Pumpkin Yogurt Recipe You Can Make at Home
Pumpkin yogurt at a glance
This pumpkin yogurt recipe stirs canned pumpkin, maple syrup and warm spices into thick plain yogurt. It tastes like pumpkin pie filling, takes about 10 minutes of work, and needs no cooking. Eat it with a spoon, layer it in a parfait, or use it as a dip for apple slices.
- Yield: about 2⅔ cups, or 4 servings of ⅔ cup.
- Active time: 10 minutes.
- Total time: 40 minutes, including 30 minutes of chilling.
- Equipment: mixing bowl, whisk, rubber spatula, measuring cups and spoons.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (about 450 g) plain whole milk Greek yogurt, store-bought or homemade
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree (plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ginger and a pinch each of nutmeg and cloves)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Optional toppings: chopped toasted pecans, a sprinkle of cinnamon, granola
Check the can. Pumpkin pie filling already contains sugar and spices, so it will make the yogurt much sweeter. If you want to make the yogurt yourself, start with how to make Greek yogurt with a yogurt maker. University of Illinois Extension says to drain plain yogurt in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours for Greek-style texture, which keeps the pumpkin from thinning it too much.
Method
- Add the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and salt to a mixing bowl. Whisk for about 1 minute, until smooth and evenly colored.
- Add the yogurt and fold it in with a spatula until no orange streaks remain. Folding rather than beating keeps the yogurt thick.
- Taste and adjust. Add another teaspoon of maple syrup for a sweeter result or a pinch more spice for a stronger pie flavor.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes so the spices soften and the flavor evens out. The mixture should stay at 40°F or below, the fridge temperature on the FoodSafety.gov storage chart.
- Spoon into bowls or jars and add toppings just before serving so they stay crisp.
Stir the pumpkin in after the yogurt is cultured, not before. University of Kentucky Extension advises adding fruit and other flavorings to homemade yogurt right before serving, because flavorings added earlier can lead to off flavors from yeasts and molds.
Variations
- Pumpkin pie parfait: layer the pumpkin yogurt with crushed graham crackers or granola, following our yogurt parfait recipe.
- Pumpkin smoothie: blend 1 cup of the pumpkin yogurt with ½ frozen banana and ½ cup milk. Our yogurt smoothie guide has more ratios.
- Dairy-free: use thick coconut yogurt. See our coconut yogurt method.
- Lighter: swap in nonfat Greek yogurt and cut the maple syrup to 1 tablespoon.
- Breakfast oats: stir ½ cup into overnight oats; see overnight oats with yogurt.
- Frozen bark: spread it ¼ inch thick on a lined tray, top with pecans and freeze for 2 to 3 hours, as in our frozen yogurt bark recipes.
Storage
Keep pumpkin yogurt covered in the fridge at 40°F or below and eat it within 3 to 4 days. That matches the USDA limit for opened low-acid canned goods such as vegetables, and the 3 to 4 days USDA gives for refrigerated leftovers. Plain homemade yogurt on its own keeps longer; Illinois Extension says to eat it within 14 days.
Move leftover canned pumpkin out of the can into a glass or plastic container, which USDA suggests for better quality, and use it within 3 to 4 days. Do not leave pumpkin yogurt at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F, in line with USDA guidance. Our guide on how long homemade yogurt lasts covers spoilage signs.
Nutrition per serving
We calculated these numbers from USDA FoodData Central entries for plain whole milk Greek yogurt, canned pumpkin without salt, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract, using 450 g of yogurt and the database’s cup and spoon weights. The salt and toppings are not included, and your yogurt brand may differ.
| Nutrient | Per ⅔-cup serving (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 150 |
| Protein | 10.5 g |
| Fat | 6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 14 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Total sugars | 12 g |
| Vitamin A | 240 mcg RAE |
| Calcium | 135 mg |
Almost all of the vitamin A comes from the pumpkin. In the database, canned pumpkin has 778 mcg RAE of vitamin A per 100 grams. One serving supplies about 27 percent of the FDA Daily Value of 900 mcg. About half of the sugar comes from the maple syrup, so cutting it is the easiest way to lower the total.
Related topics
- Yogurt Recipes You Can Make at Home: more ways to use a batch of yogurt.
- How to Make Greek Yogurt: a thick base for this recipe.
- Yogurt Parfait Recipe: layer the pumpkin yogurt.
- Greek Yogurt Dessert: other sweet ideas.
- Gut Healthy Snacks: easy snacks built on yogurt and fiber.
Sources
- Yogurt, Greek, plain, whole milk (USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy)
- Pumpkin, canned, without salt (USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy)
- Syrups, maple (USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy)
- Spices, pumpkin pie spice (USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy)
- Vanilla extract (USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy)
- Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
- Making Yogurt at Home (University of Illinois Extension)
- Making Yogurt at Home (IP-36) (University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service)
- Cold Food Storage Chart (FoodSafety.gov)
- Shelf-Stable Food Safety (USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service)
- Leftovers and Food Safety (USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service)
