![\"high](\"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pumpkin-recipes.png\")
<\/p>\nFall\u2019s favorite ingredient isn’t just for pie\u2014it\u2019s my new secret protein weapon<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
(Photo: Recipes: Ashia Aubourg; Design: Ayana Underwood\/Canva)<\/p>\n
Published October 10, 2025 03:04AM<\/p>\n
Pumpkin season returns every year with lattes, pies, and donuts in tow. But beyond the sweet nostalgia, can the orange squash actually fuel an active lifestyle? It turns out that the four protein pumpkin recipes I found can.<\/p>\n
\u201cPumpkin offers a wide range of vitamins and antioxidants that can support your body,\u201d says Yvette Hill<\/a>, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Boulder, Colorado. One cup of pumpkin pur\u00e9e\u00a0provides 7\u00a0grams of fiber<\/a>, 505 milligrams of phosphorus, 63 milligrams of calcium, and over 10 milligrams of vitamin C.<\/p>\n Pair pumpkin with protein, and you\u2019ve got a superfood. \u201cProtein helps build muscle, supports your immune system, and keeps you feeling fuller for longer,\u201d says Hill. That\u2019s a serious advantage if you\u2019re heading out for a long hike or want to recover faster after getting banged up while traversing on rocky terrain.<\/p>\n Hill recommends aiming for 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal. If that sounds like a lot, don\u2019t stress, snacks count too. Spread your intake throughout the day and you\u2019ll hit your goal more easily than you think.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re ready for something more exciting and satisfying than the usual pumpkin muffins, smoothies, and lattes this season has to offer, try these fun and nutritious, nutritionist-approved pumpkin recipes below.<\/p>\n 1. Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds I recently tested this pumpkin pie overnight oats<\/a> recipe for a story about balancing blood sugar. It was delicious, so I was excited to learn that it doubles as a high-protein breakfast.<\/p>\n Yield: 1 eight-ounce serving<\/p>\n Ingredients:<\/p>\n \u00bc cup plain Greek yogurt Recipe:<\/p>\n In a bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, almond milk, pumpkin pur\u00e9e, vanilla, and maple syrup. Stir in the oats, chia seeds, and pumpkin spice until thoroughly mixed. \u201cThe oats, chia seeds, and Greek yogurt make this breakfast a good source of protein,\u201d says Hill\u2014a single serving provides nearly 18 grams\u2014enough to keep you full through the morning.<\/p>\n To level it up, Hill suggests mixing in 1\/4 cup of peanut butter and 1\/4 cup of almonds. That combo can push the total to over 40 grams of protein.<\/p>\n The Verdict: Filling and Decadent<\/p>\n I\u2019ve made this recipe before, and it couldn\u2019t be more straightforward. If you meal prep regularly, it deserves a spot in your rotation. It takes about five minutes to assemble, then the fridge handles the rest. The oats set into a mousse-like texture with that familiar, cozy pumpkin spice flavor. I took Hill\u2019s tip and stirred in a spoonful of peanut butter, which added richness and a hint of salt that balances its sweetness without overpowering the pumpkin. I ate it right before a hike and stayed full the entire trek.<\/p>\n 2. Pumpkin Butter Chickpeas After a big hike, I usually go for butter chicken. It\u2019s one of my go-to takeout meals. So when I came across a chickpea version<\/a>, I had to try it. Instead of tomatoes, the creator uses pumpkin pur\u00e9e to build the sauce, and that twist sealed the deal. I skipped ordering out and cooked it myself.<\/p>\n Yield: 4 servings<\/p>\n Ingredients:<\/p>\n 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Recipe:<\/p>\n Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for five minutes or until fragrant. Add the garlic and ginger, cooking for an additional two minutes. Stir in the garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, cayenne, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about one more minute. This dish holds up on its own, says Hill. There are approximately seven ounces of chickpeas in one serving of this dish, which provides around 13 grams of protein. In one serving, the coconut milk adds an extra three grams of protein. For an extra protein boost, Hill suggests serving this curry over half a cup of quinoa. That simple addition adds over 11 more grams, bringing the total to 27 grams, turning this comfort food into a protein superfood.