Fall takes on Mexican food like no other! These pumpkin enchiladas will knock your socks off. So flavorful and easy to make, with a perfect creamy twist.
Enchiladas are an easy family favorite in our house, so bringing in the fall flavors to make these pumpkin enchiladas is an obvious choice. My kids love this “Mexican lasagna” of sorts, and I love all that I can sneak inside. They also freeze really well, so they are perfect to stock up on for a crazy week (or like every week).
The basics of an enchilada
I love enchiladas because they are a simple food. Grab some tortillas. Pick a filling. Pick a saucy topping. Boom. Dinner. I mean, I’m sure in the culinary world there is a special art to them, but in this crazy town, I call this an easy dinner mom win. #sorrynotsorry
There possibilities are endless, and I am constantly coming up with new versions. So mixing things up and putting a fall twist to make pumpkin enchiladas was a natural step for me. And these can’t be any easier.
Step 1: Mix all the filling ingredients.
Step 2: Make the cashew cream. Want it even easier? Use a store bought sour cream, although I highly recommend my cream. Ha.
Step 3: Fill the tortillas.
Step 4: Put the filled tortillas in a baking dish.
Step 5: Pour the sauces on top, then sprinkle the fancy toppings (sliced onions and crushed pistachios are fancy in my book) and bake.
Step 6: Shove into mouth being careful not to burn yourself.
I love to serve these with a side of cabbage salad (try this delicious one here). And of course the guac (this one is a huge winner), because in our house you don’t pay extra for guac.
I originally wrote this recipe in 2013 as a guest post for a long time blogger friend, Melissa who’s blog is Vegenista, a vegan blog that I first began following many many years ago. Melissa was one of the people I reached out to when I first joined the food blog community in hope of getting some advice/support/insight, and not only was she super sweet and nice, but she was also very helpful.
- 10 burrito sized tortillas , gluten free if needed
- 24 oz. green tomatillo salsa
- ¼ cup ground pistachios
- 1 green onion , sliced
- 15 ounces can black beans , drained and rinsed (one can)
- 3/4 cup pumpkin (7 ½ oz or half a can)
- ½ cup corn , frozen or fresh
- 4 ounces green chiles (one small can)
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup Vegan Walnut Cashew Cream
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C)
Prepare Cashew Walnut Cream Sauce if not already prepared. Mix in the smoked paprika and onion powder. Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, mix black beans, pumpkin, corn, green chiles, garlic, chili powder and salt.
Place about ¼ of your tomatillo salsa in a baking dish, covering the bottom with a thin layer.
Build enchiladas by placing a few spoonfuls of filling and one spoonful of cream sauce in the middle of each tortilla.
Next roll the tortilla and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat until all tortillas are used.
Cover the rolled tortillas with the remainder of your salsa.
Next add a little water to the remainder of the cream sauce to get it thin enough to pour. Drizzle over the top of the enchiladas.
Then, cover with your sliced green onions and finally, sprinkle with the ground pistachios.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the sauce is nice and bubbly.
- For a really easy version you can omit the cream sauce, it will just be a less creamy version but still good. You could also use store bought sour cream.
- To crush the pistachios easily, place them in a plastic bag and use a wooden spoon or non breakable cup or bowl to crush them.
Melissa Bechter says
Oh wow, thank you so much for your kind words, my friend! I am so touched & it was my honor to have you! I cannot wait to meet in person over some vegan wine & cheese! xo 😉
veggiesdontbite says
Absolutely! It’s so nice to see that this world still has good people in it 🙂 As soon as my husband has next month’s schedule out I’ll take a look and put something up on the meet up group. Can’t wait!
Demetra says
These were delicious, but my walnut cashew cream turned out a strange greige color that was very unappetizing. Maybe I soaked the nuts too long? Anyway, in the future I will use only cashews to keep it white so they look as good as they taste 🙂
JCB says
I don’t see the recipe for walnut cashew cream?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi! Sorry, the link must have been lost. But it’s fixed now!
JD says
These are so easy and delicious. And I love that everyone eats them without complaining!
Rona says
I can’t to try these! Can you please possibly recommend a good substitute for the corn? My kids are not crazy about corn. Thanks! =)
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Rona! I am so happy you want to try them! I would just omit the corn. It is not necessary if you don’t like corn! You could add more beans if you wanted. Or every another veggie they like, like chopped peppers or zucchini. It is very customizable!
Stacey says
Thank you for sharing this, Sophia. It looks amazing. The tomatillo sauce you used looks beautiful, with specks of roasted parts. Any recommendations for a good jar/can of the stuff? This will be in the oven tonight!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Stacey! I use the green salsa by Frontera! Let me know if you try!
Johna says
Really good! The kids loved it. I found the baby eating fistfuls of the walnut sauce. The pumpkin really added to the creaminess without an overwhelming pumpkin flavor. I will make again!
veggiesdontbite says
Hahaha! I love it!! I am so happy you liked it. Thank you!!
Lindsey says
These were super yummy and so flavorful. You couldn’t even taste the pumpkin. These were too spicy for my kids but my husband and I loved it.
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you so much for telling me Lindsey! I am so happy you guys liked it!