Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love.
This collection of 22 pumpkin recipes from around the world was created alongside the podcast episode “What If We Weren’t All Chicken” and the Haitian Freedom Soupe Joumou Recipe shared by my guest, Kathiana LeJeune. Whether you are planning a Halloween gathering, a Thanksgiving meal, or simply looking for cozy fall cooking inspiration, these global pumpkin recipes offer soups, mains, breads, porridges, desserts, and sweets for the season.
Few ingredients capture the feeling of autumn quite like pumpkin. As the weather cools, pumpkin appears in kitchens everywhere, bringing color, comfort, and gentle sweetness to both savory and sweet dishes. While many people first think of pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread, cultures around the world have used pumpkin and winter squash in wonderfully varied ways for generations.
This list celebrates that variety. You will find fragrant stews, creamy soups, stuffed pumpkins, rich curries, tender pancakes, steamed puddings, porridge, custards, and candied pumpkin desserts. Some recipes are simple everyday meals, while others are festive dishes made for special occasions. Together, they show how versatile pumpkin can be and how beautifully it carries spices, grains, vegetables, meat, seafood, coconut, yogurt, and sugar.
How To Use This List
- Below you will find 22 pumpkin recipes from around the world, gathered from a variety of recipe creators and food blogs.
- Each entry includes the recipe title, followed by the source after a “|” symbol.
- The recipes are organized into five categories: Soups and Stews, Main Dishes, Breads, Pancakes, and Fritters, Rice, Grains, and Porridges, and Desserts and Sweets.
- Use this roundup to find a new fall dinner idea, a holiday side dish, or a unique pumpkin dessert to share.
Soups and Stews
Pumpkin is a natural fit for soups and stews. It becomes creamy when simmered, adds body to broth, and works beautifully with spices, vegetables, meat, pasta, and coconut. These comforting pumpkin soup and stew recipes come from Haiti, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Austria, and Coorg in India.
Haitian Freedom Soupe Joumou Recipe (Pumpkin Soup) | Kathiana LeJeune, The Storied Recipe Guest
Soupe Joumou is a deeply meaningful Haitian pumpkin soup traditionally enjoyed on New Year’s Day. It is hearty, flavorful, and filled with vegetables, protein, pasta, and history.
Vietnamese Kabocha Pumpkin Soup with Ground Pork (Canh Bi Do Nau Thit Bam) | Vicky Pham
This Vietnamese kabocha soup is simple, nourishing, and perfect with steamed rice. Ground pork, or another ground meat of your choice, makes it a satisfying meal.
Nhopi (Zimbabwean Pumpkin Soup) | Chef’s Pencil
Nhopi is a thick and creamy Zimbabwean pumpkin soup often served as a snack or breakfast. It is warm, hearty, and comforting.
Ethiopian Spicy Pumpkin Stew (Duba Wat) | Food and Journeys
Duba Wat is a vegetarian Ethiopian pumpkin stew with bold flavor in every bite. It is a cozy option for anyone who loves warming spices and savory pumpkin dishes.
Styrian Cream of Pumpkin Soup Recipe | Styrian Specialties Magazine
This Austrian cream of pumpkin soup is a beloved dish in Styria and beyond. Smooth, rich, and seasonal, it makes an elegant starter for fall meals.
Coorgi Pumpkin Curry | Sin-a-mon Tales
This Coorgi pumpkin curry is a simple coconut-based dish with rich flavor and a creamy texture. It is an easy way to enjoy pumpkin in a savory Indian-style curry.
Main Dishes
Pumpkin can easily move from side dish to centerpiece. In these main dishes, it becomes rich, savory, and satisfying. You will find Afghan pumpkin with yogurt sauce, Indian curry, Brazilian stuffed pumpkin with shrimp, Japanese simmered kabocha with ground meat, and a Malaysian Chinese-style pumpkin dish with salted egg yolk.
Borani Kadoo – Kaddo (Afghan Pumpkin) | Afghan Cooks
Borani Kadoo is a classic Afghan pumpkin dish served with a delicious yogurt sauce. It is rich, savory, and simple enough for a comforting weeknight meal.
Indian Pumpkin Curry Recipe | Swasthi’s Recipes
This pumpkin curry is made with basic ingredients and delivers comforting flavor with very little fuss. It is a great choice for a simple vegetarian pumpkin meal.