<\/p>\n The Verdict: Hearty Comfort Food with a Little Spice<\/p>\n I went for a hike and didn\u2019t walk away with any injuries, but the soreness hit hard, which is pretty normal for me. This pain sometimes lingers into the next morning, so I wanted something quick and restorative for dinner once I got home. This meal came together in just 30 minutes, and I couldn\u2019t stop going back for more. The chickpeas, coated in a rich, pumpkin butter sauce, tasted slightly sweet with just enough heat from the pinches of cayenne pepper. The next day, although I still felt a little sore, I had the energy actually to move through my day.<\/p>\n 3. Pumpkin Protein Balls I always keep a stash of protein bites in the fridge. Whether it\u2019s pro climber Sasha DiGiulian\u2019s bars<\/a> or cheese sticks, I like having something quick and satisfying within reach. So, when I found a\u00a0recipe<\/a> that combines oats, peanut butter, pumpkin pur\u00e9e, and other good ingredients\u00a0into bite-sized fuel, I knew I had to try it.<\/p>\n Yield: 12 balls<\/p>\n Ingredients:<\/p>\n 3\/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats Recipe:<\/p>\n Add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir until well combined. This snack provides a solid source of protein from oats, chia seeds, almond butter, and a scoop of powder. Each bite packs around five grams of protein, making it an easy win for pre- or post-workout recovery or trail fuel. While the recipe calls for vanilla protein powder, chocolate or coffee-flavored powders work just as well to keep things interesting.<\/p>\n The Verdict: Easy and Delectable<\/p>\n Even though I write about protein all the time (and fully understand its benefits), I don\u2019t always hit 20 grams per meal. Life gets busy. What I like about these bites is that they offer small wins throughout the day. Grabbing two or three puts me halfway to my protein goal before dinner even starts. And they\u2019re so good. These bites taste like pumpkin oatmeal cookies with a gooey, cookie-dough-like texture.<\/p>\n 4. Pumpkin Bolognese Bolognese is a classic Italian pasta dish built with ground beef, aromatics, and a rich tomato base. But a version from the blog Mon Petit Four<\/a> caught my eye. Instead of red sauce, it uses pumpkin pur\u00e9e. I had to try it.<\/p>\n Yield: 6 servings<\/p>\n Ingredients:<\/p>\n 1 box of pasta Recipe:<\/p>\n Cook the pasta according to the package directions, adding one tablespoon of salt to the water in the pot. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water. Hill gives the recipe high marks as is. One serving of this dish contains approximately three ounces of ground beef, providing nearly 16 grams of protein. For an extra boost, she recommends substituting regular pasta with pasta made from red lentils. That simple switch can increase the total protein content from three grams in the regular pasta to nearly 15 grams in one serving of this dish. So, if you didn\u2019t get your protein intake in at lunch, don\u2019t worry\u2014dinner has you covered.<\/p>\n The Verdict: A Tasty Way to Upgrade Bolognese<\/p>\n This pumpkin Bolognese hit all the right notes: rich, satisfying, and just as flavorful as the traditional version, with a little extra creaminess from the pur\u00e9e. The sauce leaned slightly sweet, as expected, so I added a few shakes of red pepper flakes to bring some heat. It left me full and fueled. The next morning, I headed out for a beach jog, feeling strong, a reminder that pumpkin pulls double duty: it\u2019s both a seasonal comfort food in the kitchen and a performance fuel on the trail.<\/p>\n Want more\u00a0Outside\u00a0health stories?\u00a0Sign up for the Bodywork newsletter<\/a>. Ready to push yourself? Enter MapMyRun\u2019s\u00a0You vs. the Year 2025<\/a> running challenge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fall\u2019s favorite ingredient isn’t just for pie\u2014it\u2019s my new secret protein weapon (Photo: Recipes: Ashia Aubourg; Design: Ayana…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":203264,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[49,48,99816,84,395,98465,62576,99813,62577,99814,99815,54267],"class_list":{"0":"post-203263","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-editor-aunderwood","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-nutrition","13":"tag-parent_category-health","14":"tag-tag-evergreen","15":"tag-tag-food","16":"tag-tag-nutrition","17":"tag-tag-pumpkin-spice","18":"tag-tag-recipes","19":"tag-type-article"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203263"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203263\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/203264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n![\"pumpkin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/outside-pumpkin-overnight-oats.jpg\"\/)
