How to Smoke a Pumpkin (and why you should)

I’ll be the first to admit that I may go a little overboard at times with my smoker.

But I love the opportunity it gives me to explore new things with food. From pork shoulder to bacon, I’ve been smoking everything I can get my hands on.

But if you thought the smoker was only for meat then you would be missing out.

Don’t worry, I was there too. But then I realized that the magic of smoking food is too great for only the carnivore diet. And there’s plenty of room for exploring all options on the table. Potatoes, tomatoes and peppers oh my…

Why smoke pumpkin?

I know it sounds a little weird. Why in the world would you put a pumpkin on the smoker?

But when you think about it, we’ve been roasting squash and pumpkin for a very long time. Why not use the smoker instead of the oven?

Smoking adds a rich, sultry flavor to the pumpkin and is an easy way to soften the flesh for puree or pie. Mmmmm…pie.

So why smoke a pumpkin? Because it’s good, it’s easy and it’s mess free.

Let’s get to the deets

Alright, so I’ve talked you into putting a pumpkin on the smoker. So now what?

Here’s how to do it.

1. Wash your pumpkin and then remove the stem as normal. Then slice in half. Don’t worry about removing the seeds and the goop in the middle. It’s easier to do that after your smoke it.
2. Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. I love to use maple, apple or mesquite when smoking pumpkin. But you can use whatever wood you want.
3. Place the pumpkin face up right on the grate. Let it smoke for around 2 hours, or until your can pierce the flesh easily with a fork. It’ll form a leathery texture on top but that’s okay. Underneath, the flesh will be soft and should pull away from the rind easily. Just be careful not to over cook.
4. When done, remove the pumpkin and let it cool. Then you can scoop the seeds and goop out. The leathery layer on top usually pulls away easily too. We give all that stuff to the chickens.

Once you’ve smoked your pumpkin, you’re ready to scoop out that yummy flesh and use it as a puree or as a base for soup. You can also freeze it and use it for later.

Enjoy!