Stuffed Hokkaido Pumpkin with Brie, Cherry Tomatoes and a Nut Crunch
6 min read 2DiE4 Live Foods Updated:18 Oct 2026To stuff a Hokkaido pumpkin (also sold as red kuri squash), slice off a lid, spoon out the seeds and pre-bake the shell for 25 to 30 minutes at 190 °C. Then in go brie, cherry tomatoes, garlic and thyme for another 20 to 30 minutes. The walnuts and pumpkin seeds only go on at the very end.
The spoon breaks through the layer of cheese, meets soft pumpkin flesh and brings a burst tomato along with it. Then comes the crunch. That moment is exactly why the nuts go on last in this recipe.
In the oven everything turns creamy: pumpkin, cheese, tomatoes. That is the whole appeal of the dish, and it is also why it needs something with bite at the end. Many recipes roast the seeds for a few minutes alongside. We prefer to scatter the walnuts and pumpkin seeds over just before serving, for two reasons. The nuts reach the plate exactly as they leave our activation: soaked, gently dried and never heated a second time. And you keep the activated crunch that the whole effort is about in the first place.
Ingredients for 2 servings
For the pumpkin
- 1 medium Hokkaido pumpkin (about 900 to 1,100 g)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt
For the filling
- 180 g brie
- 200 g cherry or cocktail tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 small sprig of rosemary
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the crunch
- 40 g activated organic walnuts
- 25 g activated organic pumpkin seeds
- Optional: 1 tsp honey
- To serve: country bread or a baguette and a green salad
Allergens: milk, walnuts. The nuts may contain traces of other nuts.
The nuts in this recipe
The recipe works with any good walnut. We use our activated ones because soaking and drying leaves them crisp right through.
Method
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Preheat the oven to 190 °C conventional, top and bottom heat (170 °C fan). Wash the pumpkin and rub it dry. With a large, sharp knife, cut off a lid about 3 cm below the stalk.
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Scrape out the seeds and fibres thoroughly with a tablespoon. Rub the inside with 1 tbsp olive oil and season lightly with salt. If it wobbles, shave a wafer-thin slice off the base so it stands securely. Keep the wall intact so the cheese stays inside later.
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Set the pumpkin in a baking dish without its lid and pre-bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Test the inner wall with a fork: it should give, while the outer wall is still firm.
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Meanwhile, halve the cherry tomatoes, finely chop the garlic and strip the leaves from two thyme sprigs. Toss everything with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Cut the brie into rough chunks; the rind can stay on.
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Layer the brie and tomatoes into the pumpkin and lay the rosemary sprig on top. Put the lid in the dish alongside. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the flesh inside comes away easily with a spoon. If the top browns too quickly, cover it loosely with baking paper.
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Take the pumpkin out of the oven and let it rest for three minutes. Now for the crunch: break the walnuts roughly with your hands and scatter them over the cheese together with the pumpkin seeds. Finish with a thin thread of honey and fresh thyme if you like. Lean the lid against the side and serve straight away.
To eat, scrape the soft flesh from the wall with your spoon and take some cheese, tomato and a few nuts with it. The baking times are a guide and depend on the size and ripeness of your pumpkin.
Tips and variations
- Quicker, halved: Halve the pumpkin lengthways, remove the seeds, salt it and pre-bake cut side down for 15 minutes. Turn it over, add the brie and tomatoes and bake for another 15 minutes. As before, the nuts only go on afterwards.
- Swap the cheese: Camembert works one for one. Goat's cheese makes it tangier. Feta softens but does not melt.
- With heat: Stir a pinch of chilli flakes into the tomatoes. The honey at the end rounds off the heat.
- Vegan: Replace the brie with a cashew-based vegan camembert and the honey with maple syrup.
- Leftovers: Scrape out the pumpkin flesh and cheese and blend with a little vegetable stock. That makes a quick pumpkin and cheese soup; top it with fresh nuts.
What to serve with it
A lamb's lettuce salad with a honey mustard dressing brings some acidity to the table, and a piece of crusty country bread is there for mopping up. In the glass, a dry Pinot Blanc or a Grüner Veltliner works well. Alcohol-free: a cloudy apple juice.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a stuffed Hokkaido pumpkin need in the oven?
At 190 °C conventional heat, 50 to 60 minutes in total: 25 to 30 minutes empty, then another 20 to 30 minutes with the brie and tomatoes. A small pumpkin is ready sooner, a large one needs longer.
Can you eat the skin of a Hokkaido pumpkin?
Yes. Hokkaido has a thin skin that softens in the oven, so you can simply eat the wall of the pumpkin as well.
Does the recipe work with camembert?
Yes, camembert works one for one and tastes a little stronger. Goat's cheese suits it too. Feta softens in the oven but does not melt.
Why do the nuts only go on after baking?
So that they stay exactly as they come out of activation: soaked, gently dried and never heated a second time. In the hot cheese, nuts and seeds would also quickly turn soft and dark. Scattered over after baking, they keep their bite and set off the creamy filling.
For the crunch
You can get the walnuts and pumpkin seeds from this recipe from us in 100 g and 250 g bags. One pumpkin takes 40 g of walnuts and 25 g of pumpkin seeds; the rest ends up in your muesli, in a salad or straight in your hand.
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