How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Name: How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 Pumpkin (I like Sugar Pumpkins Best)

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Step by step, the easiest way to make Homemade Pumpkin Puree for the best pumpkin treats all season long!

Homemade Pumpkin Puree sitting in a mason jar on a linen and sage green towel with spoon and pumpkins in the background.

It's 2020, and besides toilet paper, there seems now to be a massive shortage of canned pumpkin puree. Like it's October, and that means it's the start of all the pumpkin sweets and treats, especially with Thanksgiving in a few weeks now. I mean is it really going to be Thanksgiving without the most iconic pumpkin pie?

My husband LOVES pumpkin pie. Like no joke, I usually make him 10 a season, just for him. That doesn't even count the other ones I make for the actual holidays or sharing with friends and families.

With all this pie-making, you can probably guess I use a lot of pumpkin, and this shortage is not helping the cause. Since I know I am having a hard time finding it, I figured you guys are too. So I will show you how to make my favorite super simple way to make Homemade Pumpkin Puree that can be used all the ways this season.

Why Make Your Own?

Super easy to do - I am telling you that you will be surprised how easy it is.

It tastes AMAZING - So fresh, sweet, and flavorful it tastes better than the canned versions.

It's pretty cheap - Yes, I know the canned stuff isn't that expensive, but for the amounts you get, you can usually get much more (depending on the size of the pumpkin you use) for the price.

One sugar pumpkin sitting on a marble counter top.

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What kind of pumpkin do you use?

My personal favorite pumpkins to use when making pumpkin puree are the smaller ones known as pie pumpkins or sugar pumpkins. You can use a bigger one, but the bigger the pumpkin, the more stringy the inside texture will be, so aim for one on the smaller side.

You know a pumpkin is ripe by looking at it. It should be bright orange, few blemishes, and like a watermelon, sound hollow when you thump it.

How much puree will one pumpkin make?

This depends on the size of the pumpkin. I've found a small sugar pumpkin tends to yield about 2 cups of pumpkin puree when it's all said and done.

Let's Get Cooking!

Like I said, making homemade pumpkin puree is super easy to do. My favorite way to do it is even easier than carving a pumpkin because we aren't cleaning out the pumpkin before we cook it.

So how are we making pumpkin puree?

A knife is poking into the top of the pumpkin showing how to make the vent holes in the top of the pumpkin for step one of how to make pumpkin puree.

Step 1 - Take a sharp knife and make small slits on the pumpkin's top to create vent holes.

Step 2 of making pumpkin puree is to place the whole pumpkin with the cuts in the top into a shallow baking dish.

Step 2 - Take the whole pumpkin with the cuts in the top and place it into a shallow baking dish.

Step 3 - Bake the whole pumpkin in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes to an hour or until it is soft and slightly darker in color. Allow it cool to the touch before moving on.

Step 3 - Bake the whole pumpkin in a 350-degree oven for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the pumpkin has become soft and slightly darker in color.

Note: Sometimes, the pumpkin sink does not soften, but if it's been in an hour, it will be done on the inside.

Step 4 - Remove the stem and cut the pumpkin in half.

Step 4 - Remove the stem from the pumpkin and cut it in half. It should be much easier now that the pumpkin has been cooked.

Step 5 - take a spoon and remove the seeds from the inside of the pumpkin

Step 5 - Take a spoon and scoop out the seeds from the inside of the pumpkin. This will be much easier than if you had done it before it was cooked. Just make sure you are only removing the seeds and not the flesh at this point.

Note: don't throw away the seeds; you can save them for roasting!

Step 6 - Remove the flesh of the pumpkin from the skin and transfer it to a food processor or blender and blend until it's smooth.

Step 6 - Remove the pumpkin's soft flesh from the skin and place it into a food processor or blender and then process until it's smooth.

Step 7 - Transfer the fresh pumpkin puree to a mason jar or other preferred storage until you are ready to use it.

Step 7 - Transfer the pumpkin puree into a mason jar or other preferred method to store until you are ready to use it.

Best Storage Soulutions

Pumpkin puree will last about a week in the fridge.

This is not a recipe I recommend you try to can at home even if you have a pressure cooker. The pumpkin has a high water content on top of being acidic and think it's not the safest to can at home.

I suggest portioning out and freezing the pumpkin puree if you want to save it longer than a week.

Tips and Tricks

Made more than you needed? - