Paleo Pumpkin Recipes: Chili, Soup, Muffins, Pancakes and Roasted Seeds, With the Can-vs-Fresh Numbers

By Paleo Life Coach Editorial Team · Last updated October 7, 2026 · Nutrition calculated from USDA FoodData Central

By October the grocery store has a wall of pumpkin cans and a wall of pumpkin-flavored everything, and most of the second wall isn’t paleo. Plain pumpkin is. These paleo pumpkin recipes cover both sides of the season: two savory dinners and two breakfasts, each built around a single 15-ounce can, plus roasted seeds from the pumpkin you carve. Every recipe has its nutrition worked out from USDA data, and there’s a quick check on which can to buy.

Is canned pumpkin paleo?

Yes, as long as the label says pumpkin and nothing else. The paleo diet allows vegetables and fruit in any amount, and pumpkin is a winter squash. The trap is the can sitting right next to it.

Here’s what USDA’s Branded Foods database lists for two cans from the same brand:

Is canned pumpkin paleo?

Product	Ingredients	Serving	Calories	Total sugars	Added sugars	Sodium
Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin	Pumpkin	1/2 cup (122 g)	45	5 g	0 g	5 mg
Libby’s Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix	Pumpkin, water, sugar, salt, spices, dextrose, natural flavors	1/3 cup (87 g)	80	18 g	16 g	110 mg

Source: USDA FoodData Central Branded Foods entries 2739448 (pure pumpkin) and 2774366 (pie mix), as submitted by the manufacturer. Check the can you buy; labels change.

That 16 grams of added sugar in a third of a cup is about a third of the 50 g Daily Value for added sugars (FDA). Every recipe below uses the plain can and sweetens, where it sweetens at all, with a measured amount of maple syrup.

Canned or fresh pumpkin: which has more nutrition?

Cup for cup, canned pumpkin is the more concentrated food. USDA’s numbers show a cup of canned pumpkin has more calories, more fiber and far more vitamin A than a cup of fresh pumpkin that’s been boiled and mashed, which holds more water.

Canned or fresh pumpkin: which has more nutrition?

Per 1 cup	Calories	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Vitamin A (mcg RAE)	% DV vitamin A	Potassium (mg)
Pumpkin, canned, no salt (245 g)	83	19.8	7.1	1,906	212%	505
Pumpkin, fresh, boiled and mashed (245 g)	49	12.0	2.7	706	78%	564
Sweet potato, baked, flesh (200 g)	180	41.4	6.6	1,922	214%	950
Butternut squash, baked, cubes (205 g)	82	21.5	6.6	1,144	127%	582

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entries 168450, 168449, 168483 and 169296 using USDA’s own cup weights. % DV uses the 900 mcg RAE Daily Value for vitamin A (FDA).

Three things stand out:

• Canned pumpkin has about 2.7 times the vitamin A of boiled fresh pumpkin per cup (1,906 vs 706 mcg). If you make your own puree, roasting and draining it gets you closer to canned thickness.
• Pumpkin is the lighter swap for sweet potato. It matches sweet potato’s vitamin A at less than half the calories and carbs per cup. That makes it handy if you’re tracking carbs per day on paleo.
• Fiber favors the can. At 7.1 g per cup, canned pumpkin supplies a quarter of the 28 g fiber Daily Value.

How much is in a 15-ounce can?

A 15-ounce can holds 425 g. USDA weighs a cup of canned pumpkin at 245 g, so one can is about 1.7 cups. That’s why the recipes below call for “one can” or “1 cup plus” rather than round numbers: you use the whole thing and nothing goes moldy in the fridge.

Turkey and pumpkin chili (no beans)

This is the most filling recipe of the five and the one to make first. Pumpkin replaces the beans that standard chili relies on, so the pot stays paleo and thick.

Serves 4. Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion (about 110 g), diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper (about 120 g), diced
• 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
• 2 tablespoons chili powder (check the label for added sugar or flour)
• 1 can (15 oz) plain pumpkin
• 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and pepper for 5 minutes until soft.
2. Add the turkey, breaking it up, and cook until no pink remains.
3. Stir in the chili powder for 1 minute, then add the pumpkin, tomatoes and broth.
4. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick.
5. Check the temperature: ground poultry dishes should reach 165°F (FDA).

Top with avocado, cilantro or a spoon of coconut cream. For more weeknight beef and turkey ideas, see our paleo ground beef recipes, most of which take the same lean-meat-plus-vegetable approach.

Creamy pumpkin soup with coconut milk

This soup gets its body from pumpkin and coconut milk rather than cream, which keeps it dairy-free. It’s lighter than the chili, so it works as a starter or alongside a protein.

Serves 4. Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 can (15 oz) plain pumpkin
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon each ground ginger and cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Soften the onion in the oil for 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Add the pumpkin, broth and spices. Simmer 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the coconut milk and heat through without boiling.
4. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth, then season.

A bowl has about 208 calories but only 5 g of protein, so pair it with roast chicken or a couple of eggs. Our paleo soup recipes include higher-protein options if you want soup as the main meal.

Almond-flour pumpkin muffins

These are the closest thing to a pumpkin bakery muffin you can make within paleo rules. Almond flour gives a tender crumb, and the pumpkin keeps them moist.

Makes 12. Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain canned pumpkin (245 g)
• 2 cups blanched almond flour (224 g)
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda and a pinch of salt

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin.
2. Whisk the pumpkin, eggs, maple syrup and coconut oil.
3. Stir in the almond flour, spice, baking soda and salt until no dry streaks remain.
4. Fill the cups about three-quarters full and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before lifting out.

Almond flour weights vary by brand; Bob’s Red Mill lists 1/4 cup as 28 g on its label in USDA’s database, which is what the 224 g above is based on. If you’d rather weigh, use grams. The paleo flour guide explains why almond flour can’t be swapped 1:1 for coconut or cassava flour.

Coconut-flour pumpkin pancakes

Coconut flour soaks up liquid, so a small amount goes a long way. Four eggs make these pancakes protein-heavy enough to count as a real breakfast.

Serves 2 (about 8 small pancakes). Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plain canned pumpkin (122 g)
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup coconut flour (30 g)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil for the pan

Method:

1. Whisk everything except the oil and let the batter rest 5 minutes so the coconut flour can absorb liquid.
2. Heat a little oil in a skillet over medium-low. Coconut flour batter scorches if the pan is too hot.
3. Pour small rounds, about 3 tablespoons each. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until the edges set, flip, and cook 1 to 2 minutes more.

Smaller pancakes flip more easily than large ones with this batter. For more morning ideas ranked by protein, see our paleo breakfast ideas.

Roasted pumpkin seeds from a carving pumpkin

The seeds you scoop out of a jack-o’-lantern are worth keeping. Rinse off the pulp, pat the seeds dry, toss with a teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt, and roast on a sheet pan at 300°F for 25 to 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until dry and lightly golden.

Whether you eat them whole or buy the hulled green kernels (pepitas) changes the numbers a lot:

Roasted pumpkin seeds from a carving pumpkin

Per 1 ounce (28 g)	Calories	Protein (g)	Fat (g)	Fiber (g)	Magnesium (mg)
Whole roasted seeds, shell on	126	5.3	5.5	5.2	74
Hulled kernels (pepitas), roasted	163	8.5	13.9	1.8	156

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entries 170188 and 170557, unsalted.

The shell is where the fiber is: whole seeds have nearly three times the fiber of kernels. Hulled kernels have twice the magnesium and more protein per ounce, and one ounce covers more than a third of the 420 mg magnesium Daily Value (FDA).

How do the five recipes compare nutritionally?

Here are the per-serving numbers for each recipe, so you can pick by what your day needs.

How do the five recipes compare nutritionally?

Recipe (per serving)	Calories	Protein (g)	Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Vitamin A (% DV)
Turkey pumpkin chili (1 of 4)	308	26.4	14.5	23.2	7.5	108%
Creamy pumpkin soup (1 of 4)	208	5.0	16.5	14.2	3.5*	92%
Almond-flour muffin (1 of 12)	201	6.7	15.1	9.7	2.4	20%
Coconut-flour pancakes (1 of 2)	316	15.7	18.7	21.2	6.9	71%

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central entries for each ingredient: canned pumpkin 168450, 93% lean ground turkey 172850, crushed tomatoes 170501, onion 170000, red bell pepper 170108, chili powder 171319, low-sodium chicken broth 171609, canned coconut milk 170173, olive oil 171413, egg 171287, maple syrup 169661, coconut oil 171412, pumpkin pie spice 171332, and USDA Foundation almond flour 2261420 and coconut flour 2515382. Excludes added salt, toppings and baking soda. *USDA lists no fiber value for canned coconut milk, so the soup’s fiber is a slight underestimate.

A few patterns are worth knowing:

• Only the chili is a complete meal on its own. At 26 g of protein per bowl it reaches the low end of the 25 to 40 g per meal range in our paleo diet protein guide.
• The muffins are mostly almond fat. At about 200 calories each, two muffins equal a bowl of chili in calories but bring a quarter of the protein.
• Sodium is low before you salt. The chili’s 410 mg per serving comes mostly from the tomatoes and chili powder; the soup has about 50 mg before seasoning.

