How to Make Pumpkin Puree

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Homemade pumpkin puree is so much better than the canned stuff you buy at the store. The flavor of homemade puree is much richer, and the texture can vary depending on how you want to use it.

If you grow your own pumpkins, you can make a variety of different purees. While pie pumpkins will make a traditional orange puree, lighter pumpkins like Long Island Cheese will make a golden puree that makes a lovely soup. This same method can be used to make butternut squash puree, too.

Pumpkin puree can be used to make pies, soups, bread, muffins, and even pancakes! Making your own pumpkin puree will add depth of flavor to those treats.

Making your own puree is easy, and takes just four simple steps: cutting the pumpkins into chunks, roasting them for 30-45 minutes, scooping the flesh out, and pureeing to your desired consistency.

You can use either a food processor or a high-quality blender to puree your pumpkin. Depending on how many pumpkins you roast, you may need to do it in batches, being careful that the hot puree does not splatter on you.

Can you Freeze Pumpkin Puree?

Homemade pumpkin puree is a great candidate for the freezer. In fact, come late winter when the pumpkins we have stored from our garden start to get soft, we turn most of them into puree and stick it in the freezer. A recycled yogurt container makes a great storage option. Fill the puree about one inch from the top – enough room for expansive but not enough for freezer burn.

Pumpkin puree will keep for at least three months in the freezer but we have been known to use puree that has been in there 6-8 months with no problem at all.

How to Use Pumpkin Puree

Homemade pumpkin puree is great for any recipe that calls for its canned equivalent. And you can make so much more than pie!

If you are making baked goods, be sure to defrost the puree if you have stored it in your freezer. For soups, you can throw the whole frozen chunk in your pot and let it cook down.

Here are a few of our favorite recipes that use pumpkin puree:

• Pumpkin Pie (had to start with the classic!)
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies (deliciously decadent)
• Pumpkin Ice Cream (cause ice cream always makes the list)
• Roasted Pumpkin Soup (so heartwarming in the fall & winter)
• Pumpkin Bread (a moist, satifsying loaf)

Print

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Make your own pumpkin puree instead of buying the canned stuff for better flavor and texture.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Active Time15 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Equipment

• Baking sheet
• Large chef's knife
• Food Processor

Materials

• 1-2 Pumpkins
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Rinse and dry your pumpkins to remove any dirt.
• Chop the pumpkins into large chunks (in half or quarters depending on the size of your pumpkin), removing the stem. Scoop out seeds and stringy inner flesh.
  
• Place pumpkins face up on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Turn pumpkin pieces over so that they are flesh down.
• Place baking sheet with pumpkins in the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes. Check for doneness at 30 minutes. The pumpkin skin should easily pierce with a fork when done.
• Remove pumpkin from the oven when done and allow to cool slightly.
• Use a large spoon to scoop the flesh out of the pumpkin skin. Place into a food processor or high quality blender.
  
• Blend to your desired consistency. If you want to eat the pumpkin as is you may want to leave some texture to it, but if you want to use it for soups or pies you should puree until quite smooth.
• Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Pureed pumpkin can be stored in the freezer for 3-6 months.

Carrie Williams Howe

Blogger & Homesteader at The Happy Hive

Carrie Williams Howe is an educational leader by day and an aspiring homesteader by night and weekend. She lives on a small homestead in Vermont with her husband, two children, and a rambunctious border collie. She is a Founder and Editor of Homestead How-To and also blogs about her family's homestead life at The Happy Hive.