Homemade Pumpkin Pie Filling From Scratch

This page contains my famous pumpkin pie filling recipe which today I will be turning into pumpkin tarts. 

I have adapted it many times over the years to refine it ideally to suit my finicky taste buds and those who have tried it say my pies are fabulous. As a bonus I'll also share my seasoned pumpkin seeds recipe as well. Although many people seem to think that a pumpkin's innards are simply too inconvenient to harvest into an edible food trust me when I say that just isn't true. From tarts, loafs, soups and even pumpkin spiced drinks, this fruit can be adapted to pretty much anything you put your mind to turning it into.

This tasty fruit is in abundance in the autumn months and very reasonable in price. Almost everyone acquires one around Halloween. So enjoy your Jack-O-Lantern but please give pumpkin credit also as a fruit and enjoy its innards rather than tossing them away. What a waste of good food that truly is.

How to Prepare a Pumpkin for Cooking: If you are unsure how to cook pumpkin no worries. It is actually quite simple. One reasonably sized pumpkin should net you enough pumpkin for this recipe. Clean out the seeds and the stringy insides of your pumpkin. Save the seeds for roasting and toss the stringy stuff away.

Now slice your pumpkin in half and you will see all the wonderful fruit that lies nestled against the skin. That is the section of the pumpkin that you will want to peel, cube, and cook much like you would a yam or squash. If you find it too tough to peel raw then you can wait till after it is cooked and do it then.

There are two methods you can use to cook your pumpkin. The first is to slice your pumpkin into large chunks and bake it in the oven much as you would a squash. About an hour and a half at 325 degrees should do it. It all depends on the size of your chunks and how warm your oven cooks. Ovens can vary quite widely in their temperature range. After the pumpkin is cooked you can scrape the fruit easily off the skin and use it in this recipe.

The second method is to cook your chunks of pumpkin on the stove top. Put about 1/2 cup of water into a large pot, add in chopped or diced pumpkin chunks and cook for about 20 minutes. How quickly it will cook will depend on the size of the cubes. The smaller the cube the faster it will cook. Once cooked it will be ready to turn into pumpkin pie filling. 

My Homemade Pumpkin Pie Filling Recipe

3 Cups pumpkin (freshly cooked or canned)

1 1/2 Cups brown sugar (packed)

4 Cups milk

3 eggs

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Mix all of the ingredients together and poor into your tart shells. Bake them for 10 minutes at 400 degrees (to brown the shells) then 20-25 minutes at 325 degrees. I've never counted how many tarts this recipe makes but it makes between 4-5 deep dish pie shells so it will make a TON of little tarts.

There are Fabulous Health Benefits to be Found In Pumpkin

*Super high in Carotenoids

Helps in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and premature aging. This is also what gives the pumpkin its glorious orange color.

*Rich in Lutein and Zeaxanthin 

Aids in the prevention of cataracts.

*Vitamins A and C 

From boosting your immune system to helping prevent certain forms of cancer.

*Potasium, Magnesium, Zinc and Fiber 

From regulating blood sugar levels to maintaining bones and teeth.

Pumpkin Seed Recipe: 

1. Clean your pumpkin seeds thoroughly.

2. Soak them in a salt brine for 24 hours.

3. Drain brine and add seasonings like seasoning salt, worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce.

4. Lay them flat onto a cookie sheet.

5. Place them in a 350° oven for 25 mins.

As with most fruits much of the pumpkin is edible. There is very little waste. Don't Throw Away the Fall Fruit Harvest. Bake it up!