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Take your Halloween festivities to the next level with a delightfully disgusting Puking Pumpkin! This is an eye-dropping centerpiece for your Halloween snack table, but also a fun way to serve a guacamole appetizer.

What’s So Great About This Pumpkin Recipe

It’s super fun, and a little gross – both perfect for Halloween! This is one that adults and kids alike will LOVE. Plus, it’s a fun Halloween activity you can do with your kids (though you might want to handle the actual carving).
You can make a puking pumpkin as mild or as stomach-turning as you want! Instead of vomiting guacamole, your pumpkin could spew wrapped candies – much more chill. If you want to get really wild with it, the pumpkin could puke worms (spaghetti) and blood (tomato sauce). A taco dip with ground beef or even just a bean dip would work well, too – because all those chunks and textures would be SO gross and induce giggles from the kids!
This guacamole appetizer goes really well with a batch of Halloween Monsteritas (cucumber and jalapeño margaritas). Talk about a perfect Halloween party spread!

Cheryl’s Tested Notes & Tips

If I want to make my puking pumpkin a centerpiece or jack-o’-lantern after the guac is gone, I rub a little Vaseline (petroleum jelly) onto the cut-out edges of the face. Vaseline will help the edges stay fresh a little longer.
To make carving your pumpkin a little easier, use push pins! Draw your design (or place a stencil) on the side of the pumpkin. Then, insert push pins along the lines of your design, pressing hard enough to make holes in the pumpkin shell. Once you’ve done the whole design, it’s just a matter of connecting the dots with the knife!
I cut a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin to access the insides. But you can cut yours around the stem on top if you’d rather. I think it looks a little nicer without the cut seam around the top, and supposedly cutting the bottom instead of the top keeps the pumpkin fresher longer, too.

What You’ll Need

Pumpkin – Any size, any color, any shape of pumpkin will work here! Don’t be afraid to get creative. Choose a size that matches your needs – for a large party and a lot of guac, you’ll want a larger pumpkin. Whatever size you choose, just make sure to get a pumpkin that’s relatively flat on the bottom so that it sits up well. You don’t want it to roll around and “vomit” guac all over the place.

Guacamole – Store-bought or homemade guacamole will both work for your puking pumpkin. You’ll want something that’s thicker versus an avocado salsa, so it holds a decent shape. Also, the chunkier the guacamole, the more visually interesting the whole arrangement will be!

Sharp Knife – Carving a pumpkin can be more difficult than it needs to be sometimes. One thing that makes a big difference is using the right tools. Make sure your knife is really sharp, and use a small, flat knife (like a paring knife) as opposed to a large knife. You’ll have better control over your cuts this way.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Make-Ahead: I usually carve the pumpkin earlier in the day and prepare the guacamole right before serving. If you decide to make homemade guacamole, press plastic wrap directly against the surface to help limit browning.
Storage: Store leftover dip in a container in the refrigerator; just follow the storage instructions for the dip you used. Discard any dip left out for a long time after the party.

Recipe FAQs

Do I need to fill the whole pumpkin with guacamole? Nope! Most of the guacamole sits on the plate or parchment paper in front of the pumpkin. Just build a little up into the mouth to make it look like it’s spilling out (the gross factor. You’ll get the full effect without filling the pumpkin!
What kind of pumpkin works best? I always look for a pumpkin that sits flat without wobbling and has a decently smooth area for carving the face. Also, be sure it can sit comfortably on your serving table, leaving plenty of room for the dip and chips.

How To Reuse The Pumpkin Post-Party

Once the guac is gone, your pumpkin can keep the Halloween fun going! Clean away any remaining dip and pat it dry, then try one of these easy ideas (don’t forget my Vaseline trick I shared above).

Light it up! I love a battery-operated or solar tea light inside and place my jack-o’-lantern on the porch or in a window.
Keep it creepy. Arrange plastic spiders, rubber snakes, or other creepy-crawly decorations so they spill from the pumpkin’s mouth. It’s a fun way to keep the “puking” theme going after party time!
Make a Halloween centerpiece. Set the pumpkin on a tray and surround it with faux fall leaves and mini pumpkins. Add a light inside for a little extra glow.

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5 from 1 vote

Puking Pumpkin with Guacamole “Vomit”

Prep: 1

Cook: 0

Total: 1

Take your Halloween festivities to the next level with a delightfully disgusting puking pumpkin! This is a great centerpiece for your snack table and a fun way to serve a guacamole appetizer.

Cheryl Malik

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Ingredients

▢ 1 pumpkin wiped clean, then dried
▢ guacamole or other thick dip of choice
▢ tortilla chips optional, for serving

Get Recipe Ingredients

Equipment

Sharpie
Sharp knife (paring knife or other small knife)
Large metal spoon (or ice cream scoop)
Parchment paper or plate

Instructions

Using Sharpie (or similar marker), draw large circle on bottom of pumpkin, encircling center point. Circle should be big enough to allow your hand inside pumpkin.
Use sharp paring knife to cut along Sharpie circle, inserting knife deep enough to cut completely through bottom of pumpkin shell. Once entire circle is cut, remove center of shell and set aside.
Use large spoon to scoop out all seeds, strings, and guts from inside of pumpkin. Discards innards or set aside for another purpose. Continue scraping inner wall of side you intend to carve, until wall is roughly 1" thick.
Carve desired face into thinned side of pumpkin using sharp paring knife, following stencil or hand-drawn design of choice. Discard excess pieces from side of shell. Replace bottom circle of shell.
Set carved pumpkin on long sheet of parchment paper, or place large plate beneath carved mouth. Scoop guacamole onto parchment paper or plate, then build dip up and into pumpkin mouth, to give appearance of vomit. Serve with tortilla chips (or fresh veggies, or crostini).

Notes

Dip: If you don’t want to use guacamole, use an equally thick dip in its place. Something thin (like queso) won’t work here because it won’t hold any sort of shape without a container. You’ll end up with a huge mess! A taco dip with ground beef or even just a bean dip would work well, or you could just use wrapped candies for a less-gross version.

Movement: I highly recommend NOT trying to move the pumpkin once you’ve added the guacamole. If you’re using this as a centerpiece for a party or snack table, place the pumpkin where it needs to be first, then add the guacamole. Moving everything together is too risky.

Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes and the amount of guacamole used.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving of guacamole, not including any tortilla chips. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Nutrition Information

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.