6 Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Recipes For Your Kids

Vegan Pumpkin Recipes are a delicious way to enjoy the naturally sweet flavour and creamy texture of pumpkin. This versatile ingredient works beautifully in everything from comforting main dishes to tempting desserts.

Pumpkin can add colour, moisture, and richness to recipes without making them complicated. It pairs well with warming spices, savoury herbs, vegetables, grains, and many other plant-based ingredients.

It is also a nutritious ingredient that can be incorporated into family meals in many different ways. Soups, pasta dishes, curries, baked treats, and desserts can all benefit from its smooth texture and mild sweetness.

These six healthy vegan pumpkin recipes offer plenty of inspiration for turning pumpkin into something the whole family can enjoy. Let’s head to the kitchen and discover some delicious ways to put this colourful ingredient to good use.

Health Benefits Of Pumpkins

Here, we examine pumpkins’ many benefits, discuss their nutrition, and explain how to incorporate them into a balanced diet.

1. Beta Carotene Boost

Pumpkins are high in beta carotene, like their orange cousins, sweet potatoes and carrots. This antioxidant is converted to vitamin A by your body.

Vitamin A is necessary for vision, fighting germs, and a healthy reproductive system. It also supports the health of the kidneys, heart, lungs, and other organs.

2. Trim Your Belly

Pumpkins are low in calories and high in fibre. In other words, they fill you up without increasing your daily caloric intake.

A nutrient-rich pumpkin is a good option if you’re looking for a healthy way to fill up. Because of the increased fiber in your diet, it moves through your system more quickly, which also supports digestive health.

3. Sharpen Your Sight

You can get 200 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin A from one cup of pumpkin. If you get it, your eyes will thank you. Vitamin A helps you see clearly and maintain healthy eyes in low light.

4. Reduce Your Risk of Cancer

Another significant benefit of pumpkin’s vitamin A boost is a decreased risk of certain cancers, such as lung or prostate cancer.

Studies show this benefit occurs only when you eat foods high in vitamin A. Supplementing with vitamin A does not provide the same level of protection.

5. Improve Sleep Quality

Tryptophan is an amino acid found in pumpkin seeds. It is a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin is crucial in promoting restful sleep and making you feel good.

6. Improve Immunity

In addition to beta carotene, pumpkins also contain iron, folate, vitamin C, and vitamin E, all of which help to boost immunity.

If you eat more pumpkins, your immune system can fight off pathogens more effectively and heal wounds faster.

7. Improve Skin Health

Beta-carotene is an antioxidant found in pumpkins. It helps protect the skin from the adverse effects of aging and reduces inflammation, keeping the body and skin calmer and happier.

8. Control Hypertension

The pumpkin’s deep orange colour also indicates its potassium content. Lowering blood pressure is essential.

Unsalted pumpkin seeds are also brimming with plant sterols and minerals that lower blood pressure and increase HDL cholesterol levels (the “good” kind).

9. Improve Heart Health

As your fibre intake increases, your risk of heart disease decreases, and pumpkin is an excellent source of fibre.

However, fibre alone does not keep your heart healthy. Adding pumpkin can also help you get more vitamin A and potassium.

Vegan Pumpkin Recipes

1. Instant Pot Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Soup Recipe

The Instant Pot pressure cooker makes a creamy vegan pumpkin soup. This quick and straightforward pumpkin apple soup is ideal for fall.

