Pumpkin Puree Recipes

There are plenty of great reasons to know how to make pumpkin puree at home, even if you can find it in a can.

First, scoop out the seeds and roast the squash on a baking sheet until fork tender.

Once cooled, scoop the flesh from the skin and run it through a food processor until it’s smooth.

Depending on the variety of squash you use, the consistency of your puree may be more watery than that of a canned puree. If you’re making pumpkin pie, you might want to strain the excess liquid by letting it sit in a fine mesh strainer (or cheesecloth) over a bowl for 30 minutes.

Once you’ve made your puree, there are tons of ways to use it! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Refrigerate any leftovers for later. They can also be stored in the freezer for up to a month!

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Get ready to totally transform your Thanksgiving menu with this homemade pumpkin puree recipe. All you need is two small pumpkins.

Prep: 45min

Total: 1h30min

Yield: 6 serving(s)

Ingredients:

• 2 whole small pumpkins

Instruction:

1. Select a couple of small size pumpkins. Cut the pumpkin in half. With a spoon or a scoop, scrape out the seeds and pulp from the center. You don’t have to be too thorough with this.
2. Place all the seeds into a bowl (you can roast them later and make pepitas). Repeat until all the pumpkin pieces are largely free of seeds and pulp.
3. Place pumpkin pieces on a baking sheet (face up or face down; I’ve done both) and roast in a 350° oven for 45 minutes, or until pumpkin is fork-tender. They should be nice and light golden brown when done.
4. Peel off the skin from the pumpkin pieces until you have a big pile of the stuff. If you have a food processor, throw in a few chunks at a time. A blender will work, too, if you add a little water. Or you can simply mash it up with a potato masher, or move it through a potato ricer, or process it through a food mill.
5. Pulse 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. (Note, if the puree is overly watery, you should strain it on cheesecloth or over a fine mesh strainer to get rid of some of the liquid.)
6. Dump the pureed goodness into a bowl, and continue pureeing until all the pumpkin is done.
7. You can either use this immediately in whatever pumpkin recipe you’d like, store it in the freezer for later use.
8. To store in the freezer, spoon about 1 cupful of pumpkin into each plastic storage bag. Seal the bag with just a tiny bit of an opening remaining, then use your hands to flatten out the pumpkin inside the bag and push out the air. Store them in the freezer until you need them.

Easy Pumpkin Puree from Scratch

Skip the can and make your own pumpkin puree at home. It’s easy, smells incredible and works perfectly in your favorite pumpkin recipes. Look for baking pumpkins often labeled “sugar pumpkins” or “pie pumpkins”. There’s lots of variety so if you are buying directly from the farmers at farmer’s markets, ask them which pumpkin works best for your needs. This method works with most winter squashes — think butternut, acorn or interesting varieties like honeynut.

Prep: 10min

Total: 1

Yield: Makes 5 to 6 cups pumpkin puree

Serving Size: 1 cup

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 cup, calories 49, Protein 2 g, Carbohydrate 12 g, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 2 g, Fat 0 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg

Ingredients:

• 1 small baking pumpkin, 4 to 6 pounds
• Fine sea salt, optional

Instruction:

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Rinse and pat dry the pumpkin. Cut the squash from stem to end, but don’t try to cut through the stem (it’s too tough). When you’ve cut through the pumpkin, just pull each half apart. We do this in two parts. Cut one side from the stem down to the bottom of the pumpkin. Remove the knife, rotate the pumpkin to the opposite side then do the same. When there is a slit down both halves of the pumpkin, put down the knife and pull the halves apart. They should separate at the stem.
3. Scoop out the seeds and most of the stringy bits. Lightly season the inside of the pumpkin halves with salt then place cut-side-down onto the baking sheet. Bake until the pumpkin can easily be pierced with a knife in several places and the flesh is pulling away from the skin, 45 to 60 minutes.
4. Cool until you can safely handle the halves then scoop out the soft flesh into a food processor — depending on how large the pumpkin is, you may need to do this in two batches. Process until very smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Learn how to make delicious pumpkin puree at home! Stir it into oatmeal or risotto, or use it for all your fall baking recipes.

Prep: 10min

Total: 50min

Ingredients:

• 1 pumpkin or large squash ((sugar pie pumpkin, butternut, buttercup or kabocha squash))
• Avoid large Halloween carving pumpkins because their flesh is too fibrous for a soft puree.

Instruction:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and place cut side down on the baking sheet.
2. Roast for 40 to 60 minutes or until the flesh is soft and a fork easily slides in. Let cool for about 1 hour. Use your hands to peel the flesh from the skin and place in a food processor. Puree until smooth, letting your food processor run for about a minute, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. If your puree is more watery than the texture of canned pumpkin, strain the excess liquid by letting it sit in a fine mesh strainer (or cheesecloth) over a bowl for 30 minutes.
3. Chill until ready to use.

How-To Make Pumpkin Puree | DIY Pumpkin Puree

FAQ

What is pumpkin puree used in?

How do you eat pumpkin puree from a can?

1. To yogurt.
2. To oatmeal.
3. To pancakes , waffles, crepes.
4. To toast with a drizzle of honey.
5. To legume dishes, such as lentils, chickpeas or black beans.
6. To sour cream (for soups and tacos)
7. To curry, soups, chili, or stew.

How to make pumpkin puree taste good?

Why use pumpkin puree in baking?