It’s so easy to make fresh Homemade Pumpkin Puree from scratch! Grab a baking pumpkin, roast and puree. It’s that easy. Use it in any of your favorite pumpkin recipes.
Are you having a hard time finding canned pumpkin puree at the store? Or do you want to make the freshest pumpkin dish completely from scratch?
Making pumpkin puree from scratch is easy. All you have to do is roast a pumpkin, puree and enjoy in all of your favorite meals.
Baking pumpkin for puree is almost as easy as buying it canned. Best of all, it tastes more fresh and flavorful than canned puree.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No need to locate canned pumpkin puree at the store.
- It’s fun, delicious and easy to make!
- You only need two baking pumpkins for this recipe.
- You can store the puree in the fridge or freezer and use it all season.
How to Make Pumpkin Puree
All you need for this recipe are 2 sugar pumpkins (also known as baking pumpkins or pumpkin pie pumpkins.) You can find the pumpkins at your local grocery store or farmer’s market during the fall and winter season.
- Choose a pumpkin for baking. “Sugar Pumpkins” or “Pie Pumpkins” are the best type of pumpkins to make homemade puree. Avoid the larger carving type pumpkins which generally don’t taste as good as the smaller baking pumpkins.
- Slice the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Discard the seeds or save them to make roasted pumpkin seeds.
- Place the pumpkins on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cut side down.
- Roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 to 45 minutes or until the flesh starts to separate from the skin and the pumpkin starts to collapse. Allow the pumpkins to cool slightly.
- Scoop out the roasted pumpkin flesh using a spoon. It should easily separate from the skin.
- Puree pumpkin. Place the chunks of fresh in a blender or food processor and blend.
If you do not have a blender or a food processor, you can use a potato masher to mash the pumpkin. Keep mashing until you achieve a puree consistency. An immersion blender will also work.
If the puree is too thin, you can strain it through cheesecloth to remove some of the liquid. You can also use a fine mesh sieve or fine mesh strainer.
FAQs
All pumpkin puree is made with winter squash. Some canned versions of pumpkin puree are a mix of different varieties of winter squash so the texture, color and flavor might be slightly different. Homemade pumpkin puree is usually lighter in color and somewhat thinner than the canned versions.
Yes, you can use in any recipe that calls for canned pumpkin.
You will need a pie pumpkin, also called a sugar pumpkin. These pumpkins are smaller and have a much better pumpkin taste than the standard carving pumpkin. You can find pie pumpkins during the fall season at most grocery stores.
Homemade puree lasts about 1 week. Store it in the refrigerator in a sealed container until ready to use.
Yes, you can freeze pumpkin puree in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months. After 3 months, the texture and quality starts to decline.
Storage
Store pumpkin puree in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze, store in a sealed freezer safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw before using.
While using canned pumpkin is perfectly fine, we think using homemade puree yields a better texture and flavor. If you’re in a pinch and can’t locate canned pumpkin, then this recipe will work great for you!
Recipes With Pumpkin Puree
Once you make this pumpkin puree, there are a ton of ways you can use it! Add it to pasta, soups, smoothies and more of our favorite meals.
- Pumpkin Pasta
- Pumpkin Pie
- Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dog Treats
- Butternut Squash Risotto (use 1 cup pumpkin puree instead of butternut squash)
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Baked Pumpkin Donuts
- Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Hummus
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Did you try this homemade pumpkin puree recipe? Leave a recipe rating and review below.
Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Ingredients
- 2 sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins (about 2 pounds each)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the stem from each pumpkin. Then, slice each pumpkin in half lengthwise. Use a large spoon to scoop out all of the seeds and discard or save them for roasting.
- Place the pumpkin halves flesh side down on a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the pumpkins start to separate from the skin and partially collapse.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the pumpkin flesh. The skin should separate from the flesh easily.
- Place the flesh in the bowl of a large food processor or blender. Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
- Place the puree in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Use the puree in any of your favorite pumpkin recipes.
Notes
- From scratch pumpkin puree is sometimes not as thick as canned pumpkin puree.
- You can strain the pumpkin puree in cheesecloth over a bowl to thicken. Discard any liquid.
- Store puree in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- To freeze pumpkin puree, place in a freezer safe ziplock bag for up to 5 months. Thaw before using. You can also strain the puree in cheesecloth to remove any liquid.
Was just reading your recipe. I’ve been making my own puree for years. I use a pressure cooker. If you want to save time, pressure cooker is done in 20 minutes for a whole pumpkin. Just a suggestion.
Thanks for sharing! You can definitely cook the pumpkin in a pressure cooker, if desired.
I’ve never made my own pumpkin puree because it seemed intimidating but after reading your post I’m inspired.
Your recipe is a lifesaver! Stores are totally out of canned pumpkin.
love to be able to make everything from scratch, at least once! to see how much better it tastes and to say I did it! maybe even add some new techniques, so thank you for this scratch pumpkin puree