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!
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since added a video and more helpful success tips.
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).
I have yet felt festive enough to embark on such a project so I was thrilled when I came across this incredibly delicious and a much easier mole sauce from the lovely Pati Jinich.
It is festive enough to serve with Thanksgiving turkey but easy enough to make on a weeknight or certainly for a dinner party, taking only slightly longer than scraping mole paste out of a Doña Maria jar.
Rich, savory, a tiny bit sweet, and earthy, this traditional Mexican sauce has it all. Plus, it smells incredible as it cooks. I won’t throw in the towel on Ms. Kennedy’s spicy pork mole but I’m thrilled to have found an alternative I can make more than once a year.
Tell Me About This Pumpkin Mole?
Texture: Luscious and smooth with lovely body from the creamy pumpkin puree.
Flavor: The base for this deep, dark sauce is pureed pumpkin which fills in quite nicely as the sweet component for the more traditional Mexican chocolate in Mole Poblano. The dried ancho chilies adds layers of flavor but aren’t spicy. The toasted nuts and warm wintery spices round everything out and tastes even better the next day—make the sauce on the weekend for a meal later in the week.
Ease: Compared to black mole or even green mole sauce, this recipe is a snap. Just char the veggies, toast and soak the chiles, and blend!
Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes to make this great sauce. 30 minutes for prep and an hour to simmer.
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 clove: Like many Mexican sauces, these two get charred and provide a flavorful base
- Ancho chili peppers: These dried chiles are poblano peppers that have been dried. The ancho chile puree is the backbone of many different moles, including this pumpkin version.
- Sliced almonds and pumpkin seeds: Nuts and seeds add to the savory notes of this complex sauce. Look for raw pepitas at your local Latin grocery store.
- Whole cloves, canela (Mexican cinnamon stick), allspice and kosher salt: Whole and ground spices add warmth, salt brings out all the flavors
- Vegetable oil: For frying the sauce. You can substitute a light olive oil if you’d like
- Canned pumpkin puree: Not pumpkin pie filling
- Chicken broth: Or vegetable broth if you’d like to keep it vegan
- Brown sugar: My personal favorite is dark brown sugar but light also works for just a touch of sweetness
Overview: How to make the pumpkin mole sauce
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through it so you understand each step before you get started.
Char the onions and garlic
Place the onions and cloves 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 over medium heat. 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 Poblano
- 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
- 4 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds, divided
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 5 whole cloves
- 1/2 canela 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)
- 2-3 cups chicken broth or vegetable 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.
Notes
- Make Ahead: This mole can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze it for up to 6 months.
- Blending: A high-powered blender will yield the smoothest mole. If you don't have one, you may need to strain the sauce after blending to remove any small bits of chile or seeds.
- Sweetness: Adjust the amount of brown sugar to your liking. Start with only 2 tablespoons if you'd like and add more to taste if needed.
- Charring: Keep a close eye on the onions and garlic while broiling to prevent burning. You want them to be soft and slightly charred, not blackened. The garlic will char quicker than the onions, remove the garlic cloves as they are ready.
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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!