I freaking LOVE October. Pumpkins, costumes, cider, the smell of fallen leaves, MY BIRTHDAY, and lots and lots of candy… what’s not to love?

In celebration of October and all things pumpkin, I’ve put together this little collection of pumpkin recipes to make your life just a little bit easier. I highly suggest you try each and every one of them. After all, you can’t ever have too much pumpkin, right? What’s the worst that could happen? You turn into a big ‘ol jack-o-lantern, Violet Beauregarde style? Admit it, that would be pretty cool.

Pumpkin Muffins

These pumpkin muffins are moist, subtly sweet, full of warm spices and have a hidden dollop of sweet cream cheese in the center.

5 from 14 votes

$5.43 recipe / $0.45 each Get the Recipe

Looking for a budget-friendly way to get your pumpkin spice fix? Just make a batch of these irresistible Pumpkin Muffins!

Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal

Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Milk being poured into a bowl of pumpkin pie oatmeal with nuts.

Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal is a great make-ahead breakfast option that has all the great flavors of pumpkin pie packed into whole grain oats.

4.86 from 128 votes

$3.84 recipe / $0.64 serving Get the Recipe

All of the deliciousness of pumpkin pie baked into a healthy breakfast oatmeal. This is the #1 reader-favorite pumpkin recipe. …And I’m not going to argue with that.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

Side view of a pumpkin pie bar on a white plate with whipped cream on top.

These easy Pumpkin Pie Bars are rich, creamy, full of warm spices, and made with a buttery shortbread crust. The perfect stress-free dessert to make this holiday season!

4.54 from 15 votes

$5.63 recipe / $0.63 serving Get the Recipe

When you’ve got a taste for pumpkin pie, but you don’t want the added stress of making a homemade pie crust, these Pumpkin Pie Bars are the perfect treat!

Easy Pumpkin Chili

Overhead view of a bowl of pumpkin chili with cheese and tortilla chips

Pumpkin chili is hearty but light and packed with fiber and other nutrients. It's the perfect warm and cozy bowl of fall flavors.

4.94 from 62 votes

$9.73 recipe / $1.62 serving Get the Recipe

Add a little canned pumpkin puree to a pot of chili makes it extra smooth and rich, without being overly heavy. You’ve got to try this deliciously unique combo!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Pumpkin Smoothie

Forget the PSL, this pumpkin smoothie should be the official drink of October. It's fast, easy, and tastes like a pumpkin pie milkshake!

4.85 from 20 votes

$0.94 each Get the Recipe

Seriously SO GOOD. Luckily, October is usually still pretty warm in Louisiana, so I can enjoy this frosty treat for a couple more months to come… It also makes a rather refreshing post-workout treat.

Easy Pumpkin Soup

One bowl of easy tomato soup with sour cream swirled in and a gold spoon in the middle

This flavorful and easy pumpkin soup takes less than 30 minutes to make and is the perfect simple side for a gooey grilled cheese sandwich!

4.53 from 23 votes

$2.69 recipe / $0.67 serving Get the Recipe

If you’re not into the coconut-spiciness of the other pumpkin soup, this is a super easy, basic pumpkin soup recipe. And if you’re feeling creative, this soup is an excellent blank canvas for all sorts of delicious add-ins! (black beans, cauliflower, hot sauce, chipotle, whatever.)

Pumpkin Bread

Lightly scented with warming pumpkin spice, this old-fashioned pumpkin bread comes together in minutes with just a few ingredients.

4.74 from 15 votes

$5.94 recipe/ $0.37 serving Get the Recipe

This pumpkin bread is the perfect warm and cozy baked good to make on a Sunday morning to have with brunch or coffee, and it will make your house smell amazing, too!

Spicy Coconut & Pumpkin Soup

Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin Soup

This Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin Soup is perfectly balanced with creamy coconut milk, spicy red pepper flakes and pumpkin’s natural subtle sweetness.

4.57 from 16 votes

$6.98 recipe / $1.16 serving Get the Recipe

This soup is one of my favorite recipes and I regret that it doesn’t get more attention. It’s simple, fast, and incredibly delicious.

Mini Pumpkin Pies

Make your Thanksgiving dollar go further by using simple pantry staples to make these adorable and affordable Mini Pumpkin Pies!

5 from 13 votes

$2.78 recipe / $0.23 each Get the Recipe

These adorable little single-serving pumpkin pies are the best option for any party, Thanksgiving gathering, or if you just want to keep a few for yourself stashed in the freezer for later. ;)

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread

Pumpkin cream cheese spread is the perfect autumn spread for bagels, toast, graham crackers, or even dipping apples.

5 from 2 votes

$1.61 recipe / $0.27 serving Get the Recipe

Pumpkin and cream cheese were made for each other. If you’re craving pumpkin-flavored cheesecake, this is a good substitution. You can put it on bagels, crackers, cookies, or just a spoon. It’s gooood.

Maple Brown Butter Pumpkin Pie

This Maple Brown Butter Pumpkin Pie is the perfect special touch for your Thanksgiving dinner, without adding a lot of extra work or unusual ingredients.

4.80 from 15 votes

$4.70 recipe / $0.59 serving Get the Recipe

This pumpkin pie is extra special because it’s made with nutty brown butter and rich maple syrup. The perfect special touch to create all of those perfectly cozy fall-vibes!

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

Overhead view of a small wooden bowl with spices

Make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice from scratch as needed for all of your fall recipes.

