DIY Pumpkin Spice Dough

Materials you'll need

• Pure pumpkin puree
• Corn starch
• Pumpkin spice
• Mixing bowl
• Fork or spoon

 

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1: Scoop 1/2 can of pure pumpkin puree into a mixing bowl and mash it a bit with a fork.

Step 2: Add 1 cup of corn starch to the bowl.

Step 3: Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of pumpkin spice.

Step 4: Mix everything together until it starts clumping into a dough.

Step 5: Once it's mostly combined, use your hands to knead it into a smooth ball.

Learn more

This fun dough gets its squishy texture from cornstarch, a powder made of tiny starch particles that don't dissolve in liquid — they just float around, suspended in the moisture from the pumpkin puree. Squeeze or press the dough, and those particles jam together and feel more solid; let it rest, and it goes soft and moldable again. This recipe uses a lot of cornstarch compared to liquid, which is why it holds its shape as a dough instead of turning into a drippy, runny mixture like oobleck.