↑

Will Cook For Smiles

The Best of Homecooking

  • Home
    • About Me
    • Work With Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Subscribe!
  • Recipes
    • Popular Posts
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Healthy Dishes
    • Soup
    • Salad
    • Sandwich
    • Cauliflower
    • Drink
    • Cocktail
  • How To
  • Instant Pot
    • Instant Pot Main Dishes
    • Instant Pot Side Dishes
    • Instant Pot Soups
  • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Seafood
    • Pork
    • Chili
    • Pasta
    • Slow Cooker
    • Vegetarian
  • Dessert
    • Cheesecake
    • Cake
    • Cookies
    • Chocolate
  • Holidays
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Super Bowl Recipes
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • BBQ
    • 4th Of July
    • Fall Recipes
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas Dinner
    • Christmas Baking
    • Holiday Leftover Recipes
    • New Year’s
Home » Seasonal » Pumpkin » Pumpkin Puree

Pumpkin Puree

Created: September 30, 2019 Updated: November 10, 2022 by lyuba 5 Comments

796 shares
Jump to Recipe

 Homemade pumpkin puree only requires one ingredient (and maybe a little cinnamon). It’s impossible to celebrate fall holidays without pumpkin pie and homemade pumpkin puree makes this pie so much better. Learn how to easily to make pumpkin puree from scratch, store it, and freeze it for later. 

scooping out pumpkin puree from the jar with a spoon.

At the first sign of fall, I have pumpkins on my mind. There is something about the crisper air and the colors turning orange that makes me crave pumpkin pie and pumpkin spiced lattes.

Front porches also start getting pumpkin makeovers during the first days of September. So, whether the pumpkins start making their way to your porch, as decoration, or into your dinner, they are everyone’s fall favorite.

You know what makes those fall dinners and desserts better? Fresh pumpkins and homemade pumpkin puree. You may think that homemade pumpkin puree is no different than canned pumpkin puree but I’m here to tell you that it really is different. The difference is somewhat subtle in taste but much more pronounced in texture. 

Homemade Pumpkin Puree vs Canned

Homemade pumpkin puree has a savory pumpkin flavor that is quite mild. It is not sweet like butternut squash, it’s actually closer in flavor to other winter squashes. Since it’s not sweet, pumpkin puree can be used in savory and sweet recipes alike and it will take on the flavors of ingredients mixed in with the puree. Canned pumpkin puree actually has more of an artificial kind of flavor, possibly due to being processed and canned. (This is more noticeable when you taste them side by side.)

Texture of homemade pumpkin puree is much softer, smoother, and silkier than canned one. It’s also not quite as dense but most recipes don’t seem to get affected by homemade puree being less dense. Recipes like pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, and sauces have a much smoother, silkier texture when make with homemade puree.

What Pumpkins To Use

To make homemade puree, choose smaller pumpkins meant for cooking and not carving. These pumpkins are often called “pie pumpkins” or “sugar pumpkins” and weigh 4 to 6 lbs. 

Carving pumpkins (jack-o’-lanterns) are specifically grown to be large and just for carving. They are tasteless and hard.

How To Make Pumpkin Puree

1. Pop the stem off the top of the pumpkin with a butter knife and discard it.

sugar pumpkins cut in half on the cutting board.

2. Slice the pumpkin in half, lengthwise, using a large, sharp knife. Scrape out all the seeds and stringy fibers from the inside of the pumpkin. (You can always save pumpkin seeds and roast them.)

sugar pumpkin halves skin side up in the metal baking pan.

3. Grease a roasting pan that would fit the pumpkin halves with some oil or fit in a sheet of parchment paper. If you know you will be using this pumpkin for making sweet recipes, sprinkle some cinnamon over the bottom of the pan.

4. Place pumpkin halves cut side down in the pan and bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes, depending on the thickness of pumpkins. Take it out of the oven, gently flip pumpkin halves and let it cool until it’s cool enough to handle.

baked sugar pumpkin halves skin side up in the baking pan.

