Sourdough cubes, fritos, pretzel rods, chips... they're ALL invited to the hot for food Halloween FONDUE PARTY! This ain't some meltable crap you can buy in a box from the grocery store. No Siree Bob! (Has anyone figured out what that phrase even means yet? No?) Any-who, this vegan pumpkin cheese fondue is fresh, festive, and freakin' addictive, so get the hell ready!
You'll want to make this around the time of year that grocery stores sell pumpkins, cause that's what we'll be serving it in! It's the perfect party app for any Halloween festivities you have coming up or just for celebrating fall. You'll be familiar with this idea if you got hot for holidays, my holiday ebook. I've got a recipe in there for a pumpkin spice fondue (hello, #basicbitches) that's also served in a pumpkin!
This version is more for my savory hot for foodies out there, cause we're adding vegan cheese and a whole lotta cheesy ingredients to the mix. Like I mentioned before, my top picks for this vegan pumpkin cheese fondue are bread and salty snacks. But as always, use it to your liking and dip your Halloween candy in it for all I care! (I just don't anticipate that turning out too well for your tastebuds OR your stomach).
vegan pumpkin cheese fondue
Ingredients
roasted pumpkin
- 2 to 2 ½ lb pie pumpkin
- 3 tablespoon rough chopped white onion
- 1 tablespoon rough chopped leek
- 1 tablespoon rough chopped garlic cloves (about 2 to 3 cloves)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil
pumpkin cheese fondue
- 1 ½ C unsweetened nondairy milk
- ½ C raw cashews (soaked in hot water for 20 minutes and drained)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ C vegan cheddar shreds + extra for garnish
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- vegan parmesan shreds, as garnish (optional)
suggested dippers for serving
- sourdough cubes
- fritos
- pretzel rods
- ruffle sea salt chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Turn the pumpkin on its side and cut off the top third (stem side) of the pumpkin. The other side will be used as a serving bowl for the fondue. Scoop out the seeds and stringy bits, keeping the pumpkin flesh intact. Set aside the stem and pumpkin bowl. Wash the stringy bits off the pumpkin seeds and reserve for another use, if you want.
- In a small food processor add white onion, leek, garlic, sea salt and vegetable oil. Pulse chop until finely minced. Use your hands to rub the mixture all over the inside of the pumpkin bowl and flesh of the stem side. You can also do this by finely chopping the leek and onion, mincing the garlic and then combining with vegetable oil and sea salt in a bowl.
- Place both the stem side and pumpkin bowl onto a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. Once roasted scrape off the pumpkin flesh from the stem side only, so you have about a ½ cup of pumpkin to add to the fondue in the next step. Also scrape out the onion and garlic mince from the pumpkin bowl, leaving the roasted flesh intact.
- To make the fondue, to a high-powered blender add the roasted pumpkin flesh and the onion and garlic mince. Add nondairy milk, cashews, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, vegan cheese shreds, smoked paprika, sea salt, chili powder, and nutmeg.
- In a pot over medium-low heat, add the fondue mixture and heat it up slowly. Stir constantly so the bottom doesn’t brown and simmer the mixture for about 5 to 7 minutes until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and has turned a deeper orange color.
- Ladle the fondue into the pumpkin bowl and garnish with some extra vegan cheddar and parmesan shreds. Serve with the dippers on the side.
- Depending on the size of your pumpkin, you may be able to serve all of the fondue in the pumpkin. If not, keep the fondue warm on the stove top over low heat and refill the pumpkin bowl as needed. You can also refrigerate the fondue and heat it up again with a little bit of nondairy milk before serving.
Want to #levelupyourleftovers of this recipe? Well you're in luck, because I've got a couple of easy and cozy meal ideas using up any leftover pumpkin cheese fondue you (might) have! If you want a quick pasta for dinner, use 1 ½ cups of the fondue to make a creamy pumpkin paccheri pasta, and if you've got 1 cup leftover you can whip up this simple pumpkin chowder.
Adrian
OMG! This recipe it's delicious!
Shannon
Hi Lauren, just wondering if I’m supposed to put the pumpkin cut side down or not, or whether it matters.
Lauren Toyota
cut side up for baking, yes!
Marie
Delicious! I couldn't find a pumpkin on Halloween night so I used a buttercup squash and it worked great!
Lauren Toyota
that's awesome!
Tammye
I could not get a pie pumpkin because of Halloween. I found an 8lb pumpkin send wondering if this well work or if it'll taste different. I've never cooked with pumpkin before so I'm not sure. Should I just wait for the stores to get more pie pumpkins instead of settling for the larger one?
Lauren Toyota
I'm not sure, but I feel like that regular pumpkin might have different taste and texture. You can use canned pumpkin puree!
Magali
Is it possible to make that recipe with a can of pumpkin purée or homemade pumpkin puree? I can't find small pumpkins anywhere... 🙁 But I really want to make that recipe for my sister's and her husband anniversary on Saturday. Thanks
Lauren Toyota
yup it is! Use the same amount called for in the directions