Pumpkin Dip

This savory pumpkin dip makes a rich and delicious fall spread. We love this vegan pumpkin pâté on toast or crackers. 

Ever since we made our popular vegan mushroom pâté we’ve thought that pumpkin would make an excellent autumnal dip. 

So now that squash season is here, we’ve had fun experimenting with this pumpkin dip! This recipe combines the earthy sweetness of pumpkin, nutty lentils and warming spice. 

Like pâté, it’s umami rich and a bit smoky, but of course, it's totally vegan! 

Ingredient tips

Here’s what you’ll need for this easy pumpkin dip: 

• Pumpkin puree - You can use pure canned puree (not sweetened pumpkin pie filling) or make your own pumpkin puree (instructions below).
• Cooked green or brown lentils - The lentils bring a firmness and nutty taste to the spread. You can use canned lentils for convenience, or cook dried lentils until soft and tender. 
• Onion and garlic
• Olive oil
• Dried herbs
• Liquid smoke - We use Stubbs Hickory Liquid Smoke.
• Soy sauce - We recommend a good quality organic soy sauce for best flavour.
• Nutritional yeast 
• And pumpkin spice, if you don't have any you can use mixed spice, or your own blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove.

How to make your own pumpkin puree

If you can’t buy pumpkin puree, or you just fancy making your own, then it’s really simple to make! Here’s how you do it: 

Preheat your oven to 200C / 400F. 

Cut your pumpkin in half (no need to peel) and scoop out the seeds. 

Place the pumpkin halves facing down on a baking sheet and roast for 45 - 60 minutes until the flesh is tender and easy to scoop out. (Time depends on the type and size of pumpkin)

When cool enough to handle, scoop out all the flesh leaving the skin behind, and puree with a stick blender until totally smooth. 

Store pumpkin puree in a container in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for longer storage. 

Different varieties of pumpkin vary in texture and flavor. We recommend a small or culinary pumpkin or butternut squash for this recipe. Larger pumpkins grown for carving can be bland and watery.

Step by step

Once you've got your cooked lentils and pumpkin puree it's quick and easy to make the dip. The full recipe is below, but here's a quick visual overview:

Variations and substitutions

Play around and customise this recipe to your taste. 

We’ve found that just using a different type of pumpkin can make quite a difference in the final texture and flavour of the dip, so you may want to increase the seasoning if your pumpkin is on the blander side. 

Instead of lentils, you could use chickpeas/garbanzo beans and make it more like a pumpkin hummus. 

As an alternative to liquid smoke, some smoked paprika can be used to add that smoky flavour instead. 

Serving and storage

We like this pumpkin spread on crackers or homemade bread for a quick and easy lunch. 

For serving as a dip, it is nice garnished with some fresh herbs, crunchy pumpkin seeds and even a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil (An Austrian delicacy that we love!). 

It’s also a great dish to serve at Thanksgiving, Halloween and other fall gatherings. If you want a fun way to serve it at a party, you can use a hollowed out and baked mini pumpkin to serve it in! 

Store this pumpkin dip in a container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

We like this dip best when it has a day for the flavors to develop and mingle with each other. 

We hope you enjoy this vegan pumpkin spread. You might like to try these other tasty vegan pumpkin recipes too: 

Our soft and sage covered pumpkin gnocchi

This comfortingly spicy pumpkin curry

Or this cosy and nourishing pumpkin lentil soup

📖 Recipe