Homemade Pumpkin Puree

With a smooth, velvety texture and rich flavor more delicate than canned, this Homemade Pumpkin Puree recipe is perfect for all your fall baking. Use fresh pumpkins or your choice of winter squashes.

Jump to:

• Why Make Your Own Pumpkin Puree?
• The Best Pumpkin for Pie
• How to Make Pumpkin Puree
• Storage
• Ways to Use Pumpkin Puree
• Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Why Make Your Own Pumpkin Puree?

Canned pumpkin is admittedly more convenient; it's ready to go as soon as you take off the can lid. It is dependably "nostalgia-orange," and the flavor is constant from one can to the next. But if you have 20 minutes to spare, making your own pumpkin puree can be a game-changer.

There are two primary reasons to make your own pumpkin puree. First, in doing so, you can control the ingredients, allowing you to make your puree free of additives, preservatives, and excess sugars.

The second reason is flavor. In my experience, homemade pumpkin puree is generally richer, sweeter, and more delicate than canned. Moreover, the home-crafted flavor adds a personal touch that, especially to a holiday baker, can feel deeply gratifying. You can even make it using different squashes, to complement whatever recipe you plan to use it for.

The color of the puree varies somewhat depending on the squashes used, but it generally has a lighter color, and a sweeter, more delicate flavor.

The Best Pumpkin for Pie

After making many batches of homemade pumpkin puree over the years, my top pick for the best pumpkin for pie (and almost everything else) isn't actually a pumpkin at all: it's a red kuri squash.

Red kuri squash, also known as Hokkaido pumpkin, has vibrant, golden yellow flesh, and striking flame-orange skin. Its flesh has a sweet, nutty flavor that intensifies when roasted, yielding a rich, aromatic puree perfect for any sweet or savory recipe that calls for pumpkin puree.

Pie pumpkins (i.e., sugar pumpkins), with flesh far sweeter and less stringy than their bigger Jack-o'-lantern cousins, are another excellent choice. Pie pumpkins usually weigh about 2-7 pounds, with popular varieties including Cinderella, Sweet Sugar Pie, Small Sugar, and Orange Smoothie. Look for signs that say “sugar pumpkin” or “pie pumpkin” at stores or farmers' markets.

In addition to pie pumpkins, many other winter squashes also make delicious pumpkin puree. Varieties with a similar texture and sweetness to pumpkin include acorn, butternut, buttercup, honeynut, and Ambercup squashes.

You can make homemade pumpkin puree with one kind of squash, or use a variety for more complex puree flavor.

How to Make Pumpkin Puree

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Cut squashes in half and clean out the seeds. You can leave the halves intact, or cut them in smaller chunks. It isn't necessary to peel the squashes before roasting.

Tip: Safely cutting squashes can be tricky. Follow these links for how to cut:

• Acorn squash
• Butternut squash
• Pumpkins
• Red Kuri squash

Brush the exposed surfaces of the pumpkin chunks with olive oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.

Place the pumpkin pieces flesh side down on the parchment-covered baking sheet.

FYI: The pumpkin puree in these images was made using Sugar Pie pumpkins.

Bake squashes until tender; 40-70 minutes.

Hint: How long this step takes is dependent on the variety of squash, and how thick and dense it is. Generally, a 3-pound sugar pumpkin, for example, will take about an hour.

Check for doneness by piercing the skin with a fork: it should give easily, and the flesh should be very tender. It's fine if there are browned spots on the pumpkin flesh.

Remove the cooked pumpkin from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes, or until it is cool enough to handle safely.

Use a large metal serving spoon, scrap the pumpkin flesh from the skin. Put the squash into a food processor or large blender cup.

Add just enough water to the cooked pumpkin to allow the blades to work it down. The amount of water needed will vary. Puree until the pumpkin is smooth and silky.

If your puree is watery, strain it through a cheesecloth-lined sieve before using or storing. For baking, you want it to be roughly the same consistency as canned pumpkin.

Storage

For ease of use, we suggest storing pumpkin puree in 1- or 2-cup quantities.

Refrigerator: Pour prepared pumpkin puree into canning jars or food-safe plastic containers. Refrigerate for up to a week.

Freezer: Pour in canning jars or plastic freezer containers, leaving ½-inch headspace. Allow the pumpkin puree to cool completely on the counter.

Pumpkin puree can be frozen for up to a year. Allow frozen pumpkin to thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator before using.

Ways to Use Pumpkin Puree

There are countless ways to use pumpkin puree! Here are a few of our favorite ideas:

• Toss it into a creamy Pumpkin Pasta.
• Bake a Triple Ginger Pumpkin Pie or a loaf of Old-fashioned Pumpkin Gingerbread.
• Make a batch of Pumpkin Butter.
• Blend a Peachy Pumpkin Smoothie.

If you enjoyed making pumpkin puree, you might like making other basic ingredients at home, like enchilada sauce, hearty chicken stock, oven-roasted garlic, and homemade pumpkin spice.

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