Another spooky season is drawing to a close, and this means taking down your decorations (unless you’re goth and it’s Halloween everyday), and throwing your slowly rotting pumpkin in the bin.

Except, you really shouldn’t throw your pumpkin in the bin after Halloween. You might not think it’s that bad to throw it in the bin, it’s natural right? It will just biodegrade? Well, actually no.

Natural matter like fruit and vegetables can’t biodegrade in the dump because the air is rancid and the conditions just aren’t right so instead they just emit methane gas – which is worse than carbon dioxide. So, what do yu do! You find ways to upcycle your pumpkin!

15 Ideas To Upcycle Your Pumpkin

1. Eat It

Here on my side of the Atlantic, we don’t really eat pumpkin! When I was a teenager the thought of pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread sounded disgusting, but I was wrong!

One of the best ways to upcycle a pumpkin is to eat it, since it eliminates much of the waste and saves you from buying pre-made pumpkin food products. To make most of these, you’re going to have to make a puree.

2. DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte

The PSL is the reigning drink of autumn but you can make a much better version at home! All you need is pumpkin puree, coffee, spices, and milk of choice!

3. Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate

Or if you don’t like coffee, you can still reuse your jack-o-lantern and make a delicious pumpkin spice hot chocolate! I actually think this might be nicer than a PSL, because the sweetness of the chocolate really compliments the spices, a lot better than coffee seems to.

4. Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Another way to upcycle a pumpkin is to make cookies! I accidentally made pumpkin spice oat cookies this year when we ran out of flour which were delicious, but regular pumpkin spice cookies are good too! Which one you go for really depends on how strong your sweet tooth is.

5. Pumpkin Bread

I tried pumpkin bread for the first time when I was in America when I was 16 and was mind blown! It’s mildly sweet, and so addictive.

6. Pumpkin Pie

There was no way the most classic pumpkin dish wasn’t going to feature. If you don’t like cookies then the way to upcycle your pumpkin is to make pie!

7. Pumpkin Scones

Scones are not really a spooky season snack but they’re a great not-too-sweet treat if you’re feeling all sugared out – and is a great way to reuse your pumpkin.

8. Pumpkin Soup

Soup is an autumn staple, so why not recycle your pumpkin into a delicious comforting pumpkin soup! Lunch is sorted for days!

9. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

All of the above ideas for reusing a jack-or-lantern are made with the flesh, but what about the seeds? Roasted pumpkin seeds are a great healthy snack. I love them spicy but you can season with pretty much anything.

10. Pumpkin Skin Chips

The skin is another part of upcycling a pumpkin that is easy to leave out, but that’s edible too so long as you wash it thoroughly! Here’s how to make pumpkin skin chips.

11. Veggie Broth

Like the skin and the seeds, the guts find themselves left out of lots of ideas for upcycling jack-o-lanterns, but they can be used to make a veggie broth to enjoy in hearty meals.

12. Feed Your Pumpkin To Your Pets

You might not like pumpkin, but your dog might! Pumpkin is good for dogs in moderate doses so you can get busy in the kitchen and make some dog treats!

13. Turn Into Bird Feeder

If you and your dog don’t like pumpkin, then you can feed it to the birds! Lots of animals like birds and squirls are finding it harder to find food in our modern (and unsustainble) world so it’s nice to give a helping hand!

14. Turn Into A Face Mask

As I discussed on my eco-friendly skincare post, the greenest solution is to make your own facemasks! Why not upcycle your jack-or-lantern into a soothing pumpkin and oat facemask – that smells like pumpkin spice!

15. Upcycled Pumpkin Hair Mask

If you think your hair needs some TLC instead then you can make a moistrusing hair mask with your recycled pumpkin.

16. Seed Starter

The best seed starter is a biodradable one! A lot of seed starters are plastic so just…sit here forever. When you start seeds in something like an upcycled pumpkin you can put it straight in the soil when it’s time to move your plant out then you can just burry the pumpkin with it.

17. Grow Your Own Pumpkin

The easiest way to reuse your pumpkin is to grow another with the seeds inside your own pumpkin! Make your own personal pumpkin patch!

Happy Halloween! What do you think of these ideas to upcycle a pumpkin after Halloween? Will you be trying any of these ways to recycle your jack-or-lantern?