Homemade pumpkin puree needs exactly one ingredient and 45 minutes of oven time - and the difference with canned is real: fresher, sweeter, and you know exactly what's in it (just pumpkin, nothing else). Use it anywhere a recipe calls for canned pumpkin: pie, soup, bread, pancakes, or my spiced pumpkin bundt cake.
Below I'll show you the 4 simple steps, which pumpkins give you the best puree (this matters more than you'd think!), and how to swap it into recipes that call for canned.
Jump to:
Which pumpkin should I use?
This is the step where pumpkin puree succeeds or fails. Go for a small sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin (usually 2 to 4 pounds): they have dense, sweet flesh and turn into a silky, flavorful puree.
What you don't want is a jack-o'-lantern carving pumpkin. Those big ones are grown for size, not taste - the flesh is watery, stringy, and bland. Great for spooky faces, disappointing in a pie.
Other winners: hokkaido (red kuri) needs no peeling and has a lovely chestnut-like sweetness, and butternut squash makes a puree so smooth and sweet that many bakers secretly prefer it. My top tip still applies to all of them: pick one that feels heavy for its size with a firm, unblemished skin.
Simple Pumpkin Puree in Just 45 Minutes
In the fall, I like to use pumpkin puree in my recipes. And did you know you can easily make it yourself? It has no additives and a sweet, pure flavor. So, let's make it ourselves! Pumpkin puree is delicious in both sweet and savory dishes and gives your meal a warm, full flavor. The nice thing is that if you make extra, you can easily freeze it. That way, you always have some in stock for your favorite dishes.
In any case, I didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately made this delicious pumpkin bundt cake with it!
This basic pumpkin puree recipe is easy, healthy, and super tasty. It is a must in your kitchen!
How to Roast and Puree Pumpkin in 4 Steps
- Preparation: Cut the bottom off the pumpkin and halve it. Scoop out the seeds and strings with a spoon.
- Roasting: Place the pumpkin halves cut side up on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Bake for 45 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 °C.
- Scooping out: Let the pumpkin cool, and scoop the flesh out of the skin with a spoon.
- Pureeing: Put the flesh in the blender, add four tablespoons of water, and mix until smooth.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I use this instead of canned pumpkin? Yes - swap it 1:1. One cup of this homemade puree replaces one cup of canned pumpkin in any recipe. Just make sure your recipe calls for pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling: that's a different product with sugar and spices already added. This puree is 100% pumpkin, so you stay in control of the flavor.
- How much puree does one pumpkin make? As a rule of thumb: a 2-pound sugar pumpkin gives you about 2 cups of puree - roughly the same as one large can. Bigger pumpkin, more puree; and since it freezes beautifully, extra is never a problem.
- My puree looks watery, what now? Fresh pumpkin holds more moisture than canned, and some pumpkins are simply juicier than others. Making this for pie or baking? Blend the flesh without the water first and only add a splash if your blender needs help. Still too wet? Let the puree drain in a fine sieve (or a clean tea towel) for half an hour - you'll get that thick, canned-style texture that pie recipes expect.
- Can I can homemade pumpkin puree? No, and this one's important: the USDA advises against home-canning pumpkin puree, because it's too dense to heat safely all the way through. Freezing is the safe way to stock up. Freeze it in 1-cup portions, and you can grab exactly what a recipe needs all season long.
- How long does pumpkin puree keep? Up to 3 days in a sealed container in the fridge, or up to 2 months in the freezer. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and give it a quick stir - if it has released some moisture, just pour that off or stir it back in, depending on what your recipe needs.
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Recipe Help
Two easy tools to make cooking even easier. Cooking mode keeps the screen on. The easy-step recipe displays the recipe step by step, including the ingredients needed. And you can adjust servings easily
Ingredients
- 1 pumpkin
- 4 tablespoons water
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Cut off the top of the pumpkin. Stand the pumpkin upright on a chopping board and carefully halve it lengthwise.1 pumpkin
- Use a spoon to scoop out the pumpkin seeds and stringy insides. You can save the seeds and roast them as a snack!
- Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Place the pumpkin halves cut side up on the sheet. Bake the pumpkin for 45 minutes.
- Check if the pumpkin is done by poking it with a fork. If the flesh is soft, the pumpkin is done. If not, leave it in the oven for another 5 minutes and check again.
- Let the pumpkin cool down, then scoop out the soft flesh with a spoon and place it in a blender.
- Add four tablespoons of water to the pumpkin in the blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.4 tablespoons water
Notes
- Refrigerator: You can store the puree in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: In a well-sealed box or bag, it will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Leave a Reply