Fresh pumpkins are everywhere from late summer to early winter, so make homemade Pumpkin Puree to have on hand all year long.
Have you ever wondered how to cook a pumpkin and make your own homemade pumpkin puree? It’s easy!
What is Pumpkin Puree?
- Homemade pumpkin purée is cooked and mashed or blended pumpkin.
- Pumpkins are often popular vegetables to grow for first-time gardeners (and kids!), but what to do with all the extra pumpkins? This recipe puts those pumpkins to good use in just a few easy steps.
- Pumpkins are chock-full of vitamins and fiber. Mix some puree into a smoothie for an organic boost of nutrition.
- Turn the pumpkin seeds into a healthy, portable snack.
- Don’t forget about the family pooch. Try this recipe for dog treats!
Ingredients & Variations
Pumpkins – Be sure to choose a variety intended for cooking such as sugar pumpkins for the best flavor and texture. Look for a small brightly colored pumpkin that is deep orange with little green or blemishes.
Variations – Make seasoned pumpkin puree for future pies, bread, and other desserts by mixing in this DIY pumpkin pie spice. For a savory pumpkin puree, add a pinch of pepper before baking. For a sweet pumpkin puree, add a pinch of cinnamon or a sprinkle of brown sugar.
How to Cook a Pumpkin
This pumpkin puree is so smooth and great for adding to all kinds of baking!
- Slice in half and scrape out the seeds per the recipe below.
- Brush each pumpkin half with a bit of oil.
- Roast on a baking sheet until fork-tender.
How To Make Pumpkin Puree
- Once the pumpkin is tender, scoop the flesh out of the shell and place it into a food processor.
- Pulse until smooth.
- To thicken the puree further, line a strainer with cheesecloth and let the puree rest a little while.
Stovetop Pumpkin Puree: Prepare as above but boil in water until the pumpkin pieces are tender. Drain, cool, and puree. Boiled pumpkin will need to drain in cheesecloth longer.
Tips for Homemade Puree
- Strain pumpkin puree through cheesecloth to remove as much liquid as possible before using as homemade contains more water than canned pumpkin.
- Homemade pumpkin puree has a naturally sweeter, milder taste compared to canned.
- Line the pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Puree chunks of pumpkin in a blender, a food processor, or use a potato masher.
How To Store It
Cooked pumpkin will last in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container. To freeze, scoop the cooled puree into freezer bags, leaving two inches for expansion. It should keep in a deep freezer for up to one year.
Or, freeze puree in ice cube trays, then empty them into a freezer bag. Pop on out to add to cookies, a smoothie, or to make any soup, sauce, or stew rich and creamy!
more pumpkin recipes
Here are some of our favorite pumpkin recipes using fresh pumpkin puree!
Did you make this Pumpkin Puree? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Homemade Pumpkin Puree (How to Cook a Pumpkin)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 sugar pumpkin 2 pounds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil if baking
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Wash the pumpkin and cut it in half. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and pith (the stringy bits).
- Brush olive oil over the flesh of the pumpkin (the cut side), and toss with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt if desired. (*see note)
- Place on a baking tray, cut side down, and roast 45-55 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.
- Cool the pumpkin slightly.
To Puree
- Once cooled, use a spoon to scoop out the flesh of the pumpkin and place in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
- Fresh pumpkin can contain a lot of water compared to canned so if necessary, line a strainer with cheesecloth and place the pumpkin puree in the cheesecloth to drain for 30 minutes.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Pantry, Sauce
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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This is a lot easier than I thought! Thanks!!!
Thank you for the great recipe& information on what & how to prepare the pumpkin
Oh my, thank you so much!! I was gifted 6 pie pumpkins and had no idea what to do with them. Thrilled to know that I will be making pumpkin stuff from scratch-scratch this year. <3
Delicious recipes that are incredibly easy to create for us busy workers.
Thanks
Glenda
Thanks for the receipe, I am using it for dog to mix in with her food. No canned pumpkin in nearby store bought a small sugar pumpkin and baking it.
Written directions and video do not match!
Spent a ton of time following the written directions. Peeled the pumpkin, cut the flesh into chunks, THEN baked the flesh.