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes | Total time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• Oil: 1 teaspoon
• Onion: ½ cup, chopped
• Garlic: 2 cloves, chopped
• Ginger: ½ inch, chopped
• Green chilli: 1, chopped
• Dried thyme: ½ teaspoon
• Cayenne: ¼ teaspoon
• Pumpkin puree: 1 cup
• Apple: 1, chopped
• Soy sauce tamari for gluten-free: 1 teaspoon
• Cashews: ¼ cup
• Creamier: ⅓ cup
• Pumpkin seeds: ¼ cup
• Veggie broth: 2 cups
• Sea salt: ½ teaspoon
• Garnish with pepper flakes or black pepper and pumpkin seeds

Method

1. On the Instant Pot, choose the Sauté setting. Add a teaspoon of oil and a dash of sea salt. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and chilli and cook until translucent.
2. Mix well after adding the salt, thyme, cayenne, apple, cashews, soy sauce, and pumpkin puree. Skip the sauté and choose manual for 12 minutes.
3. Once the pressure cooking time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally.
4. Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to blend (carefully). Before serving, reheat or bring to a boil to thicken. Add sweetener; I usually add about ½ teaspoon of sugar if needed. Taste and adjust the salt. Serve with croutons, pumpkin seeds, and pepper flakes.
5. In a saucepan, sauté the onion, garlic, ginger, and chilli over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients, cover partially, and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 more minutes. Blend, boil, taste, and adjust flavour before adding garnish and serving.
6. Store: For up to 4 days in the fridge. For up to a month, freeze.

2. Vegan Pumpkin Bread Roll Recipe

These vegan pumpkin bread rolls make me incredibly happy to share them with you. Since I first made them, I’ve been obsessed. They are deliciously fluffy, subtly sweet, and, let’s face it, totally adorable.

Prep time: 40 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Total time: 60 minutes | Servings: 8 rolls

Ingredients

• Pumpkin purée: 220g
• Active dry yeast: 1½ teaspoons
• Water: 160 ml
• Maple syrup: 1 tablespoon
• Sea salt: 1 teaspoon
• All-purpose flour: 450g

Method

1. Combine the water, yeast, and maple syrup in a big basin well. While measuring the rest of the ingredients, wait about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the pumpkin puree after adding it to the yeast mixture.
3. Add the flour and salt, and whisk when the mixture comes together. To smooth the dough, turn it onto a floured area and knead for 10 minutes. Alternately, blend until the dough has doubled in size. Place it in a greased basin and allow it to rise for 90 minutes.
4. Punch the dough to remove the extra air after it has doubled, then divide it into 8 equal pieces. Make a ball out of each and pinch the bottoms together. Pick a long piece of string and mark the midpoint. Flip the entire thing over after positioning the halfway mark on the ball. Make a cross on the bottom of the ball by pulling the two pieces of string together and crossing them over. Until the ball is split into 8 equal pieces, flip it over again and continue as before.
5. Trim any extra string after tying it at the top. The procedure is shown in the pictures below. Cling film the 8 rolls, allowing them to rise once more for 30 minutes. Around the string, the dough will expand and form pumpkin-shaped shapes.
6. Bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes with the oven at 170°C. Remove the string after they have finished cooling on a cooling rack.

3. Vegan Pumpkin Pancake Recipe

This autumnal breakfast of vegan pumpkin pancakes is delicious! For a fancier presentation, serve them plain with maple syrup, toasted pecans, and a dollop of plant-based yogurt.

Prep time: 12 minutes | Cook time: 16 minutes | Total time: 28 minutes | Servings: 8 pancakes

Ingredients

• Water: 3 tablespoons
• Ground flaxseed: 1 tablespoon
• All-purpose flour: 180g
• Can sugar: 2 teaspoons
• Baking powder: 2 teaspoons
• Baking soda: ½ teaspoon
• Sea salt: ¼ teaspoon
• Cinnamon: 1 teaspoon
• Canned pumpkin puree: ½ cup
• Almond milk: 1 cup, plus 3 tablespoons
• Coconut oil: 2 tablespoons
• Vanilla extract: ½ tablespoon

Ingredients To Serve (Optional)

