Making Pumpkin Puree at home is a lot easier than you may think, and homemade puree is so much better than canned stuff. It's sweet, thick, and so fresh. Great for homemade pumpkin pies, cookies, and pancakes. Not to mention smoothies and pumpkin lattes.
Jump to:
The fall season is the best time for baking. And it's Pumpkin's time to shine. Pumpkin puree is part of many seasonal treats. Aside from the obvious use in making pumpkin pies, it's an essential part of pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin cookies—not to mention pumpkin lattes.
While buying canned pumpkin puree sounds convenient, making one at home is a lot easier (and cheaper) than you may think. Plus, homemade pumpkin puree tastes ten times better than any store-bought stuff. It's sweet, thick with a delicate flavor. So fresh and delicious.
The whole process is quite simple, effortless. And it takes less than one hour, but it's well worth the time. Once you make pumpkin puree, you can store it in the fridge and use it for making delightful pumpkin treats. It even can be frozen. But I like my pumpkin puree as fresh as possible.
What is Pumpkin Puree?
Pumpkin Puree is basically mashed or blended cooked flesh of any variety of hard-skinned winter squash (acorn squash, butternut squash) or the various orange ones we are known as pumpkins.
You can make pumpkin puree at home, or you can buy canned pumpkin puree in stores. If you're buying canned pumpkin puree in stores, it's important to know that pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling are not the same things. Pumpkin pie filling is spiced and sweetened pumpkin puree.
Also, store-bought pumpkin puree sometimes has added sugars or additives, so it's important to read labels carefully. Look for pure pumpkin puree. Buying pumpkin puree in-store seems straight forward quick solution, but making a pumpkin puree at home has a lot more benefits. Homemade pumpkin puree is just so wonderfully fresh.
Best pumpkin for making pumpkin puree
Different types of pumpkins have different flavors. Butternut squash is very sweet and has a strong nutty flavor while the Red Kuri squash (Hokkaido pumpkin) is sweet but with a less pronounced nutty flavor.
The most common pumpkin for pumpkin puree is Sugar Pumpkin. Sugar pumpkin is mild in flavor and sweet, but also has very soft meat that is very good for making puree.
Which pumpkin will you choose depends on its purpose. Sugar pumpkin is best for pumpkin recipes like cakes and cookies, while butternut is best for smoothies.
Benefits of pumpkin
Beyond its sweet, delicious taste, pumpkin is a highly nutritious fruit (yes, fruit!) and has many health benefits. Pumpkin is high in many essential vitamins and minerals. Besides the impressive vitamin profile, pumpkin is also relatively low in calories which makes pumpkin weight-loss friendly. One cup of cooked pumpkin (245 grams) has only 49 calories. (1)
Pumpkin's bright orange color indicates that pumpkins are packed with beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that converts to vitamin A in our body. Pumpkin is also high in vitamin C, meaning eating pumpkin supports the immune system. (2)
It’s also a good source of fiber, that helps to keep our digestion healthy.
How to make Pumpkin Puree
There are two ways you can make pumpkin puree at home:
- Boiling method - You basically cut and peel pumpkin, and boil in the water until tender, and then mash into pumpkin puree. This method gives more watery pumpkin pure so puree needs additional straining.
- Roasting method - Baking produces the most flavor and gives the best puree, thick, and extra flavorful. Since I'm using the roasting method the most, today I'm going to explain that method.
Equipment needed
- Sharp knife
- Baking sheet
- Food processor, blender, or immersion blender.
Cooked pumpkin is very soft and can be mashed by hand using a potato masher or fork to turn into a puree.
Step by step instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the pumpkin in half. Don’t try to cut it through the stem. It’s too tough.
- With a spoon or a scoop, scrape out the seeds and strings from the center.
- Place the halves, cut-side down, on a prepared baking sheet.
- Using the fork, pierce the pumpkin skin. This will allow the pumpkin to cook faster.
- Roast, uncovered, for 40-60 minutes, or until pumpkin is fork-tender. It should be nice and light golden brown when done. I like to turn pumpkin halves and roast cut-side up, just to get more of a "roasting" color and flavor.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle. When cool, carefully scrape flesh from the skin and put it in a food processor or blender. Discard the skin.
