A new spin on red mole sauce, this easy Pumpkin Mole is made with canned pumpkin, chiles, cinnamon, and pumpkin seeds. Serve with turkey, chicken, or pork! Last updated November 5, 2021.
“Oh, hello!” (read with a British accent).
This is what my little Hiro says every time we are playing cars on the traffic rug and his car approaches mine.
I don’t know why I’m thinking about this other than it is ridiculously cute and the holidays always get me thinking about last year’s Christmas and how much my kids have grown.
Last year Hiro was barely walking, let alone speaking in a British accent and Louisa still had a little baby fat left in her cheeks which by now is long gone.
Around the holidays I always make this real elaborate mole sauce that I discovered in Diana Kennedy’s first cookbook, The Cuisines of Mexico.
It is incredibly complex and rich with spice but takes hours to prepare (which is why I only make it once a year). If I ever am feeling ambitious I will post it one day to this here blog, but today is not that day.
I have yet felt festive enough to embark on such a project so I was thrilled when I came across this absolutely acceptable (I’m speaking for myself, not Diana Kennedy) and a much easier mole sauce from the lovely Pati Jinich.
What is Pumpkin Mole?
The base for this deep, dark sauce is pureed pumpkin which fills in quite nicely as the sweet component for the more traditional chocolate.
There is still plenty of heat from dried ancho chiles but it is subtle and nuanced. The toasted nuts and warm wintery spices round out the flavors which only improve the longer it sits so if you are with it enough to plan in advance, make the sauce on the weekend for a meal later in the week.
I won’t throw in the towel on the Ms. Kennedy’s spicy pork mole but I’m thrilled to have found an alternative I can make more than once a year.
What we need to make it!
Classic mole ingredients like onion and garlic and toasted ancho chiles make up the base for this mole sauce. Let’s see what else we need.
- white onion
- garlic cloves
- ancho chiles
- sliced almonds
- whole cloves
- canela {Mexican cinnamon stick}
- whole allspice berries
- vegetable oil
- canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- chicken broth
- kosher salt
- brown sugar
- pumpkin seeds
How to make the pumpkin mole sauce
Char the onions and garlic
Place the onions and garlic on a baking sheet and broil until charred. This should take about 9-10 minutes, flipping every few minutes so they char evenly.
Toast and soak chiles
Toast the ancho chiles on a hot skillet or comal. Submerge in boiling water and remove from the heat. Let soak until softened, at least 15 minutes.
Toast spices and nuts
Return the skillet to the heat and toast the allspice, canela, cloves, almonds, and pumpkin seeds until fragrant. Transfer to a blender.
Blend
Combine everything but the pumpkin puree in the blender or food processor and add 1/2 cup of the chile soaking liquid and puree until smooth.
Fry the sauce
Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the pureed mixture and fry in the oil until it darkens in color and is fragrant. Add the pumpkin puree, chicken broth, salt and sugar. Cook 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Taste and serve
Taste and add more salt or sugar if needed. Serve over braised chicken or turkey or use as an enchilada sauce. Any leftover sauce can be kept in the fridge for up to a week.
More Mole Sauce Recipes To Try!
- Mole Colorado
- Chicken Mole Verde
- Manchamantel Mole Sauce
- Peach Mole with Grilled Chicken
- Jamaica Mole Sauce
- Mole Membrillo Donuts
- Pot Roast Chicken Mole with Veggies
Make a different kind of gravy this Thanksgiving
Think outside of the box this Thanksgiving—or anytime—and serve this silky pumpkin mole sauce instead of traditional gravy with your turkey. Let me know when you do by snapping a pic and tagging me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) ! Also, sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
Pumpkin Mole
A new spin on red mole sauce, this easy Pumpkin Mole is made with canned pumpkin, chiles, cinnamon, and pumpkin seeds. Serve with turkey, chicken, or pork!
Adapted slightly from Pati's Mexican Table
Ingredients
- 1 small white onion, quartered
- 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds, divided
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 5 whole cloves
- 1/2 canela or cinnamon stick
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, or more to taste
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt or more to taste
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée (about 1 3/4 cup)
- 3 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Char onions and garlic. Place the onion and garlic on a baking sheet under the broiler. Broil for 9-10 minutes, flipping occasionally. Once they are soft and charred, remove from the heat.
- Peel garlic. Let garlic cool slightly, then peel.
- Toast chiles. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. When hot, add ancho chiles and toast for 3-4 minutes flipping frequently until all sides have darkened in color, but not burnt.
- Soak chiles. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil and add toasted chiles. Remove from heat and soak chiles for 10-15 minutes or until soft.
- Fry the pumpkin seeds. Return the skillet to the heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the pumpkin seeds and fry in the oil until golden and starting to pop. Remove to a plate. Season with salt.
- Fry the almonds. Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the sliced almonds and toast, stirring frequently, until golden. Remove to a separate plate.
- Fry the spices. Return the skillet to medium heat and add another tablespoon of oil. Fry the cloves, and canela for about a minute or until fragrant. Transfer to the plate with the almonds.
- Puree the sauce. Transfer the onion, garlic, chiles, 1 cup of chile soaking liquid, almonds, 1/4 cup of the toasted pumpkin seeds, cloves, cinnamon and allspice in the blender and purée until smooth.
- Fry the sauce. In a deep frying pan or saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Once shimmering add the chile mixture. It will bubble vigorously so be careful. Stir until it stops spitting then add the salt and sugar. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to help prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. The color will darken considerably.
- Add pumpkin and broth. Add the pumpkin purée and chicken broth to the sauce. Stir well until the pumpkin has dissolved, it will have a silky consistency. Continue to cook for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally or if you have them time cook over very low heat, covered, for an hour.
- Serve! Season with more salt if necessary and serve over grilled or broiled chicken, shrimp, or pork or even enchiladas, garnished with the remaining toasted pumpkin seeds. You can also let cool then transfer to mason jars and keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 135Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 355mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 4g
Resources
Pumpkin and Ancho Chile Mole from Pati Jinich
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What I love about this is that you have that luscious mole paired with the grilled chicken…rather than done in a stewy fashion, which is so often the case with mole. Plus, all that pumpkin
Thanks Katie! It makes a really good dip too!
This sounds like it’s so much easier than the Jamaica/Pecan mole that I make – once a year. When I use up my supply of that one I’ll have to try this one.
Hi Susan! Yes, it’s pretty easy as far as moles go but that Jamaica pecan one sounds like it would be worth the work!