How to Make Pumpkin Puree

You won’t believe how easy it is to make pumpkin puree at home! Homemade pumpkin puree requires only 1 ingredient: pumpkin! This post will easily guide you through how to make pumpkin puree so that it comes out perfectly creamy, sweet, and smooth every single time.

There are so many uses for pumpkin puree. I always have some on hand, as I love adding a tablespoon here and there to my recipes, from overnight oats to chia pudding to PSL. While canned pumpkin is convenient, when pumpkins are in season, I love making my own fresh pumpkin puree. Making pumpkin puree from scratch is not a difficult process, and I definitely get excited when pumpkins start popping up at the store.

 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Making pumpkin puree at home is a very simple, inexpensive, and hands-off recipe. You only need one ingredient to make it!
• Homemade pumpkin puree is richer and more flavorful. You can definitely taste the freshness.
• Pumpkin puree keeps really well! You can make a ton when pumpkins are in season and freeze the puree until ready to use.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• pumpkin — all you need is a pumpkin! Look for a cooking pumpkin or pie pumpkin, as they are less fibrous and make a smoother, sweeter puree. The pumpkin pictured above is a fairytale (or cinderella) pumpkin, as they’re also quite sweet and easy to cut. They also yield quite a bit of puree! I’ve used a sugar pumpkin as well, but I needed two to make just under 4 cups, whereas one fairytale pumpkin (just under 10 pounds) yielded just over 6 cups. You can also make puree with large squashes such as kabocha squash or butternut squash. Some canned “pumpkin” puree are actually made from one or more types of winter squash, so you can also use a variety to make this homemade pumpkin puree.

How to Make Pumpkin Puree from Scratch

• Preheat oven to 400F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Place the pumpkin on a flat surface and cut the pumpkin in half from top to bottom.
• Cut just under the top stem of each pumpkin to remove the stem.

• If using a pumpkin larger than 5 pounds, cut the halves into thirds for more manageable pieces.

• Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh part of each cut portion of the pumpkin.

• Place the pumpkin halves cut-side down onto the sheet pan. If you have thirds, place them so one of the cut-side is down and the skin isn’t on the sheet pan.
• Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the flesh is soft and pulls away from the skin, and is easily pierced with a knife. Baking time will vary with the size of the pumpkins.

• Let cool for about 1 hour. Using your hands, peel the pumpkin skin away from the soft flesh and transfer the flesh to a food processor. You can also use a spoon to scoop the flesh from the skin if that’s easier.

• Puree until smooth, for 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. If your puree is more watery, strain the excess liquid by letting it sit in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl for 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can strain it through a cheesecloth and squeeze out the liquid.
• Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container in the fridge.

Recipe Tips and Notes

• The time it takes to roast your pumpkins will depend on their size. When I use the little 4 pound pie pumpkins, cut in half, they are tender for around 45 minutes. Use a fork to check for doneness.
• If the pumpkin doesn’t sit steady on a cutting board, slice a small bit away from the bottom so that it doesn’t wobble while you try to slice through the top. You can also place a towel underneath the pumpkin to help keep it still.
• The texture of the puree will vary depending on the type of pumpkin or squash you use. Some varieties are more watery than others.
• I believe that mass-produced pumpkin puree is actually steamed, so you could always steam the pumpkin. However, by roasting the pumpkin in the oven like in this recipe, we caramelize the pumpkin, leading to a sweeter and smoother homemade puree. This is also why I have the pumpkin roasting cut-side down, so it caramelizes the pumpkin’s flesh.
• While this is rarely an issue for me, if your pumpkin puree is too thick and you have difficulty running it through the food processor, you can add water in 1 tablespoon increments until the pumpkin puree reaches your desire consistency.
• Similar to when I roast chicken, I always roast a second one, so there are “leftovers for later.” Since I’m already putting the effort into roasting one pumpkin, I always roast a second, so there are leftovers to freeze for another recipe.
• You don’t have to discard the pumpkin seeds! You can rinse them, pat them dry, and roast them in the oven!

Storage Tips

• Meal prep: you can store the homemade roasted pumpkin puree in an airtight container or jar for up to a week in the fridge.
• Freezer: you can freeze pumpkin puree for up to 3 to 4 months! You can freeze them in different ways, depending on how you plan to use them.
• You can fill a muffin tin with half cup scoops of pumpkin puree and freeze. Once frozen, you can remove the pumpkin pucks and transfer them to a zip-top bag for storage in the freezer. If you’re concerned about difficulty popping out the pucks, you can use a silicone muffin tray.
• If you want to freeze 15 ounces (1 can’s worth) for a pie later, I recommend freezer-safe quart bags.
• If you want to freeze pumpkin puree for a smoothie or just need a tablespoon here or there, you can use an ice cube tray!

How to Use Pumpkin Puree

Pumpkin puree can be used in so many recipes! Here are some ideas of what to use it in:

• muffins
• soup
• pumpkin pie
• pumpkin banana bread
• pancakes
• smoothies
• pumpkin spice latte (or iced pumpkin spice latte)
• overnight oats
• chia pudding
• and more!

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