Can you eat the pumpkin skin?

Yes, the pumpkin skin is edible and after baking for an hour is tender enough to enjoy!

Do I need to pre-cook the rice?

Yes, you should pre-cook the rice for this stuffed pumpkin recipe. This partial cooking step ensures that the rice will be fully cooked and tender when the stuffed pumpkin is baked in the oven.

Can I make this recipe vegan?

Yes, you can easily make this rice stuffed pumpkin vegan! Simply replace butter with a vegan butter substitute (we like Trader Joe's) and use maple syrup instead of honey.

Can I use brown rice instead of white rice?

Yes, but because brown rice takes longer to cook, I recommend cooking it just shy of what package instructions recommend.

Can I make rice stuffed pumpkin ahead of time?

You can prep the rice filling and pumpkin a day in advance, but we recommend baking it right before you're ready to serve.

Rice Stuffed Pumpkin - Whisked Away Kitchen

Ingredients

3.5 pounds (1.5 kg) sugar pumpkin (also called pie pumpkin)
5 tablespoons (75 grams) unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 cup (190 grams) basmati rice, rinsed (or other long-grain white rice)
1/3 cup (50 grams) golden raisins
1/3 cup (60 grams) dried cherries
1/2 cup (50 grams) walnuts, chopped
3/4 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable broth

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Prepare the pumpkin. Cut the top off the pumpkin, reserving the lid. Scoop out and discard the seeds, strings and pulp (or save the seeds for roasting).
Melt 1 tablespoon (15 g) of butter and mix it with the honey (or maple syrup) and a pinch of salt. Brush the inside of the pumpkin with the honey butter.
Partially cook the rice. Place the rice and 4 cups (1 liter) of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cook for one minute and then remove from heat. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a mixing bowl.
Melt 1 tablespoon (15 g) of butter in the saucepan and add the onions. Cook for five minutes or until tender.
Add the onions to the rice. Stir in the raisins, dried cherries, chopped walnuts, paprika, cumin, allspice and salt.
Cut the remaining 3 tablespoons (45 g) of butter into cubes and stir into the rice (if the rice mixture isn’t warm enough to melt the butter you can soften it first).
Place the pumpkin on a pan. Spoon the rice mixture into the pumpkin and pour the vegetable broth over the top. Place the lid on top.
Bake for 1 hour or until the pumpkin is tender when pierced. Bake for an additional 15 minutes if necessary. If the pumpkin stem is getting too dark, consider placing a piece of foil over the stem to prevent burning.
Let the pumpkin sit for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and slice the pumpkin into wedges to serve.

Notes

Storage: To store leftovers, refrigerate the stuffed pumpkin in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, cover with foil and bake at 350°F (180°C) for approximately 30 minutes or until warmed through.