6 Ways to Use Up the Rest of a Can of Pumpkin
Wondering what to do with leftover canned pumpkin? Try these six easy ways to use pumpkin purée in pancakes, coffee, pasta, mac and cheese, and more.
That half-empty can of pumpkin in your fridge is more useful than it looks. USDA storage guidance lists opened low-acid canned foods, including pumpkin, as good for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, which gives you a short window to turn those last few spoonfuls into something delicious.
Using leftovers also taps into a much bigger kitchen trend: USDA research chemist Christina Dorado says, “In the U.S., 30-40 percent of food is wasted.” Meanwhile, pumpkin flavor remains firmly in the seasonal spotlight; Circana reports that consumers ages 25 to 34 are 21% more likely than the average consumer to drink pumpkin-flavored coffee. So, before that pumpkin disappears behind the mustard jar, here are six genuinely useful ways to use it up.
Make Easy Pumpkin Pancakes
A leftover scoop of pumpkin purée slips easily into pancake batter, where warm spices such as cinnamon, ginger, or pumpkin pie spice make it feel completely intentional. King Arthur Baking’s tested pumpkin pancake recipe uses 1/3 cup of pumpkin purée and makes nine 4 1/2-inch pancakes, with only about 10 minutes of prep.
If you have around 1/3 cup left, this may be the easiest way to turn an annoying leftover into tomorrow’s breakfast.
Stir Leftover Pumpkin Into Oatmeal or Yogurt
Pumpkin breakfast swirl. When you have only a few spoonfuls remaining, stir the purée into a bowl of oatmeal or swirl it through yogurt with maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, or cinnamon. King Arthur specifically recommends oatmeal and yogurt as quick destinations for small amounts of leftover pumpkin.
Its baking experts note that a standard 15-ounce can contains about 1 7/8 cups of purée, which helps explain those frustrating leftovers when a recipe asks for exactly 1 cup.
This is the no-recipe-required option for anyone who wants the container out of the fridge before breakfast is over.
Make a Homemade Pumpkin Coffee
Whisk a tablespoon or two of pumpkin with warm milk or cream, a little brown sugar or maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice, then combine it with coffee or espresso. It fits right into an established fall drinking habit: Circana’s current consumer insight says 25- to 34-year-olds are 21% more likely to drink pumpkin coffees than consumers overall.
Pumpkin alone won’t magically create the coffee-shop flavor; the spice and sweetener matter, but it is an excellent way to finish a tiny amount of purée.
Related: Fall Home Colors Are Moving Beyond Pumpkin Orange in 2026
Add Pumpkin to Mac and Cheese
This sounds odd until you know Food Network culinary editor Heath Goldman tested 3 tablespoons of canned pumpkin in boxed mac and cheese and found it blended into the sauce, making it thicker and more orange. Food Network Kitchen also has a full pumpkin mac-and-cheese recipe built around an entire 15-ounce can, so pumpkin-and-cheese combinations are hardly a one-off experiment.
This is one of the smartest options when only a few tablespoons remain because you don’t need enough pumpkin to make it the main flavor.
Turn Pumpkin Purée Into a Quick Pasta Sauce
Creamy pumpkin pasta. Stir leftover pumpkin into a skillet with butter or olive oil, Parmesan, sage, and enough cream or reserved pasta water to loosen everything into a sauce, then toss with hot noodles. This combination follows the same basic idea as established pumpkin pasta recipes: pumpkin provides body and an earthy-sweet base that works with cheese, herbs, and pasta.
Even the mac-and-cheese tests show how readily pumpkin incorporates into creamy cheese sauces rather than sitting there like an obvious spoonful of squash. Choose this one when you have more leftovers and want dinner, not another pumpkin dessert.
Blend Pumpkin Into a Savory Hummus-Style Dip
Pumpkin hummus-style dip. Blend pumpkin with chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon, olive oil, and spices for a savory dip that gives leftover purée somewhere completely different to go. Food Network has tested several versions: one quick formula uses 1/3 cup pumpkin with 1 1/2 cups chickpeas, while its spicy pumpkin hummus combines equal amounts of pumpkin and chickpeas and takes just 15 minutes.
The 1/3-cup version is especially practical for leftovers, and cumin, garlic, lemon, paprika, or chile keep the finished dip firmly on the savory side.
Pumpkin doesn’t need another pie to justify opening the can; sometimes breakfast, coffee, mac and cheese, pasta, or a 15-minute dip is exactly where those last few spoonfuls belong.