5 from 5 votes

Get the Recipe

If you can’t find pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice blend at your local grocery, it’s SUPER easy to mix up at home.

Curried Lentil and Pumpkin Soup

Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup

A spoonful of lentil and pumpkin soup being lifted from the bowl

This Curried Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup is super fast and easy, and will keep you warm from the inside out on chilly fall evenings!

4.74 from 96 votes

$3.55 recipe / $0.59 serving Get the Recipe

This hearty and flavorful soup is inexpensive, filling, and satisfying. The perfect budget-friendly soup to keep you full and warm through those Autumn nights!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip

This Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse is a super light and fluffy dessert packed with fall spices and just enough sweetness to balance the pumpkiny flavor. BudgetBytes.com

This Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip is a light and fluffy no-bake dessert packed with fall flavor. Perfect for parties, holidays, or just dessert!

4.25 from 8 votes

$2.28 recipe / $0.57 serving Get the Recipe

If you want pumpkin-y goodness but don’t want all the work of making a fresh pumpkin pie, this no-bake cheesecake mousse is it!

Chipotle Pumpkin Pasta

This easy tomato-free Chipotle Pumpkin Pasta is smoky, spicy, creamy, and the perfect way to celebrate fall flavors.

4.87 from 30 votes

$3.34 recipe / $0.84 serving Get the Recipe

This creamy, smoky, and spicy pumpkin sauce is perfect on any type of pasta!

And if you’re carving pumpkins this weekend, make sure to roast those seeds!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

5 from 1 vote

Roasted pumpkin seeds are an easy and deliciously crunchy byproduct of pumpkin carving. A fast, easy, and tasty fall treat!

Author: Beth – Budget Bytes

Overhead view of a bowl full of roasted pumpkin seeds on a wooden background.

Servings 10 ¼ cup each

Prep 10

Cook 25

Total 35

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Ingredients

2.5 cups fresh pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp cooking oil*
1 tsp Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning*

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Rinse the pumpkin seeds in a colander and remove any remaining pumpkin flesh that may be attached to the seeds. Place the washed pumpkin seeds in a lint-free dishcloth and pat dry (the seeds have a slippery coating and may not feel totally dry).
Place the washed and dried pumpkin seeds in a bowl and add the cooking oil and seasoning. Stir until the seeds are well coated. Pour the seasoned pumpkin seeds out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and spread them into a single layer.
Roast the pumpkin seeds in the preheated oven, stirring every 5-10 minutes, until they are golden brown and have a nutty aroma. Total roasting time will vary depending on the size of the seeds and their moisture level. Allow the pumpkin seeds to cool, then enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Equipment

Notes

*Use your favorite high heat cooking oil and your favorite seasoning blend (see notes above recipe for seasoning ideas).

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 78kcalCarbohydrates: 1.69gProtein: 3.43gFat: 7.05gSodium: 138.07mgFiber: 0.75g

Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.

See the full blog post for roasted pumpkin seeds here.

Comments

Chelsea says:

10.23.12 at 3:18 pm

I made the spicy pumpkin soup and it was YUMMY! Added a little rice to have something to chew on…very cheap and very healthy.

Anonymous says:

10.18.12 at 6:06 pm

Beth,

Cannot wait for you’re cook book!!

Cagey (Kelli Oliver George) says:

10.12.12 at 11:24 am

I make a pumpkin curry that is from my husband’s native state of Kerala in India! It is called “erisheri”.
http://rancidraves.blogspot.com/2011/09/fridays-of-intestinal-fortitude-whats_30.html

Ginny says:

10.10.12 at 10:27 pm

Wahooo..go pumpkin!! I absolutely love the Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal recipe. I make it about once every week or two. Thank you!

website design company says:

10.08.12 at 9:36 pm

GREAT REVIEW!
I pretty much agree with all your thoughts you said in your post, especially at the end of your article. Thank you, your post is very valuable as always. Keep up the good work! You’ve got +1 more reader of your super blog.

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Amlan Maiti says:

10.08.12 at 9:35 pm

I just love pumpkin. And I also love Pumpkin with cream cheese. Thanks for share this.

DosDoodles says:

10.08.12 at 7:44 pm

*Somebody* loves pumpkin! OK, ok. I’m going to get off my duff (again), and try some of these! :-)

Anonymous says:

10.08.12 at 6:16 pm

This is so timely as we just harvested seven pumpkins from our garden this weekend! October is a rockin’ month – happy early birthday.

Libby

tijuana smith @ po' man meals says:

10.08.12 at 2:32 pm

i recently posted a pumpkin pecan blondie with spiced whip cream. i am new to the taste of pumpkin but it was yummy!
http://www.pomanmeals.com/pumpkin-pecan-blondies/

Kalyn Denny says:

10.08.12 at 12:08 pm

Thanks for the mention! I have to confess that I am not a big pumpkin fan, but it’s obligatory this time of year, isn’t it?

Sarah @The Social Eater says:

10.08.12 at 7:00 am

Yum. It’s a little chilly here this morning (finally! Feels like fall!), so that pumpkin oatmeal looks divine.

Wendebular says:

10.08.12 at 4:28 am

Smitten Kitchen also posted pumpkin cinnamon rolls!

Stef says:

10.07.12 at 9:26 pm

My favorite cookie recipie: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/white-chocolate-pumpkin-dreams/detail.aspx

I usually leave out the nuts and the one time I tried the frosting it didn’t work so well. But I have had so many tell me that they would rather have these cookies than pumpkin pie!