Try Pumpkin Fries For A Creative Fall Snack That Delivers Maximum Flavor

Instead of settling on your usual sweet potato fries recipe to serve for tonight's dinner, consider making an ingredient swap: pumpkin. It's never too soon to break out fall-inspired food recipes, especially when it comes to roasting up slivers of pumpkin and snacking on warm, crispy pieces once they're taken out of the oven. Whether you sprinkle your pumpkin fries with flaky sea salt or dried rosemary, you may never return to your default potato option.

Packed with vitamins and minerals, pumpkin fries make for a munchable side dish that can complement your next servings of burgers or other proteins hot off the grill. While you can make this recipe in your oven, the dish is easy to pop into an air fryer — or for a true fries experience, deep fry them in oil. For the crispiest fries, slice them thin. And if you're worried about making perfect shapes for your fries, slice chunks of pumpkin into discs instead and enjoy them as chips in a bowl to snack on during your next Netflix binge.

Since pumpkin naturally lends sweetness to a standard batch of fries, feel free to play with flavor combinations as you prepare the dish. Mix sweet potato and pumpkin fries together for a recipe that announces the onset of fall, or dust smoked paprika and ancho chili powder on top of your fries for an extra smoky flavor anytime of the year. Warm plates of pumpkin fries can be topped with your favorite cheeses and served with your preferred go-to condiments like homemade ketchup, hot sauce, spicy mustard, and seasoned mayo.

To amplify the savory notes of a batch of pumpkin fries, lean into herbs and spices like black pepper. If you're craving a sweeter treat, dust your cooked pumpkin fries with cinnamon powder and light drizzles of honey. After the first batch, you may find yourself making pumpkin fries with regularity, and even planning menus around the dish itself.