How do you store and freeze pumpkin dishes?

Cooked chili and soup keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and 2 to 3 months in the freezer, according to FDA’s storage chart. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking and reheat to 165°F (FDA). Muffins freeze well wrapped individually.

Leftover canned pumpkin is the usual waste problem. If you open a can for the pancakes, measure the remaining cup into a freezer container. For homemade puree from a pie pumpkin, the National Center for Home Food Preservation says to cook the pumpkin until soft, mash it, cool it quickly by setting the pan in cold water, then pack it leaving half an inch of headspace and freeze (NCHFP). Our paleo freezer meals guide covers labeling and thawing.

Common pumpkin recipe mistakes on paleo

• Grabbing pie mix instead of pure pumpkin. The cans look alike. Read the ingredient line; it should say only pumpkin.
• Home-canning pumpkin puree. The NCHFP says home canning is not recommended for pumpkin butter or any mashed or pureed pumpkin, because purees vary too much in thickness and acidity for a safe process to be set (NCHFP). Freeze puree instead.
• Picking the wrong pumpkin for puree. The NCHFP’s freezing directions start with a “full-colored mature pumpkin with fine texture” (NCHFP). Small pie or sugar pumpkins are sold for cooking; big carving pumpkins are sold for size, so save those for the seeds.
• Assuming pumpkin spice products are paleo. Pumpkin spice itself is just cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and similar spices, but syrups, creamers and baked goods sold under that name usually carry sugar, dairy or grain. Check them with the Is It Paleo? food checker.
• Treating paleo baking as low-calorie. Swapping wheat for almond flour removes grains, not calories. Keep muffins as an occasional breakfast.

Frequently asked questions about paleo pumpkin recipes

Is pumpkin paleo?

Yes. Pumpkin is a winter squash, and vegetables of all kinds are allowed on paleo. Plain canned pumpkin with a single ingredient also fits. Pumpkin pie mix, pumpkin spice syrups and most pumpkin-flavored baked goods don’t, because they add sugar, dairy or wheat flour. Read the ingredient list rather than the front of the package.

Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned in these recipes?

Yes, but drain it well. Boiled fresh pumpkin holds more water than canned, which is why a cup has fewer calories and less vitamin A in USDA data. Roast halved pie pumpkins cut-side down until soft, scoop the flesh, and let the puree drain in a sieve for 30 minutes before measuring. Watery puree makes muffins gummy.

Are pumpkin seeds paleo?

Yes. Pumpkin seeds are seeds, which paleo allows, whether you eat them whole in the shell or as hulled green pepitas. One ounce of hulled roasted kernels has about 163 calories and 8.5 g of protein in USDA data. Buy unsalted or lightly salted versions and avoid ones roasted in soybean oil if you limit seed oils.

What can I make with leftover canned pumpkin?

Stir a few tablespoons into a smoothie, blend it into the chili or soup above, or whisk it into scrambled eggs with cinnamon. You can also freeze the leftover portion in a labeled container for the next batch of pancakes. Use refrigerated leftovers within a few days, or freeze them.

Is pumpkin good for weight loss on paleo?

Pumpkin is low in calories for its volume: a cup of canned pumpkin has 83 calories and 7 g of fiber. That makes it useful for bulking up meals like chili without adding much energy. Whether you lose weight depends on your total intake, so pumpkin muffins and pancakes still count fully.

Can you make pumpkin pie on paleo?

Yes, with an almond-flour crust and a filling sweetened with maple syrup or honey rather than sugar. Our paleo Thanksgiving menu includes a full pumpkin pie recipe with an almond-flour crust, along with a grain-free stuffing and a roasting timeline.

Your next step: buy two cans of plain pumpkin

Pick up two cans of pumpkin whose only ingredient is pumpkin. Make the turkey chili this week for dinners and lunches, and use the second can for muffins or pancakes on the weekend. If you carve a pumpkin, save the seeds and roast them the same night. For more seasonal and everyday cooking, browse the paleo recipes hub, and see our paleo sweeteners guide if you want to compare maple syrup with honey or dates in the baking recipes.

Research cited in this guide

• FoodData Central (SR Legacy, Foundation and Branded Foods) – U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels – U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• Safe Food Handling (safe minimum internal temperatures) – U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• Refrigerator & Freezer Storage Chart – U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• Freezing Pumpkin – National Center for Home Food Preservation, University of Georgia
• Beware: Pumpkin Butter (why mashed or pureed pumpkin should not be home-canned) – National Center for Home Food Preservation