I’m in love with this pumpkin recipe. I dream about it. I’ve even eaten it for breakfast. Twice.
It tastes seriously wonderful. Sweet, spiced apples and cranberries add so much flavor to the baked pumpkin. On top of that, it looks impressive. I’m not known for making beautiful food, so this is something to be proud of.
I am known for creating simple recipes and this does fall into that category. It can be ready for the oven in less than 20 minutes and that includes about 13 minutes of trying to cut the top off the pumpkin.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 pie pumpkin
- 2 small apples, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries or 1 cup whole, fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 Tbs. butter
Cut the top off the pumpkin. If there is a best way to do this, someone please let me know. I basically hacked at it with any knife that looked like it might work, until I finally got the lid off. I thought a chainsaw might work well. Or a saws-all. Or maybe a band saw. Pie pumpkins are tougher than they look. Don’t let this deter you though. It is totally worth the getting that lid off.
Once the top is off, scrape out the seeds and stringy stuff.
Stir the apples, cranberries, brown sugar and cinnamon together. Fill the pumpkin with this delicious-smelling mixture. Dot with butter.
Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for an hour to 1 1/2 hours, until the pumpkin inside is tender when you poke it with a fork.
To serve, spoon out some baked pumpkin from the edges, along with the apples and cranberries. Here’s a better photo of the pumpkin when it came out of the oven.
I’ve made this with both dried and fresh cranberries. The dried are sweeter. Fresh bring a nice tartness and look a bit prettier. Use whichever you have on hand, because both taste delicious. This will serve 4-6 people as a side dish, depending on how big the pumpkin is.
This is my contribution to the Virtual Thanksgiving Dinner. I hope you had a chance to visit Shaina and Aimee for the turkey and stuffing. I’ll share links to more delicious dishes for your Thanksgiving table tomorrow.
Also, don’t forget to enter the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Holiday Bake-Off Giveaway for your chance to win the baking equipment you need to make my Cranberry Muffins with Orange Marmalade Glaze.
I’m showing this post off at:
Saving the Family Money Thanksgiving Recipe Share
That looks AMAZING!!!!!
Oh man! I agree!! Amazing!! I’m definitely adding this to my menu…soon! I’m not even waiting for Thanksgiving!
~Liz
Oh, it’s so cute — and looks delicious too! Can’t wait to give it a try.
One word…YUM!!!
Very interesting dish! SO festive too!
What a great side dish . you should stop be and like it up on the Holiday Flare- side dish link.
I have given you an award and tasty link on my Kitchen site. Hope you will drop by to check it out.
I make this each year on Halloween. But mine also has pear, grapes & apple cider inside. I love the way in smells while baking!
Yum yum!
Ann Marie, yum! I bet the pears and cider really make it delish!
That really is too cute…I’ll bet it’s so yummy 🙂
YUMMY this look so good. Love your blog. Check out my food blog at
http://www.thedailysmash101.blogspot.com
Very pretty and looks highly tasty! Thanks!
WOW – nice recipe. And i love this series too. You have a new follower.
Here are all my thanksgiving recipes: http://delishhh.com/?cat=219
WOW! This has just migrated to the tip-top of my Thanksgiving list. Thanks so much for the idea! I’m looking forward to playing around with this. 🙂
This looks really yummy. I think I might have to try it today!
Made this for Thanksgiving Dinner…AMAZING!!
Can hardly wait to make it again!!
~Liz
I have done a savory stuffed pumpkin recipe in the past. I used pumpkin carving tools to take the top off. If you don’t have a set, poke the pumpkin all around where you want to cut it with an ice pick, making a dotted line to follow, then cut it with a steak knife or some other serrated knife. Make sure to saw at the pumpkin–let that serrated edge do all the work.
Trying this recipe tonight. Picked cranberries this afternoon and have lots and lots! Try microwaving the pumpkin for about 2 minutes. It softens it up just enough to make cutting it a bit easier without actually cooking it.
Julisa, I love that microwaving the pumpkin trick! I’ll be trying that next time.
Tried the recipe and loved it (as did my 17 month old–always a good thing for a new recipe!). We’ll be doing this again. Thanks!
A sharp steak knife works fairly well to cut off the top of the pumpkin once you are actually able to start cutting it. I started cutting mine with a sharp bread knife. Very good recipe 🙂
I love this! Tastes sooo good! Thank you so much!
I use a stainless steel. Chopper/scraper to cut all winter squashes and melons. Start the cut with the corner or the blade. After washing and drying the pumpkin keep it sitting on a clean dish towel, on its side, as you cut the squash. The towel with keep it stable and the 6″ chopper will not cut you if it does roll.
I will try your recipe today, thanks.
Thanks for the tip!
My boyfriend and I will be using this recipe again for the third time as we are hosting a dinner this evening with friends. We just picked up a sugar pumpkin at a local farm last weekend and couldn’t wait to make this dessert dish again!