• Maple syrup
• Vegan yogurt
• Pecans

Method

1. Flaxseed and water should be combined in a small bowl and thickened for five minutes.
2. Combine the flour, cane sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and salt in a sizable bowl.
3. Mix the pumpkin, almond milk, coconut oil, vanilla, and flaxseed mixture in a medium bowl.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients bowl and stir until combined. Do not overmix; a few lumps are acceptable. The mixture will be thick, but you can add more almond milk if it becomes too thick.
5. A nonstick skillet or griddle should be heated to medium. After lightly brushing the pan with coconut oil, pour the batter onto the skillet using a ⅓-cup measuring cup.
6. Using the back of the cup, spread the batter a little bit more. Cook the pancakes for two minutes on each side, reducing the heat as necessary to ensure that the middles are cooked without burning the edges. After each batch, I usually start with medium heat and reduce it to low as my pan retains heat.
7. To serve as desired, top with yogurt, pecans, and maple syrup.

4. Vegan Pumpkin Focaccia Bread Recipe

This vegan pumpkin focaccia bread is one of my all-time favourite fall dishes. It has lots of pumpkin and is soft inside and crispy on the outside. This bread recipe is not as complicated as the other bread recipes I’ve given you.

The process doesn’t require special tools; the ingredients are few (and simple to find), and the kneading time is short. You only need a few bowls, a spoon, and your hands.

Prep time: 2 hours 10 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Total time: 2 hours 40 minutes | Servings: 12 pieces

Ingredients

• Warm water: 4 cups
• Active dry yeast: 2¼ teaspoons
• Maple syrup: 2 teaspoons
• White spelt flour: 3½ cups
• Unsweetened pumpkin puree: 1½ cups
• Extra virgin olive oil: 3 divided tablespoons
• Sea salt: 1¼ teaspoons
• Red onion: 1
• Chopped rosemary: 2 teaspoons

Method

1. Thoroughly combine the warm water, yeast, and maple syrup in a small bowl. Let it stand for 5 minutes, until foam appears on the surface.
2. Meanwhile, liberally flour a tidy work surface. Assemble two big glass bowls (one for mixing and one for rising). Set one aside after lightly rubbing it with olive oil.
3. Add the spelt flour to an empty mixing basin. Pour the yeast mixture, pumpkin puree, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and sea salt into the center to form a well. Mix and whisk with a large wooden spoon until the flour is fully incorporated.
4. Onto the flour-dusted work area, spread the dough out. The dough should be smooth and springy after 2 to 3 minutes of kneading. If extra spelt flour is required (I often add another ½ to 1 cup), add it liberally. When it starts to hold its shape and partially, but not fully, springs back when pressed, you’ll know it’s ready.
5. Spelt’s gluten is fragile, so do not overwork it, or your focaccia will turn out dry and crumbly. Roll the dough into a ball and place it in the prepared bowl. In a warm place, let the dough rise for an hour, or until doubled. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel.
6. Cover a sizable baking sheet with parchment paper before the dough rises. The dough is pounded down. Then spread it out onto a surface liberally dusted with flour.
7. Just give it a quick 15-second knead. Then flip it onto the prepared baking sheet. Form the dough into a roughly 6-by-12-inch rectangle with your hands.
8. Make holes in the dough with your pointer finger. Lightly coat the dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Top with rounds of red onion, then add rosemary and kosher salt.
9. Before loosely covering the pan with parchment paper, let the focaccia rise for about 45 minutes, or until doubled. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 28 to 35 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and somewhat crunchy. Now, enjoy it with your family.

5. Vegan Pumpkin Risotto Recipe

This vegan pumpkin risotto is easy to make. You use pumpkin, wild rice, brown rice, and mushrooms. Prepare it in a saucepan or pressure cooker like the Instant Pot.