5. Scoop pumpkin pulp out of the skin with a spoon and puree in a food processor or a blender until smooth.

inside of baked sugar pumpkin halves in a baking pan.

Storing Instructions:

Store pumpkin puree in a refrigerator, in a glass jar with a lid, or another food storage container with an air-tight lid. Properly stored, it will last up to a 4-6 days in the refrigerator. 

TIP: Portion the puree in several potions of 1 cup or 2 cups so you can easily use it in recipes without having to scoop some out of the container. This will prevent extra bacteria being introduced to puree and extend its shelf life.

Freezing Instructions:

Wondering if you can freeze pumpkin puree? You absolutely can!

**One side note that I’ve noticed through the years is that thawed pumpkin puree is a little thinner. I usually remedy that by adding a little extra cornstarch to pumpkin pie filling or an extra tablespoon or so of flour to other baking recipes. 

To freeze pumpkin puree, portion it into 1 or 2 – cup portions and divide it into separate zip-lock freezer bags. Get all the air out of the bag, seal it, and label. Lay the bags flat on a cutting board or a baking sheet and freeze. Once it’s completely frozen, you can stack the bags to save storage space. 

TIP: make a few smaller portions of puree to use in sauces and other recipes where less puree is needed.

pumpkin puree in a glass jar with spoonful next to it.

Using the Puree in Pumpkin Recipes:

No Thanksgiving is complete without Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie and classic Pumpkin Pie on the table. 

For breakfast, treat your family with Pumpkin Pancakes and Pumpkin French Toast!

For some savory dinner options, try my Pumpkin Mac and Cheese and Pumpkin Chili.

spoonful of pumpkin puree in front of the filled glass jar.
squared view of pumpkin puree in a glass jar.

Pumpkin Puree

Learn how to easily to make your own pumpkin puree from scratch, store it, and freeze it for later.
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Dessert, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pumpkin puree
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6 (makes about 6 cups)
Calories: 218kcal
Author: lyuba

Ingredients

  • 2 – 4 to 6 lb pie pumpkins also known as sugar pumpkins
  • 2 tbsp oil to grease the roasting pan
  • 1 tsp cinnamon* optional

Instructions

To Make Pumpkin Puree:

  • Pop the stem off the top of the pumpkin with a butter knife and discard it.
  • Slice the pumpkin in half, lengthwise, using a large, sharp knife. Scrape out all the seeds and stringy fibers from the inside of the pumpkin. 
  • Grease a roasting pan big enough to fit pumpkin halves with some oil.
    *(If you know you will be using this pumpkin for making sweet recipes, sprinkle some cinnamon over the bottom of the greased pan.)
  • Place pumpkin halves cut side down in the pan and bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes, depending on the thickness of pumpkins.
  • Take it out of the oven, gently flip pumpkin halves over to let them cool until it’s cool enough to handle.
  • Scoop pumpkin pulp out of the skin with a spoon and puree in a food processor or a blender until smooth.

To Store Pumpkin Puree:

  • Store pumpkin puree in the refrigerator, in a glass jar with a lid or another food storage container with an air-tight lid.
  • Properly stored, pumpkin puree will last up to a 4-6 days in the refrigerator. 

To Freeze Pumpkin Puree:

  • Portion cooled puree into 1 or 2 – cup portions and divide it into separate zip-lock freezer bags.
  • Get all the air out of the bag, seal it, and label. Lay the bags flat on a cutting board or a baking sheet and freeze.
  • Once it’s completely frozen, you can stack the bags to save storage space. 

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 2570mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 64357IU | Vitamin C: 68mg | Calcium: 163mg | Iron: 6mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles
pumpkin puree in a glass jar with a spoon and title below.

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on October 5, 2011. Updated on September 30, 2019.