Overnight oats made with Greek yogurt, almond milk, pumpkin pur\u00e9e, maple syrup, vanilla extract, chia seeds, and pumpkin pie spice. (Photo: Ashia Aubourg)<\/p>\n
\n\u00bd cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
\n\u00bc cup pumpkin pur\u00e9e
\n1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
\n\u00bd teaspoon vanilla extract
\n\u00bd cup rolled oats
\n2 teaspoons chia seeds
\n\u00bd teaspoon pumpkin pie spice<\/p>\n
\nScoop the mixture into a sealable jar or container and store it in the fridge overnight, or for at least four hours.<\/p>\n
\n![\"pumpkin-chickpea-curry\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/outside-pumpkin-chickpea-curry-scaled.jpg\"\/)
Stewed chickpeas made with yellow onion, garlic, ginger, garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, cayenne pepper, other spices, chickpeas, coconut milk, pumpkin pur\u00e9e, tomato paste, butter, and cilantro. (Photo: Ashia Aubourg)<\/p>\n
\n1\/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
\n4 cloves garlic, minced
\n2 inches of fresh ginger, grated
\n1 tablespoon garam masala
\n2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
\n1\/2 teaspoon turmeric
\n1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
\nkosher salt and black pepper, to taste
\n2 cans (14 ounce) chickpeas, drained
\n1 can (14 ounce) full-fat coconut milk
\n1 cup pumpkin pur\u00e9e
\n2 tablespoons tomato paste
\n2 tablespoons salted butter (coconut oil if you follow a vegan diet)
\n1\/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped<\/p>\n
\nAdd the chickpeas and toss to coat with the spices.
\nStir in the coconut milk, pumpkin pur\u00e9e, tomato paste, butter, and 1\/2 a cup of water. Simmer for five minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
\nServe the chickpeas on their own or with rice, naan, or quinoa.<\/p>\n
\n![\"pumpkin-oat-bites\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/outside-pumpkin-oat-bites-scaled.jpg\"\/)
Snack bites made with oats, almond butter, pumpkin pur\u00e9e, vanilla protein powder, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, maple syrup, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and chocolate chips. (Photo: Ashia Aubourg)<\/p>\n
\n1\/4 cup almond butter
\n1\/4 cup pumpkin pur\u00e9e
\n1 scoop (25 grams) vanilla protein powder
\n1\/2 tablespoon ground flaxseed
\n1\/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
\n1 teaspoon chia seeds
\n3 tablespoons maple syrup
\nPinch of cinnamon
\n1 tablespoon chocolate chips<\/p>\n
\nOnce mixed, use a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon to dig out and form the dough into 12 balls.
\nStore in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for up to three months.<\/p>\n
\n![\"pumpkin-bolognese\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/outside-pumpkin-bolognese-scaled.jpg\"\/)
Bolognese pasta made with onions, garlic, carrots, celery, oregano, ground beef, tomato paste, pumpkin pur\u00e9e, and seasonings. (Photo: Ashia Aubourg)<\/p>\n
\n1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
\n1\/2 large onion, diced
\n2 cloves garlic, minced
\n1 medium carrot, finely chopped
\n1 celery stalk, finely chopped
\n1 teaspoon dried oregano
\n1 pound ground beef
\n1\/2 cup tomato paste
\n3\/4 cup pumpkin pur\u00e9e
\nsalt and pepper, to taste
\nreserved pasta water<\/p>\n
\nIn a large pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the diced onion and cook until translucent, about three minutes. Add the garlic, carrot, celery, and dried oregano. Saut\u00e9 for five minutes, until the vegetables become tender.
\nAdd the ground beef and break it up into smaller pieces. Cook the beef until it\u2019s browned, then add the tomato paste and pumpkin pur\u00e9e. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Stir everything together and let the paste and pur\u00e9e cook with the beef for a couple of minutes.
\nAdd some of the reserved pasta water, one ladle at a time (about 1\/4 cup), until the sauce is as thick or loose as you like it. Allow the sauce to simmer on low heat for a minute.
\nIf your pan is big enough, toss the pasta with the sauce in the pan. If not, then pour the sauce over the spaghetti.<\/p>\n