While waiting for it to cook I watched the video and they roasted the pumpkin halves, then easily scooped out the flesh after it was cooked.
Apologies for the confusion Melissa. Smaller pumpkins can be prepared either way (roasted in halves or cubed) while larger pumpkins should be cubed. If boiling, both types should be cubed. I’ve updated the notes in the recipe.
Holly, does this work with a pumpkin squash too?
This should work well with any winter squash (time may vary slightly based on size and variety).
Is the nutritional information based on a 5 pound pie pumpkin or a serving? How much pumpkin equals one serving? It’s showing a huge amount of vitamin a, protein and calcium and was really wondering…. Please advise. Thanks for this recipe!
Hi Melissa, for this recipe the nutritional information is for the entire pureed sugar pumpkin.
When boiling pumpkins to get pumpkin puree you need to strain, mash, and then put back in the pot and simmer out some of the remaining water. At least this is how my family has been processing our pumpkins. We make pumpkin cookies and bread, and freeze for winter months.
Thanks for the suggestion Amy! That would work great too.
Just did this for the first time ever! I used the roasting method for the most flavor and it turned out beautifully! It was sooo easy. The skin peeled off pretty easy. I did that while it was still warm. I let it sit out and cool for the next 3-4 hours after so the purée wouldn’t be too soupy. Then i threw it in a processor (half by half). After that i decided to use a sieve with slightly larger holes to run it through a little at a time to catch any large clumps. It’s nice & silky and thick. If you want to steam or boil it I highly recommend to let it dry in the fridge over night so that your purée isn’t soupy. I’m about to make some pumpkin cheesecake with it. So excited to taste it!
Thanks so much for your tips Caitlin! I hope your cheesecake turns out wonderfully!
You didn’t actually tell us how to bake the pumpkin. Please include instructions on how it is cut, temperature and time.
Hi Mojo, you will find all the information on how to bake the pumpkin in the recipe below. You can scroll almost to the bottom of the page to find it or select the jump to recipe button at the top. Enjoy!
I want to make a pumpkin pie from home grown pumpkin.
Mmmm, that would be delicious Margery.
Glad I found these recipe’s
We are happy to have you Alice!
Can I eat pupkin only without adding it to cake or anything
You can! I hope you enjoy it!
i bake all the leftover pumpkins from halloween , mash them with honey and cinamon ANd flax seed and tumeric and make my dog treats with them they love them
That sounds like a great idea Pat!
Do you know how long pumpkin puree can be stored in the fridge?
Pumpkin puree should last a week in the fridge.
Holly, I have a large (11 inches tall and wide), whole carving pumpkin that I want to use to make pumpkin pies and breads. Last year I boiled it in chunks. This year I want to try roasting. My question, since this is quite large, is can I cut it into sections, then place on a roasting pan (more like a broiler pan) and shall I cover it with aluminum foil before baking it?
I would cut it into chunks but I don’t think you’d need to cover it. Let us know how it goes!
Well Told recipe and further it can be stored for 2 more days in the refrigerator that great!
Hello, I just wanted to be sure before trying that I lay both halves of the pumpkin cut side up on the pan? Thank you!
I lay them cut side down as it helps keep the pumpkin from browning. I have updated the recipe to include this information. Have a great weekend!
Last year I made pumpkin whoopie pies and a pumpkin pie from scratch. However, I could not seem to squeeze enough water out of the puree (I boiled it). This year I am making the whoopie pies again, but am also making pumpkin pie truffles and want to try to bake the pumpkin. I use a long neck pumpkin rather than the round one. Do the cooking times or steps vary between the two types of pumpkins?
I used only the round pumpkin so I can’t say for sure. If you puree is very watery, you may consider draining it in cheesecloth and squeezing out some of the liquid.
I usually just clean them, remove the skin and chop them into chunks in a steaming basket and steam them cooked. That way I don’t have too much water in them.
How long can this be stored up to?
If you don’t use it within 2 days, I’d recommend freezing it.
I freeze mine in quart size ziplocks 1/2 cup measurements and flatten it to freeze. It defrosts in like 15 minutes or less
Thank you for sharing Amy!