Looking for some yummy fun this Halloween? This gross pumpkin puke is actually a delicious Spicy Guacamole. Go on, have some if you dare!
The best-tasting puke
Halloween is one of my favourite times of the year because I’m a huge fan of anything scary. Although I’m a huge wimp, I love horror flicks and true ghost stories. With a vivid imagination, I should avoid scary stuff because I’ll be up all night thinking about it frightening myself silly!
Last Halloween I saw a few puking pumpkins on my feed and it cracked me up. A carved pumpkin that had too much to drink last night puking his guts out! That’s unreal, and I thought it was such a creative idea. At first glance, you think ‘gross’ but then it hits you, then it’s like ‘yum guacamole!’
Before we went on holiday, I was searching for a Halloween pumpkin, but none of the places had them in stock. Then, like magic, when we got back they were everywhere, so out of excitement I bought one immediately.
I’m excited because this is my first Halloween pumpkin and I’ve never carved a pumpkin. How hard could it be? I was up for the challenge!
My husband, Tomi, said he would watch some YouTube and then carve it for me, but I turned him down. I learned my lesson when I trusted him to chop my roast duck after watching YouTube. Let’s say it was the worst chopped duck I’ve seen.
Things were going well when I started carving the mouth of the pumpkin, and then when I tried to remove the piece I carved out, my knife broke. The blade snapped off right in the middle! Luckily, no one got hurt. The rest of the carving went well!
The best guacamole is your own
We can argue until the cows come home who makes the best guacamole. Everyone has different tastes and prefers theirs a certain way, from the texture to what goes in it.
This is my version of guacamole, and our family loves it. Over the years, I have tweaked it and experimented, but this Spicy Guacamole is our favourite.
Some prefer their guacamole smooth and others prefer it chunky. We like ours in the middle, that’s why I mash some of my avocados and chop the remaining.
This guacamole has deep flavours with loads of cumin, cayenne pepper, tabasco, coriander and lime. This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, so that’s why I encourage you to trust your instinct and make it your way. One tip is to start with a little of these ingredients, then taste it because you can always add more later.
Looking for more dips or party recipes for you to try?
Easy Spicy Tuna Dip
Prawn Pumpkin Hummus
Smoked Salmon Canapés
Mini Quiche Lorraine
Why did my guacamole turn brown?
Oxygen causes the avocado to go brown. When avocado flesh comes in contact with air, its vibrant green colour will start to fade. If we left guacamole uncovered on a serving platter, it’ll likely turn to an unflattering brown colour a few hours later.
How do you stop guacamole from going brown?
Mixing some fresh lemon or lime juice into the avocado will slow down the oxidisation process. Another tip is to not over-mash the avocados, or put them in the blender as this will add more air to the avocados.
If you’re making guacamole for guests, you can chop the tomatoes, onions and coriander in advance and store them in a sealed container in the fridge. This way, you’ll only need to prepare the avocado before your guests arrive.
Ingredients for Spicy Guacamole
Halloween pumpkin – These orange pumpkins are large and beautiful, and used for Halloween decorations. They have little flesh on them compared to other pumpkin varieties, so they’re easier to carve. I got the smallest one I could find, but it still weighed approximately 3.5 kilos/7.7lbs.
Avocados – To check if the avocados are ripe before buying them, gently squeeze them and if it gives in, it’s ripe. The avocados I used were medium-sized and weighed approximately 250gm/8.8lb). I used 5 avocados for this guacamole, 3 mashed and 2 roughly chopped. Doing this gives some chunky avocado in my guacamole, but this is optional, as you can simply mash all your avocados.
Tomatoes – Look for ripe but firm tomatoes. These contain less water so they will help prevent the guacamole from being too runny. I also like to scoop the seeds out of the tomatoes and discarded them before chopping them.
Tabasco and cayenne pepper – Everyone has different levels of heat they can handle, best to start with less, then adjust at the end to your liking. There was no original Tabasco at our store, so I bought this mild version, but I definitely prefer the original one!
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How to make Spicy Guacamole
Step-by-step guide with photos
Using a small sharp serrated knife, carefully carve a large circle at the bottom of the pumpkin. Use a large spoon to remove the seeds and stringy strands from the pumpkin. Use chalk or a removable marker to draw the pumpkin’s face. Once you’re happy with how the face looks, start carving. Take your time carving around the eyes as they may break off. Wipe off any remaining chalk away with a damp tea towel.
Cut 3 avocados in half and scoop their flesh into a large bowl with the lime juice. Use a potato masher or fork to smash the avocado. Chop the remaining 2 avocados into small chunks and add them to the mashed avocados.
Slice the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds, then discard them (doing this helps prevent the guacamole from becoming too mushy). Dice the tomatoes finely and add them to the avocado.
To the avocado and tomato bowl, add the onions, coriander, cumin, tabasco, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Fold the ingredients together until combined. Have a taste and adjust to your liking. You may wish to add more salt, lime juice or cayenne pepper.
Place a long plate near the pumpkin. Spoon some Spicy Guacamole inside the pumpkin’s mouth and along the plate to make it look like the pumpkin’s puking.
Serving suggestions – Serve Spicy Guacamole with corn chips, flatbread, crisps, carrot or celery sticks.
How to store guacamole – Place the guacamole into an airtight container, then level it using the back of a spoon. Place some cling/plastic wrap over the top and press it firmly over the surface of the guacamole. This will help it stay green a little longer. Secure the lid and store it in the fridge for up to 2 or 3 days.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Spicy Guacamole (as Halloween pumpkin puke)
Ingredients
- 1 small to medium Halloween pumpkin (NOTE 1)
- 5 medium ripe avocado (approx, 1.2kg/2.6lb) (NOTE 2)
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 small firm tomatoes (seeds removed/ approx. 100gm/3.5oz) (NOTE 3)
- ½ small red onion (approx. 55gm/1.9oz, diced finely)
- ⅓ cup finely chopped coriander (cilantro)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less, adjust to taste) (NOTE 4)
- 1 tsp tabasco (more or less, adjust to taste) (NOTE 4)
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
To serve (optional)
- corn chips, flat bread, crackers, carrot and celery sticks
Instructions
- Using a small sharp serrated knife, carefully carve a large circle at the bottom of the pumpkin. Use a large spoon to remove the seeds and stringy strands from the pumpkin. Use chalk or a removable marker to draw the pumpkin's face. Once you're happy with how the face looks, start carving. Take your time carving around the eyes as they may break off. Wipe off any remaining chalk away with a damp tea towel.
- Cut 3 avocados in half and scoop their flesh into a large bowl with the lime juice. Use a potato masher or fork to smash the avocado. Chop the remaining 2 avocados into small chunks and add them to the mashed avocados.Slice the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds, then discard them (doing this helps prevent the guacamole from becoming too mushy). Dice the tomatoes finely and add them to the avocado.
- To the avocado and tomato bowl, add the onions, coriander, cumin, tabasco, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Fold the ingredients together until combined. Have a taste and adjust to your liking. You may wish to add more salt, lime juice or cayenne pepper.
- Place a long plate near the pumpkin. Spoon some guacamole inside the pumpkin's mouth and along the plate to make it look like the pumpkin's puking.
