How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree

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One whole fresh pie pumpkin is resting next to a blue and white ceramic bowl filled with amber-colored homemade pumpkin puree. A folded green cotton kitchen towel sits just beside the bowl of puree.

Those adorable, little pie pumpkins that are in the produce section of your grocery store at the moment are for much more than crafting or painting spooky faces on. They are fantastic to cook with and more importantly, they can be used to make this gorgeous, all-natural pumpkin puree! 

Now, humor me here, and take another look at that picture. Honestly, is that an amazing color or what?! Fresh, pure pumpkin puree is easier to make than you may think and it can be used in any recipe that calls for canned puree.  

Now, let’s not misunderstand each other here. I’m a busy, working mom. And, if you know me, you also know that I’m not opposed to helpful shortcuts in any form. So, yes, I’ll still use the canned stuff too.  And, to be perfectly honest, it wasn’t very long ago that I made my own pumpkin puree for the first time. 

Two, whole fresh pie pumpkins and 4 fresh apples sit together near a sunny window. They are on top of a wooden kitchen table and a fall them table runner with a theme of owls and leaves.

Just two short years ago, I was blessed to become a full-time, stay-at-home mom. One day while I was out shopping, and just out of curiosity, I bought two pie pumpkins. After days of researching the possibilities, I decided to experiment and make my first batch of pumpkin puree. I managed to do it all in one morning while my daughter, who was an infant at the time, was down for a nap! 

Once it was all said and done, I made pumpkin pies with it. Those pies were, plain and simple, the best pumpkin pies I’ve ever made! After the success with those delicious pies, I went on to use fresh pumpkin puree to make breads and pumpkin butter. 

So, now that the seasonal, fall products, including these petite goodies, are out in stores, I’m planning ahead and making a huge batch of this dreamy stuff. I’m making sure I can make more of those pies for our Thanksgiving feast! Homemade pumpkin puree stores well, and can be frozen for up to three months.

If you try it, I believe you really will taste a difference. 

Homemade Pumpkin Puree  – picture tutorial begins here! Printable recipe is at the bottom of this post.                     
 Homemade Pumpkin Puree
** equipment needed: sharp chef’s knife or cleaver, clean hand towel, metal ice cream scoop, food processor or blender

  • 1 three-pound pie pumpkin 
  • canola oil or other cooking spray
  • a cup or two of room temperature water, set aside 
 
1. Pre-heat your oven to 400°. Carefully remove the top of the pie pumpkin. I always use a sharp chef’s knife, and work in a slow, rotating, slicing motion. (Take it slow, keep a hand towel nearby, and use a firm grip. The pumpkin flesh can be a bit tough to slice.)
 
A single, whole pie pumpkin sits on a white plastic cutting board with a large chef's knife laying beside it.
 I believe it’s a good practice to have a safe distance between my work space and my loved ones before I start cutting pie pumpkins or large, tough-skinned squash!
A pie pumpkin is laying on it's side as a chef's knife is used to slice off the top of the pumpkin and the stem. The pumpkin is laying on a large white plastic cutting board.
Be prepared to apply steady pressure when cutting your cute, little pumpkin. She’s a bit tougher than she looks!
A pie pumpkin with it's stem cut off sits on a large white plastic cutting board with a large chef's knife resting beside it. The freshly cut top of the pumpkin and stem are just beside the cutting board.
 
2.  Next, cut the pumpkin in half. 
 
A large chef's knife is used to cut the pie pumpkin in half starting at the large flat area on top. The large flat area was created by slicing off the very top of the pumpkin and the stem.
In this photo, the pumpkin is flipped over and resting on the flat area created by slicing off the top of the pumpkin. Once it's resting on the flat area, a downward slice of the knife will finish cutting it in half.
3. Scoop out the stringy innards. I find using a metal ice cream scoop to remove pulp and seeds works the best. Set the pulp aside if you are going to use the seeds or discard it if you aren’t. 
 
Once the pumpkin is cut into two pieces, the seeds and stringy pulp in the center will be exposed.
It is easiest to use a metal ice cream scoop to remove the stringy innards and seeds.
 
4.  Cut the seeded pumpkin into quarters and lightly coat the fleshy side with cooking spray.  Place, flesh side down, onto a baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes.
 
Once the pumpkin has been cleaned, both halves can be sliced in two to create 4 large pieces of fresh pumpkin. All four lslices of pumpkin can be transferred to a rimmed baking sheet to be roasted.
For best results, pumpkins should be roasted with the inner flesh side facing down.
 
