Leftover pumpkin puree can go into one of three breakfasts: a French toast bake that takes 1/3 cup, pancakes that take 1/2 cup or mini muffins that take 3/4 cup. The bake is Lily Payen's at Feeding Tiny Bellies, the pancakes are Pamela Salzman's and the muffins are Sally McKenney's at Sally's Baking.
Measure what's left in the can and start with the recipe that matches. All three call for plain pumpkin puree, and each one rules out pumpkin pie filling. Libby's pumpkin FAQ describes its pie mix as pumpkin with spices and sugar already added.
3 breakfast recipes by amount of pumpkin puree
| Pumpkin puree | Recipe | Makes | Make ahead |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/3 cup | Pumpkin French toast bake, Lily Payen at Feeding Tiny Bellies | 8 servings | Assemble, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. |
| 1/2 cup | Pumpkin pancakes with sautéed apples, Pamela Salzman | 4 to 5 servings | Batter can be made the night before. |
| 3/4 cup | Mini cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins, Sally McKenney at Sally's Baking | 24 mini muffins or 12 regular muffins | A reply from her team in the comments advises against making the batter ahead. |
The bake and the muffins come with fridge and freezer directions for leftovers, covered in their sections below. As written, all three recipes contain wheat, milk and eggs. The chopped nuts in the bake and the pancakes are optional.
Each recipe is published in full on the creator's own site and was also posted on Instagram. For copying or printing a recipe that starts as a post, see our guide to saving recipes from Instagram and TikTok.
Pumpkin French toast bake with 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
Lily Payen's pumpkin French toast bake uses the least puree of the three. She blends 1/3 cup with 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of milk, pumpkin spice, maple syrup and vanilla, then pours the batter over 5 to 6 slices of bread cut into squares in a greased loaf pan. When she posted it on Instagram, she wrote that she had just enough puree left to make it.
The pan is covered and refrigerated for at least 2 hours or overnight, then baked at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes. The 45-minute total on the recipe card is 10 minutes of prep plus 35 of baking, so count the fridge time separately.
Once cooled, the bake keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, and individually wrapped portions freeze for up to 2 months. She lists swaps for the milk (coconut or oat milk), the eggs (unsweetened applesauce or flax eggs) and the pumpkin spice (cinnamon and nutmeg). She uses whole wheat bread and says any bread works.
Pumpkin pancakes with 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
Pamela Salzman's pumpkin pancakes are a pumpkin version of the buttermilk pancakes she calls a weekly staple. She blends 1/2 cup of puree, fresh or canned, with the buttermilk, eggs, maple syrup and melted butter. The spices are cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and a pinch of cloves, and she writes that pumpkin pie spice would work too. The sautéed apples are optional and cook in butter or coconut oil for about 10 minutes.
She says the batter can be made the night before, and the pancakes are served warm. The recipe lists no prep or cook time, and it doesn't say how long cooked pancakes keep. Her notes give gluten-free flour options and a yogurt-and-milk swap for the buttermilk.
Mini pumpkin muffins with 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
Sally McKenney's mini cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins take 3/4 cup of puree and make 24 mini muffins. The batter is whisked together, spooned into a 24-count mini muffin pan coated with nonstick spray and baked at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes. After 10 minutes of cooling in the pan, each muffin is dunked in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar.
She writes that the muffins taste best the day they're made. Leftovers keep, loosely covered, for up to 1 day at room temperature or up to 4 days in the refrigerator. To freeze them, she recommends doing it before the coating goes on, for up to 3 months, then thawing at room temperature and coating them. A reply from her team in the comments advises against making the batter ahead of time.
How much pumpkin puree is in a 15-ounce can?
A 15-ounce can of Libby's pure pumpkin holds about 1 3/4 cups, and a 29-ounce can holds about 3 1/2 cups, according to Libby's pumpkin FAQ. A recipe that takes 1 cup from a 15-ounce can leaves about 3/4 cup, which is the amount the muffins use. With 1/2 cup left, the pancakes use all of it. With 1/3 cup left, the French toast bake does.
How to store leftover canned pumpkin puree
As of October 2026, USDA's shelf-stable food chart lists pumpkin with other low-acid canned goods and gives them 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator after opening. Libby's pumpkin FAQ gives its pumpkin 1 week in the refrigerator in a sealed plastic container. This guide goes by USDA's shorter time: freeze what you won't cook within 3 to 4 days.
Libby's gives leftover pumpkin up to 3 months in the freezer and says to leave room at the top of the container, because the pumpkin expands as it freezes. It also suggests freezing the puree in ice cube trays or mini silicone muffin cups and defrosting portions as needed. Thawed pumpkin may look separated, and Libby's says that won't affect its taste or texture in recipes.
Common questions
What can I make with 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree?
Pamela Salzman's pumpkin pancakes with sautéed apples take 1/2 cup of fresh or canned pumpkin puree and make 4 to 5 servings. For 1/3 cup, Lily Payen's pumpkin French toast bake makes 8 servings. For 3/4 cup, Sally McKenney's mini cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins make 24 mini muffins.
Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree?
All three recipes in this guide call for plain pumpkin puree, and each one rules out pumpkin pie filling. Libby's pumpkin FAQ describes its pie mix as pumpkin with spices and sugar already added.
How long does opened canned pumpkin last in the refrigerator?
As of October 2026, USDA's shelf-stable food chart gives low-acid canned goods, a group that includes pumpkin, 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator after opening. Libby's gives its pumpkin 1 week in a sealed plastic container. This guide goes by USDA's shorter time.
Can you freeze leftover canned pumpkin puree?
Yes. Libby's gives leftover pumpkin up to 3 months in the freezer and says to leave room in the container for expansion. It also suggests freezing portions in ice cube trays or mini silicone muffin cups.
Creators and sources
Recipe details and storage times were checked against these pages on October 11, 2026.
- Pumpkin French toast bake: @feedingtinybellies on Instagram, full recipe by Lily Payen at Feeding Tiny Bellies.
- Pumpkin pancakes with sautéed apples: @pamelasalzman on Instagram, full recipe at Pamela Salzman.
- Mini cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins: @sallysbakeblog on Instagram, full recipe by Sally McKenney at Sally's Baking.
- Can sizes, pie mix and leftover pumpkin storage: Libby's pumpkin FAQ.
- Refrigerator time for opened canned pumpkin: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Shelf-Stable Food Safety.
- Cover images: mini muffins from @sallysbakeblog's Instagram reel, pancakes from @pamelasalzman's Instagram reel and French toast bake from @feedingtinybellies' Instagram post.
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