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

796 shares

Filed Under: Fall Recipes, Pumpkin, Vegetarian Tagged With: homemade, pumpkin

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. Ricki-Ellen says

    October 8, 2011 at 5:49 pm

    This is a great post, Lyuba! The nutritional info is a plus, and I love your idea of sprinkling cinnamon and allspice on the baking pan… We almost always use fresh pumkins for our pies, and will definitely take your advice next time… Soon!

    Reply
  2. readwatchrelax says

    October 9, 2011 at 4:08 pm

    just this year I told myself that I was going to make pie out of fresh pumpkin, quite happy to come across this post & i’ve got a li’l pumpkin just waiting to be used up!

    Reply
  3. Miz Helen says

    October 10, 2011 at 4:31 pm

    Hi Luyba,
    This is a great tutorial for the Pumpkin Puree, homemade is so much better! Thank you so much for sharing your great recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you will have a fabulous week and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply
  4. Crystal says

    October 11, 2011 at 5:01 pm

    I never thought to make my own pumpkin puree. What an excellent (and easy) idea! Thanks so much for linking up.

    I am sharing a link to this over on Facebook.

    Reply
  5. Jennifer says

    October 11, 2011 at 7:06 pm

    Great post!! Have you seen the 2 ingredient pumpkin muffin recipe going around? a box of yellow cake mix and a can of pumpkin…that’s it!! I bet it’d be just as good with your puree!Thanks for linking up to Show & Share!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

Soup Recipes

spooning some beef soup from a bowl

Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup

closeup of Italian wedding soup topped with shaved Parmesan

Italian Wedding Soup

closeup image of crab soup in a bowl centered in a photo

She Crab Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Chicken Meatball Soup

closeup of top view of Cioppino in a bowl

Cioppino – Seafood Stew

A bowl of white bean soup is presented with a spoon on a countertop.

White Bean Soup

vegetable broth in two canning jars next to fresh carrots, garlic, and celery

Vegetable Stock

Our Popular Recipes

Shrimp Alfredo

view from the top of the martini glass with light pink cocktail in it and a lime zest floating in the cocktail

The Perfect Cosmopolitan Cocktail

three steak tacos topped with jalapeno rings and pico on a light brown plate with a bowl of pico next to them and some lime slices around

Carne Asada Tacos

Cauliflower Rice

closeup squared view of a slice of tiramisu with piece taken out.

The Best Classic Tiramisu

closeup of a red bowl with minestrone soup with a spoon.

Minestrone Soup

Top Rated Recipes

The Best French Toast

Cauliflower Parmesan Crisps

Christmas Cheesecake (Cranberry Jam White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake)

Avocado Salmon Rice Bowl

round decorative bowl filled with apple pie bread pudding topped with ice cream and a fork leaning on the side of the bowl viewed close up.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

Smores cheesecake on a wooden table

S'Mores Cheesecake Recipe

Sides

30 Min

Pasta

Salads

Breakfast

Drinks

Soups

Gluten Free

FEATURED ON:

featured on

[cp_popup display="inline" style_id="32674" step_id = "1"][/cp_popup]
Buffalo Chicken Wrap with Homemade Ranch

Buffalo Chicken Wrap with Homemade Ranch

January 30, 2023
Delicious,...
The Best Classic Tiramisu

The Best Classic Tiramisu

January 14, 2023
Tiramisu...
Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

December 2, 2022
This...
Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata

August 11, 2022
Chicken...
Pad See Ew

Pad See Ew

August 10, 2022
Pad...
Chicken Meatballs

Chicken Meatballs

July 15, 2022
These...
Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush

July 1, 2022
Baba...
Painkiller

Painkiller

June 30, 2022
A...
Truffle Fries

Truffle Fries

June 28, 2022
Truffle...
Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

June 21, 2022
Thai...
Privacy Policy
©2023, Will Cook For Smiles. Design by Pixel Me Designs