside.
If you are lucky enough to have a farmers’ market with a little more variety nearby, you should try to find the Cinderella or the Jarrahdale pumpkin. They are supposed to be super sweet and great for baking.
Make sure to pick your local farmer’s brain about other varieties too. Wise, they are about such matters. {Sorry, I think I just channeled Yoda, it won’t happen again.}
If it is roasting the seeds you are after, pretty much any pumpkin will do. Seeds are another great way to try out a little more obscure varieties, because each seed has a slightly different flavor.
What is your favorite pumpkin to cook and bake with?
~Mavis
If you’ve never baked a fresh pumpkin before, check out my easy How to Cook a Pumpkin tutorial.
Nancy says
I clicked on the link for pumpkin seed brittle and in the pictures for that recipe, you were using a Silpat cookie pan liner. I have a Silpat liner and I really like it but I have trouble cleaning it. It always feels greasy and everything I’ve tried doesn’t remove that greasy residue. Do you have any hints about the best way to clean them?
Virginia says
Hi Nancy, I have the same issue with the Silpat mats and usually have the best luck giving them a quick clean in the sink with dish soap, then running them through the dishwasher. I’ve found parchment paper infinitely easier to work with though, so I rarely use the Silpat mats anymore. (I buy Costco’s Kirkland brand culinary parchment paper.) Parchment paper should work very well for the brittle recipe. It’s not necessary to cut the paper to the exact size of your sheet pan. In fact, it’s better if the parchment paper is slightly larger than your pan. It’s great to use for roasting vegetables too.
Nancy says
I’ve had good results cleaning them by putting a Silpat mat directly on the rack in an oven preheated to 350, then removing and scrubbing with a paste of baking soda and hot water. Anything silicone cleans better if it’s hot to open up the surface. I use this same method for silicone ice cube trays that take on freezer odors over time.
Veronica says
The only way we’ve gotten our silpat mats to not feel greasy is by using them as mats in our dehydrator.
Diane says
Just to clarify, the large pumpkins that you buy at the grocery store for Halloween would taste bad in a pie or roasted? Or just not as sweet so you would have to adjust more sugar in a pie, etc. Just wondering if it’s worth the time in trouble to try cooking with it or should I just toss it to the deer. Thank you!
Veronica says
I’ve cooked with the flesh of jack o lantern pumpkins and find them really bland. They work fine in savory dishes that have a lot of seasoning, think curries, curried soups, etc, but we didn’t like them in sweet dishes or in baked goods.
KC says
Usually it’s just stringier and more watery, with less flavor; you can still use it, esp. roasted, but it’s significantly lower reward for your effort. Consider the texture of baseball-bat-sized zucchinis vs. tiny ones, in part, and then also adjust for less-sweet, less-flavorful.
But it’ll still taste good if it’s cooked down enough and seasoned well, in my opinion; it just takes more.
Bonnie from GA says
Thank you for the the pumpkin info Mavis. I didn’t know which other pumpkins were good for cooking. I have seen the sugar pie ones in the grocery store. My mother used to make pies out of butternut squash. It was very good too!
Lorraine says
Growing up in PA we mostly used long neck pumpkins. They look a lot like butternut squash but the neck part is real long. The seeds are in the small bulb part so the neck part is all meat for puree. Makes a great pie.
The Duck Lady says
Sunshine squash makes the best puree. Nice and thick with a low water content. Jarrdale and winter luxury pumpkins come 8n a close second and third.