This Baked Pumpkin Risotto is creamy, hearty + full of fall flavour. It’s also so easy to throw together – no stirring at the stove – for a gluten-free, dairy-free + even meatless meal!
This Baked Pumpkin Risotto is basically everything wonderful about fall in one meal. It’s warm, it’s rich, it’s creamy + dreamy + FULL of pumpkin and roasted onion flavour.
Traditional risotto is made from a short grain rice with lots of starch – arborio – which is what we’re going to use here too. It’s generally cooked in broth, low + slow, and stirred, stirred, stirred to get that amazing risotto texture. If you haven’t tried it, just imagine the most comforting of comfort food. It’s SO GOOD.
However, in this baked pumpkin risotto, we aren’t doing the stirring at the stove part. We’re actually BAKING this risotto in the oven versus cooking it in the stove top, but you’re still going to end up with the same amazing result you want in a risotto. Say hello to your newest obsession for fall: Baked Pumpkin Risotto.
Ingredients for Baked Pumpkin Risotto
This swoon worthy recipe requires only 10 simple ingredients – including things like salt + pepper. The spiced fall flavours come together to make the best baked pumpkin risotto that is incredibly easy to cook…and also to eat!
- The Foundations: The foundational pieces of this risotto are the arborio rice + the broth. Arborio rice has a higher starch content than regular rice, which is released during cooking to create that really dreamy texture we all know and love. You can totally just grab it at the regular grocery store though!
For broth, I love to make this dish using some of my homemade bone broth because of the INCREDIBLE depth of flavour it adds, but if you don’t have the time/desire to make any, Kettle + Fire is my other fave. Likewise, any pre-made, store-bought broth will work for this too + still be delicious!? - Flavour Enhancers: Cooking this risotto with some really simple flavour enhancers like fresh garlic + onions really does take this dish to the next level. You are more than welcome to play with this + add more or less or even some ginger! We also sauté all of this in a bit of oil, so use what you have! I love avocado oil.
- Fall Flavours: To make this baked pumpkin risotto actually taste like a fall dish, we’re going to stir some pumpkin puree right into the dish! It adds so much good sweetness + brightness. A bit of nutmeg along with your salt + pepper is the only fall themed spice we’re adding, but I promise it’s enough.
- Finishing Touches: The final ingredient in this risotto is optional, but one I’d recommend including if you can: a tablespoon or two of ghee (or coconut oil or butter, if you aren’t dairy-free) stirred right in adds the traditional level of creaminess that we’re all looking for in a risotto…even a baked one!
How to Make Creamy Baked Pumpkin Risotto
So, even though this finished dish feels very fancy in both taste and presentation, I can promise you that the cooking method is anything but. Unlike a traditional risotto that requires lots of stove time + stirring, we’re actually just going to add ingredients to a pot + bake them. Then, it’s a few simple additions once it comes out of the oven + BOOM – perfect fall inspired, baked pumpkin risotto that everyone will love.
- First, preheat the oven + while it comes to temp, briefly cook the onions and garlic on the stove in the oil. This is just to wake them up until they smell delicious and fragrant.
- Then, add the arborio rice to the same exact pot + stir for a few minutes until toasty before removing from the heat.
- Next, just pour in the broth + sprinkle over the nutmeg, salt + pepper.
- Give everything a good mix, put the lid on the pot + put it into the heated oven to cook for 35 or so minutes!
- Once the timer goes off, remove from the heat + simply stir in the pumpkin + ghee/butter.
- That’s it! Serve up + enjoy the seasonal spoils of your labour.
How do I store baked risotto? Can I eat leftovers?
Yes! You can totally have risotto as leftovers, although I will say that it’s optimal to eat fresh from the oven. To store it, just place in an airtight container in your fridge. It’ll keep for 3-5 days with no problem. To reheat it, I just place it in a microwave safe bowl with 1/2 cup or so of liquid to help the texture loosen up a bit + cook in 1 minute increments until hot and creamy again. (The rice will continue to absorb liquid as it sits in the fridge, so adding some back in is necessary when reheating.) You can also totally add another tablespoon or two of ghee/butter to up that creaminess factor on day 2 or 3 too!
How do I make this a meal?
Risotto, on it’s own, can totally be a comfort meal, but it is a bit heavy on the carbs for some, ha! I prefer to balance it out with a nice large green salad on the side if I’m keeping it veggie or even top it with some grilled chicken or pork tenderloin if I’m craving some extra protein. It’s also delicious topped with a fried egg for breakfast!
This perfect fall themed meal is an easy, weeknight option that you can put together with almost no effort. It’s 100% worth the 10 minutes of prep time for the silky, spiced, rich + luxurious risotto you get at the end!
If you make this Baked Pumpkin Risotto, I’d love nothing more than to hear what you think in the comments below. It helps me + my page SO much. Likewise, chatting on instagram or seeing your recipe recreations is such a fun thing for me, so come hang out there too!
Other Fall Recipes You’ll Love:
- Paleo Butternut Squash Soup
- Paleo Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
- Low Carb Sausage + Kale Soup
- Paleo Cheeseburger Chili
- Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal
Baked Pumpkin Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado, olive or coconut oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 cups arborio rice
- 4.5 cups chicken broth (can also use vegetable broth!)
- 1 tsp salt, more to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg, more to taste
- 1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 2-3 tbsp ghee or butter (if not dairy-free)
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 350f or 175c + placing a large oven safe dutch oven (or other pot) over medium heat on the stovetop.
- Add the diced onion and minced garlic along with the oil to the pot and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until fragrant!
- To the onions and garlic, add the arborio rice and stir. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the rice is toasty + remove from the heat.
- To the pot, add 4 cups of the chicken broth along with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir together.
- Place the lid on the pot and bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove the risotto pot from the oven + take off the lid. Add the pumpkin puree, remaining 1/2 cup of broth and the ghee to the risotto and stir until creamy.
- Serve and enjoy!