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 40 minutes | Total time: 50 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• Oil: 2 tablespoons
• White onion: ½
• Garlic: 4 cloves, chopped
• Mushrooms: 10 oz
• Dried thyme: ½ teaspoon
• Onion powder: ½ teaspoon
• Sage: 1 tablespoon
• Pumpkin pie spice: ¼ teaspoon
• White pepper: ¼ teaspoon
• Sea salt: 1 teaspoon
• White wine: ⅓ cup
• Pumpkin puree: ¾ cup
• Water: 2¼ cups
• Brown rice blend: 1 cup
• Non-dairy cream: ¼ cup
• Sweet potato: 16 oz
• Oil: 2 teaspoons
• Dried oregano: 1 teaspoon
• Dried rosemary: ½ teaspoon
• Garlic powder: ½ teaspoon
• Black pepper to taste

Ingredients To Serve

• Fresh sage as a garnish
• Vegan butter
• Vegan parmesan

Method

1. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add oil or broth once it is heated. Cook for two minutes after mixing in the onion, garlic, and a generous amount of salt.
2. Add and incorporate the mushrooms and cook for three minutes. Add the herbs and white pepper. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes after adding the wine. Mix thoroughly before adding salt, pumpkin puree, or broth—mix in after adding the rice.
3. Remove from the heat, cover, and pressure cook for 23 minutes (high pressure). Use 2 cups of stock and pressure cook the Arborio rice for 6 minutes.
4. Allow natural pressure relief to occur. Remove the top and stir in the cashew milk or non-dairy cream. If necessary, taste and adjust the salt and flavour. Add some vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast and extra virgin olive oil. Serve roasted butternut, pumpkin, or sweet potato with sage, crisped in oil or fresh, and a generous pinch of black pepper. Serve alongside garlic bread, a side salad, and other sides.
5. Toss cubed pumpkin, butternut squash, or sweet potato in oil before roasting. Then add the herbs and spices. To coat well, toss. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 400°F (205°C), or until tender to taste. Follow steps 1, 2, and 3 in a sizable saucepan heated over medium-low heat. Save half of the mushrooms for later blending. Add the salt, pumpkin, and 4 cups of broth, then bring to a boil.
6. Stir in the wild rice mixture. Cook rice with a half cover for 50 minutes or until done. Remove heat after adjusting for taste. Add the vegan parmesan and cashew milk. Top with the saved mushrooms and roasted butternut squash.

6. Vegan Pumpkin Ice Cream Recipe

A vegan pumpkin ice cream that is simply out of this world is created by combining pumpkin puree, toasty aromatic spices, crushed graham crackers, and pecans.

Prep time: 20 minutes | Chill time: 3 hours | Total time: 3 hours 20 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• Bananas: 4
• Coconut milk: 1 cup
• Pumpkin puree: ½ cup
• Maple syrup: 2 tablespoons
• Pumpkin pie spice: 1 teaspoon
• Cinnamon: ½ teaspoon
• Pecans chopped: ½ cup
• Crushed cinnamon graham crackers: ½ cup

Method

1. Place the can of coconut milk and the frozen banana slices the day before.
2. Open the coconut milk can from the fridge. Scoop out the thick coconut cream from the top and add it to a blender or food processor.
3. Add the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and spices, then blend until smooth.
4. Spoon into a container, such as a loaf pan, using a rubber spatula. Add Graham cracker crumbs and pecans, saving some for the top.
5. Finish with the remaining Graham crackers and pecans. Place in the freezer (about 3 hours) to firm up. When ready to serve, take it out of the freezer and thaw for 10-15 minutes until scoopable.

 

Conclusion

These healthy vegan pumpkin recipes are a delicious way to enjoy one of autumn’s most versatile ingredients. From savoury family meals to sweet treats, pumpkin can bring wonderful flavour, colour, and texture to the table.

They are also fun recipes to share with children and can introduce pumpkin in several different ways. You may even discover a new family favourite to make whenever pumpkins are in season.

I trust you enjoyed this article on the 6 Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Recipes For Your Kids. Please stay tuned for more plant-based recipes, vegan travel tips, and lifestyle inspiration.

Take care!
— JeannetteZ 🌿

---

💬 Your Opinion Is Important To Me

Do you have thoughts, ideas, or questions? I’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below, or email me directly at Jeannette@LivingTheVeganLifestyle.org.

Disclosure
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and participant in other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Please read my full affiliate disclosure.