Reuse The Spooky Halloween Pumpkin In 3 Cool Ways

After the trick-or-treat night is over, the absolute nightmare starts for all those decorative jack-o-lanterns pieces in every other household.

If we talk numbers, the polls show, around 1.3 billion pounds of Halloween pumpkins rot in American landfills every year post the trick-o-treat night. This also contributes to the 30.3 million tons of food waste generated annually in the US.

To add to the problem, many other countries around the globe, like the UK, also generate pumpkin waste every Halloween season.

Well, this doesn’t mean you should skip the Halloween pumpkins decor entirely. The simple solution would be to turn these leftover pumpkins into delicious recipes, beauty hacks, or make them into lovely all-time favorite decor pieces for your house.

If not these, then simply compost them! Easy, isn’t it?

1. Halloween Pumpkin Recipes

Let’s start with the most delicious part of this good guide – the mouth-watering recipes. There are tons of ways to enjoy leftover Halloween pumpkins in the fall—spiced pumpkin, pumpkin pie, cakes, chips, crisps, and whatnot.

We have segregated the recipes into two parts – Savory for all who love their spices and; deserts for all the sweet teeth out there!

Say Hey To Savory!

This is yet another reason why we love the fall season so much! These amazing vegetarian recipes will make you love leftover pumpkins even more.

• Let’s start with soup! Who doesn’t love a hot, steaming bowl of creamy Pumpkin Soup on a cold winter evening? The best part is – it’s yummy, it’s healthy, and it takes only 10 mins to make this bowl of deliciousness. Also, it’s perfect for all our vegan friends too.
   
• If you say pasta, we say Pumpkin Sauce Pasta. Yes, it exists, and it’s tasty too! If you are looking for something beyond the regular cheese sauce and marinara sauce pasta, we suggest you give this one a try.

• Who would have thought a Jack-o-lantern could be turned into a heart-warming plate of gourmet-looking Pumpkin Burgers. Just make your leftover Halloween pumpkin into a Pumpkin Pure and try out this yummy recipe.
   
• If you love snacking, you can also make these fantastic Roasted Pumpkin Seed, Pumpkin Fries, and Baked Pumpkin Chips to add some extra crispiness to your day. These roasted pumpkin seeds are super nutritious and versatile to go with loads of other recipes.

These were our top 4 recipes, but you can surely try out and choose your favorite recipes here but make sure to use all that leftover Halloween pumpkin.

For The Dessert Cravings

Stressed or not, we never say no to desserts. Hence, we listed some of our favorite recipes below.

• Of course, we will start with the evergreen Pumpkin Pie because no matter what they say, fall is incomplete without a perfect slice of pie. However, what if we add a dash of caffeine and some bourbon whipped cream? Trust us; this Pumpkin Cream Pie recipe is all you need.

• If you love the aroma of freshly baked bread, Pumpkin Spice Cookie Cups, Pumpkin Coffee Cake, and Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Triffle are the recipes for you.
   
• Looking for something other than the delicious pie? Well, we have got you covered. Try something new with these finger-licking, yummy recipes.

And if not sweet or savory, drink’em up. Brew your own leftover pumpkin beer. After all, it’s fall, and we don’t say no to a traditional brew.

2. Leftover Halloween Pumpkin Beauty Hacks

Yes, the leftover Halloween Pumpkin can be used to pamper your skin and body. A dash of this and a pinch of that, and there you have a natural skincare, face care, body care, or even a hair care product ready to use.

• Add pumpkin puree and olive oil in equal portions with sugar as required to make an exfoliating Body Sugar Scrub. You can even mix equal parts of pumpkin puree with coconut oil to make a relaxing Body Butter.
   
• Make a face mask out of the leftover pumpkin by mixing a cup of them with half a cup of yogurt, two tablespoons of brown sugar, and a tablespoon of honey.
   
• To add some natural shine to your hair, just use a cup of leftover pumpkin with a tablespoon of honey and half a cup of yogurt and make these into a hair mask.

Related Article: Our Good Guide To A Fall Skincare Routine

3. Leftover Halloween Pumpkin Decor Ideas

Pumpkins, indeed, are versatile; you can use them to decorate your house too. Here are a few hacks you can try to add some extra holiday character to your beautiful abode.

• If you haven’t carved the pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns, simply paint them silver or golden using natural paints and use them as Thanksgiving or Christmas decor.  
   
• Give back to the environment by making these amazing DIY bird feeders and baths using those leftover Halloween pumpkins.
  
• It is a lesser-known fact, but pumpkins can float, especially the little ones. So, use this to your advantage and simply remove the stem and cut out the space to fit the candle. 
  
• You can also fill a sizeable hollow pumpkin with water, add some floating candles, and rose petals to it. Then, use it as a centerpiece for your living room.

•  If you love your plants, then use the hollow pumpkin as a planter. When it starts to decompose, plant it in your garden.

Related Article: 5 Sustainable Fall Decor Ideas To Bring Home The Holiday Spirit

Final takeaway

Woah! those, indeed, were a lot of Halloween pumpkins. Make sure you share your favorite hacks with your loved ones and let them in on our little secret.

Happy Halloween!