- Puree the pumpkin until smooth. If it looks too dry, add in a few tablespoons of water during the pulsing to give it the needed moisture.
- Alternatively, you can mash it up with a potato masher or fork, or move it through a strainer.
- Use pumpkin pure immediately in pumpkin recipe you’d like. Or place it in an airtight glass container and refrigerate or freeze for later.
- 1 medium-sized pumpkin will give about 3-4 cups of pumpkin puree.
Tips for storing
- Cooked pumpkin puree is best stored in an airtight glass container with a good seal. To preserve freshness, keep it in the fridge.
- Refrigerated pumpkin puree will last up to 2 weeks.
Tips for freezing
- Freezing homemade pumpkin is a great way to preserve puree for longer than just while is pumpkin season.
- To freeze pumpkin puree, just put the fresh pumpkin puree in freezer-safe containers or zip-lock plastic bags and store it in the freezer.
- Frozen pumpkin puree will last for up to 6 months.
- To defrost the pumpkin puree, just thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Use thawed pumpkin puree within a few days.
FAQ
It depends on the type of pumpkin used; some are more watery than others. As a general rule, 2 pounds (1kg) of fresh pumpkin will give you around 2 cups of puree.
Canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree are the same thing. To make pumpkin puree, you roast (or boil) the pumpkin and then puree it in a blender or food processor. The texture and taste vary depending on which pumpkin you use. Canned pumpkin is made of steamed, pureed pumpkin or a blend of pumpkin and other squashes. Because it’s produced for mass use, the texture, consistency, and flavor tend to be universal.
Canned pumpkin puree contains 100% pumpkin without any additional spices or flavors. On the other hand, pumpkin pie filling features pureed pumpkin flavored with the spices traditionally found in pumpkin pie: cloves, cinnamon, allspice and/or nutmeg.
How to use Pumpkin Puree
Once you’ve made pumpkin puree, there are tons of ways to use it! Here are a few ideas:
- Mix it up in a pumpkin smoothie.
- Make pumpkin pancakes for your kids this week.
- Try it in these muffins or this bread.
- Make a pumpkin Cake for the weekend.
- Whisk it into pumpkin polenta and serve with roasted vegetables.
- Make a warming soup.
- Or bake a pumpkin pie.
Do yourself a favor and make this pumpkin puree today and start enjoying some of the amazing pumpkin treats and reaping all the pumpkin benefits.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Equipment
- Sharp knife
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized pumpkin
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the pumpkin in half but don’t try to cut through the stem (it’s too tough).
- With a spoon or a scoop, scrape out the seeds and strings from the center.
- Place the halves, cut-side down, on a prepared baking sheet.
- Using the fork, pierce the pumpkin skin.
- Roast, uncovered, for 40-60 minutes, or until pumpkin is fork-tender. It should be nice and light golden brown when done.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle. When cool, carefully scrape flesh from the skin and put it in a food processor or blender. Discard the skin.
- Puree the pumpkin until smooth. If it looks too dry, add in a few tablespoons of water during the pulsing to give it the needed moisture.
- Alternatively, you can simply mash it up with a potato masher or fork, or move it through a strainer.
- Use pumpkin pure immediately in whatever pumpkin recipe you’d like. Or place it in an airtight glass container for later.
Notes
Store cooked pumpkin puree in an airtight glass container with a good seal. Keep refrigerated up to 2 weeks. How to freeze
Put the pumpkin puree in freezer-safe containers or zip-lock plastic bags and store in the freezer. Frozen pumpkin puree will last for up to 6 months. To defrost the pumpkin puree, just thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Use thawed pumpkin puree within a few days. As a measure, I used a US cup (240ml).
Nutrition
This post is originally published in November 2015, and it's updated with new information and images in October 2020.
Heather says
I wish I had seen this just a few days ago. I needed some for a recipe and our grocery store was out.
Kathy says
I've never tried making pumpkin puree myself before. This looks great. I'm going to have to give your recipe a try. I can't wait to make it.
Amy says
I love a good pumpkin puree. Always so creamy and naturally sweet. I'd love to try it in your pumpkin granola and pumpkin spice latte! But always so good to have some on hand so I don't have to worry about making it when I need it. thanks!