Name: How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 3 cups (approximately)
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6-10 pounds of fresh pumpkin (one smaller medium or two small pumpkins)

How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Making pumpkin puree is as easy as roasting, scooping, and blending a fresh pumpkin! You're going to love using it in any pumpkin recipe.

Prep5 min

Cook30 min

Total35 min

Serves3 cups (approximately)

Published 18 Sep 2017

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MakingHomemade Pumpkin Pureeis as easy as roasting, scooping, and blending a fresh pumpkin. You’ll love its bright color, smooth texture and easy preparation!

Pumpkin puree in a food processor bowl on a white counter.

If ripe pumpkins are popping out of your garden, grocery store, and farmers’ market, it’s time to turn this gorgeous gourd into something you can use in the kitchen. Homemade pumpkin puree is quick and simple to make, stores great, and is a great skill to have up your sleeve.

You can use pumpkin puree inFresh Pumpkin Pie,Homemade Pumpkin Pasta, andHealthy Pumpkin Muffins. It’s perfect in any recipe that calls for canned pumpkin!

Cooked pumpkin in a white bowl next to an empty cooked pumpkin shell.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Super easy way to preserve some of your harvest.
Don’t have to buy canned pumpkin puree.
Gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free and vegan.

Recipe Ingredients

A whole pumpkin:You need between 6 and 10 pounds of pumpkin, which is about one medium or two small pumpkins.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Step #1.Wash your pumpkins, cut the stem end off the pumpkin, and cut in half horizontally.
Step #2.Scoop and scrape the seeds out of the pumpkin.
Step #3.Place the pumpkin halves “bowl” side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat.
Step #4.Bake at 375 degrees 30 to 40 minutes and allow them to cool until they are safe to handle.
Step #5.Scrape the flesh off the skin with a spoon.
Step #6.Mash the pumpkin or place in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth.

Recipe FAQs

What type of pumpkins are best to puree?

Sugar, sweet, or pie pumpkins all describe the smaller 3 to 5 pound pumpkins that are typically grown to be eaten. Their flesh is firmer and sweeter than other varieties, which makes them a great choice for cooking.

Do I need to use a blender to make homemade pumpkin puree?

Yes. I recommend that you puree your homemade pumpkin puree in a blender or a food processor or to get a smooth velvety texture. You can mash it with a fork if you want to but it won’t be a true puree.

What can I make with pumpkin puree?

You can use fresh pumpkin puree in any recipe calling for pumpkin; however, the color will be a more golden orange/yellow. It won’t be as dark as canned pumpkin because it’s usually a mixture of different squashes and pumpkin so it’s darker in color.

Can I freeze pumpkin puree?

Yes! Homemade pumpkin puree freezes like a dream. Freezing it in one cup proportions is the best option for long-term storage.

Cooked pumpkin on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat.

Expert Tips

Look for a pie or sweet pumpkin that has a hard exteriorand no blemishes or insect holes.
Instead of throwing away the pumpkin seeds, you can makeHoney Roasted Pumpkin Seedswith a few simple ingredients.
If youdon’t want to mess with cutting the pumpkin and removing the seeds, you cancook a whole pumpkin in a slow cookeror you can even put awhole pumpkin in an Instant Pot.

Cooked pumpkin in a white bowl next to a cooked pumpkin half with a spoon and an empty pumpkin shell on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat.

More Pumpkin Recipes to Consider

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How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Pumpkin puree is perfect for making all sorts of tasty pumpkin treats! Making Homemade Pumpkin Puree is as easy as roasting, scooping, and blending a fresh pumpkin. You'll love its bright color, smooth texture and easy preparation!

Ingredients

6-10 pounds of fresh pumpkin (one smaller medium or two small pumpkins)

Instructions

Prepare your pumpkins by washing the outside under running water. This helps to make sure you don't get any dirt or other derbis in your homemade pumpkin puree.

Cut the stem end off of the pumpkin and then cut it in half horizontally to make two pumpkin "bowls".

Scrape the seeds from inside the pumpkin (I like to make honey roasted pumpkin seeds with them!).

Flip the pumpkins over so the "bowl" is upside down on a parchment or baking mat rimmed baking sheet).

Bake at 375 degrees until the flesh is very soft and can be pierced with a fork - 30 to 40 minutes depending on the size of your pumpkin.

Remove from the oven and allow the cooked pumpkins to cool until you can handle them.

Use a spoon to scrape the flesh from the skin. Mash with a fork or for a truly smooth homemade pumpkin puree, toss the cooked pumpkin flesh into a food processor or blender and process until smooth (this is the preferred method over just using a fork).

Store pumpkin puree in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Notes

Don’t skip washing your pumpkins before baking them - you never know what’s on them (even if they look clean). You can store homemade pumpkin puree in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for a few months. To freeze homemade pumpkin puree, divide it into one-cup portions per freezer zip-top bag.

Nutrition

Calories314

Carbohydrates79

Fat1

Fiber6

Protein12

Saturated fat1

Sodium12

Sugar33