5. At the 25 minute mark, add 1/3 cup of water to the baking sheet. Put back in the oven and continue roasting for another 30 minutes or until the pumpkin flesh is fork-tender.
 
Pour a small measure of water onto the pan to create a bit of moisture as the pumpkin roasts in the oven. This will make the skins easier to remove at the end.
This will step will produce steam. It will help the pumpkin skins to release easier.
A fork pierces properly cooked, roasted pumpkins to demonstrate how tender the flesh is after it's cooked.
When it’s throughly cooked, a fork should easily pierce the pumpkin flesh. 
The skins of the roasted pumpkins are wrinkled and moist looking after roasting . They are ready to peel off easily by hand.
How the cooked skins should look.  They should peel right off!
6.  Allow the pumpkin to cool completely. Remove the skins and any bits that may be charred or blackened from roasting.
 
Roasted fresh pumpkin sections are cleaned by hand, removing skins and any blacked, dark bits from the tips.

7.  Working with two quarters of roasted pumpkin at a time, break into smaller chunks and place in your food processor or blender. Add 1/3 cup of water and process for 30 seconds.  Add more water, a tablespoon or two at a time, as necessary and process until smooth.

Two roasted pumpkin pieces are loaded into a food process to be pureed. A small amount of water is added to aid in this process.
Freshly pureed pumpkin rests in the chamber of a food processor. It's ready to be transferred to an air tight container for storage or it can be used immediately in a recipe.

Get ready for the possibilities now that you can make your own pumpkin puree! More fall recipes are coming up!

How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Recipe by Marcelle at A Little Fish in the Kitchen Cuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

50

minutes
Yield

2

cups

You will taste the difference in your fall and winter baking by using fresh pumpkin puree. It is easier than you may think to make a batch of Homemade Pumpkin Puree! This recipe will yield roughly two cups of fresh pumpkin puree.

Ingredients

  • 1 three-pound pie pumpkin 

  • canola oil or other cooking spray

  • a cup or two of room temperature water, set aside 

Directions

  • Pre-heat your oven to 400°. Carefully remove the top of the pie pumpkin. I always use a sharp chef’s knife, and work in a slow, rotating, slicing motion. (Take it slow, keep a hand towel nearby, and use a firm grip. The pumpkin flesh can be a bit tough to slice.)
  • Next, cut the pumpkin in half.  Scoop out the stringy innards. I find using a metal ice cream scoop to remove pulp and seeds works the best. Set the pulp aside if you are going to use the seeds or discard it if you aren’t. 
     
  • Cut the seeded pumpkin into quarters and lightly coat the fleshy side with cooking spray.  Place, flesh side down, onto a baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes.
     
  • At the 25 minute mark, add 1/3 cup of water to the baking sheet. Put back in the oven and continue roasting for another 30 minutes or until the pumpkin flesh is fork-tender.
  • Allow the pumpkin to cool completely. Remove the skins and any bits that may be charred or blackened from roasting.
  • Working with two quarters of roasted pumpkin at a time, break into smaller chunks and place in your food processor or blender. Add 1/3 cup of water and process for 30 seconds.  Add more water, a tablespoon or two at a time, as necessary and process until smooth.
  • Get ready for the possibilities now that you can make your own pumpkin puree! More fall recipes are coming up!

Notes

  • Recipe as published on A Little Fish in the Kitchen at www.alittlefishinthekitchen.com. All content is owned by Marcelle G. Bolton. Please contact the author for permission to republish.

6 Comments

  1. It really is fun and I feel so accomplished when I'm done! Thanks for the comment.

  2. I look forward to it every season, David! 🙂

  3. What a fun post! I often use canned pumpkin, but making your own puree is so much more fun, isn't it? And certainly tastes much better. Good post — thanks so much.

  4. Someone gave me some "pie pumpkins" last year and I ended up with a very liquid mess. I don't think they were really pie pumpkins! I have made purée since and had much better luck; from here on in I buy the ones that definitely say pie pumpkin! And you are so right, the taste of a pumpkin pie with fresh pumpkin is the best!

  5. Hello Beth! Making homemade puree has become a true seasonal addiction for me 🙂 Thank you very much for stopping by!

  6. I've always used pumpkin from a tin, but I'll bet you're right – homemade puree would be fantastic!

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