Camarão na Moranga (Brazilian Shrimp Stuffed Pumpkin) | Olivia’s Cuisine
Camarão na Moranga is a striking Brazilian dish from the coast of São Paulo. A whole pumpkin is filled with a creamy shrimp mixture, making it both festive and impressive.
Japanese Kabocha with Ground Meat (Kabocha no Soboroni) | Mochi Mommy
Kabocha no Soboroni is a simmered Japanese kabocha dish with ground meat. It can be served as a hearty side or a simple main dish.
Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk | Taste Asian Food
This Malaysian Chinese-style pumpkin recipe uses salted egg yolk for a rich, savory flavor. It is a memorable way to prepare pumpkin beyond the usual fall dishes.
Breads, Pancakes, and Fritters
Pumpkin bread may be a fall favorite, but pumpkin also shines in handheld pastries, fried fritters, pancakes, and steamed treats. These recipes show how pumpkin can become tender, fluffy, sweet, and satisfying in many different forms.
Mexican Pumpkin Empanadas | Isabel Eats
These pumpkin empanadas are filled with sweet pumpkin and wrapped in soft bread dough, much like the treats found in a Mexican panadería.
Pampoenkoekies (South African Pumpkin Fritters) | Immaculate Bites
Pampoenkoekies are South African pumpkin fritters known for their light, fluffy texture. Drizzled with caramel sauce, they make a sweet and cozy treat.
Olad’i iz Tykvy (Russian Pumpkin Pancakes) | Tara’s Multicultural Table
These Russian pumpkin pancakes are a delicious way to fold pumpkin into a tender batter. They are ideal for a fall breakfast, brunch, or snack.
Conkies (Barbadian/Bajan Style) | That Girl Cooks Healthy
Conkies are a Barbadian sweet treat made with cornflour, pumpkin, coconut, sweet potato, and spices. Wrapped in banana leaves and steamed, they become moist and fragrant.
Rice, Grains, and Porridges
Pumpkin pairs beautifully with rice, grains, and other hearty staples. These dishes range from sweet and creamy to festive and filling, offering another way to bring pumpkin into cooler-weather cooking.
Kar’ Assali (Egyptian Pumpkin Béchamel Dessert) | Chez Nermine
Kar’ Assali is an Egyptian sweet pumpkin dessert made with simple ingredients. Creamy and comforting, it is a memorable fall dish.
Ghapama – Armenian Stuffed Pumpkin with Rice and Fruit | Osharak
Ghapama is a traditional Armenian stuffed pumpkin filled with rice, dried fruit, nuts, and warm spices. It makes a beautiful centerpiece for a fall gathering.
Hobakjuk (Korean Pumpkin Porridge) | Korean Bapsang
Hobakjuk is a golden Korean pumpkin porridge made with pumpkin and sweet rice. Velvety, gentle, and warming, it is true comfort food.
Desserts and Sweets
Pumpkin’s gentle sweetness makes it a wonderful dessert ingredient. It works with custards, phyllo pastry, syrup, coconut, and spice, creating desserts that feel seasonal without all tasting the same. These pumpkin sweets from Turkey, the Balkans, Thailand, and Lebanon are excellent choices when you want something beyond classic pumpkin pie.
Kabak Tatlisi – Turkish Pumpkin Dessert | Give a Recipe
Kabak Tatlisi is a Turkish pumpkin dessert that lets pumpkin stand on its own. It is simple, sweet, and very different from the usual pumpkin pie.
Dulečnjak (Bundevara) / Balkan Pumpkin Pie | The Balkan Hostess
This Balkan pumpkin pie wraps creamy pumpkin and spice filling in delicate phyllo dough. The result is flaky, sweet, and perfect for fall.
Thai Pumpkin Custard | Sankaya Faktong | Rachel Cooks Thai
Thai pumpkin custard is made by steaming silky coconut custard inside a kabocha squash. As the custard sets, the pumpkin cooks into a tender edible shell.
Jazarieh | Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine
Jazarieh transforms pumpkin into a soft, candy-like dessert with a jammy texture. It is a beautiful example of pumpkin used in a sweet Lebanese preparation.
More Lists for Inspiration
- The Summer Seafood Tour: Seafood Recipes from Around the World
- Summer No Bake Desserts From Around the World
- Spring Dessert Charcuterie Board: Seasonal Fruits, Sweets, and Dessert Recipes
- Unique Dairy-Free Dip Ideas for Charcuterie Board