This recipe for Homemade Pumpkin Puree gives you step-by-step instructions to make your very own fresh pumpkin puree at home. It’s simple, tasty and requires just one ingredient: pumpkin! Use in breads, pies, cakes, soups and more.
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Homemade Pumpkin Puree Video Tutorial
What is Pumpkin Puree?
You may be asking yourself, what is pumpkin puree? Is pumpkin puree the same as canned pumpkin? Trust us, these are not silly questions!
Canned pumpkin is canned pureed pumpkin. If you look at the ingredient list on a can of pumpkin, you should see just one ingredient. We’ve all grown so accustomed to picking up canned pumpkin from the grocery store that it can be easy to forget that you can make it from scratch.
Why Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree?
As it turns out, fresh pumpkins are simple to roast and use for all sorts of recipes. The flavor can’t be beat and as an added bonus, it gives you a great excuse to buy those cute little pie pumpkins at the farmer’s market!
What Can I Make with Pumpkin Puree?
Have you found yourself with a bunch of adorable pie pumpkins but you aren’t quite sure what to do with pumpkin puree? We’ve got ideas! Pumpkin puree recipes are easy to come by this time of year.
The most obvious uses that come to mind are pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread. Yummy! Or, try adding pumpkin puree to soups and stews to give them a creamy texture and a little extra flavor. You can turn it into a delicious sauce for pasta, meats, or veggies, or even mix it into your breakfast oatmeal!
You can also substitute this Homemade Pumpkin Puree in absolutely any recipe that calls for canned pumpkin puree. Just be sure to pour off any standing liquid in the puree before using.
How to Make Pumpkin Puree from Scratch
How to Prepare and Bake the Pumpkin
- Wash the pumpkin to remove dirt, then slice off the stem and cut the pumpkin in half.
- Scoop out the seeds and save them for another use or discard them. Place the halves cut side down onto a baking sheet or baking dish.
- Add about ¼" water to the bottom of the baking dish, then cover with aluminum foil and roast in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 40-50 minutes, or until fork-tender.
How to Puree a Pumpkin
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 30 minutes (until you can handle it), then carefully scoop out the flesh (discard the skin), place into a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth.
- You can either use it immediately in a recipe or cool it completely and store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freezer for up to 3 months. Enjoy!
What Are the Best Pumpkins to Use for Homemade Pumpkin Puree?
The best pumpkins to use for puree are the small Pie Pumpkins or Sugar Pie Pumpkins. You will often find them in the fall at the grocery store or your local farmer’s market. These are different from your average Jack O Lantern Pumpkins in that they are smaller and have much sweeter flesh. You want to leave the Jack O Lantern Pumpkins to carving!
You can also substitute roasted and pureed winter squash in just about any recipe that calls for pumpkin puree. Butternut squash is our absolute favorite because it has a slightly nutty, sweet flavor. Acorn squash is another great and readily available option.
Pie pumpkins are generally between 3-10 pounds in weight. You want to use pumpkins that are on the smaller side for roasting as they will have much sweeter flesh than large pumpkins.
A good rule of thumb is that for every 1 pound of pumpkin, you will be able to yield about 1 cup of puree. So, if you choose a 3 pound pumpkin you can expect roughly 3 cups of Homemade Pumpkin Puree.
Your Homemade Pumpkin Puree will last in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days as long as you store it properly. Make sure it’s completely cool before transferring to an airtight container and storing in the fridge.
Absolutely! Let the puree cool completely, then transfer to freezer bags and let freeze flat. You can store your Homemade Pumpkin Puree in the freezer for up to 4 months!
When you are ready to use, either let it thaw in the fridge overnight or transfer to a microwave-safe container and microwave on defrost for about 5 minutes, or until completely thawed.
More of our favorite fresh pumpkin recipes
- Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
- No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Baked Rice Pudding
- Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast with Pecan Crumble Topping
- Einkorn Pumpkin Muffins
Homemade Pumpkin Puree Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 3 pound Pumpkin pie pumpkin or sugar pie pumpkin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Wash the pumpkin to remove any dirt, then slice off the stem and cut the pumpkin in half.
- Scoop out the seeds and either save for another use or discard. Place the halves cut side down onto a baking sheet or baking dish.
- Add about ¼" water to the bottom of the baking dish, then cover with aluminum foil and roast for 40-50 minutes, or until fork tender.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool until you can handle it, then carefully scoop out the flesh (discard the skin), place into a food processor and blend until smooth.
- You can either use the pumpkin puree immediately in a recipe, or cool completely and store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freezer for up to 3 months. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Making your own Homemade Pumpkin Puree is simple, tasty and requires just one ingredient: pumpkin! Use in all sorts of seasonal recipes that call for pumpkin, including pies, breads, cakes, soups and more.
Virginia
Great step by step instructions for making my own pumpkin! Thanks!
Jill Baird
So glad you like it!