Pumpkin is often used during the holidays to make a variety of recipes including cakes, pies and breads. You can find both canned pumpkin and canned pumpkin pie filling at your local supermarket or neighborhood grocers. Although both products may appear to be the same, there are differences between the two.

Pumpkin pie filling contains added sugar and spices such as allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon. It tends to be higher in calories and a less healthy option than canned pumpkin.

Canned pumpkin is a pumpkin puree that contains only pumpkin or squash with low salt.

Canned pumpkin can be used to make soups, breads, pies, cakes and casseroles. Since canned pumpkin doesn’t contain the additional spices canned pumpkin pie filling does, there is more flexibility with the recipes you can add the canned pumpkin to.

Canned pumpkin is more widely purchased because of its versatility in many recipes, along with its good flavor, texture and consistency compared with pumpkin pie filling.

Both canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie filling contain nutrients such as vitamin A, iron and potassium.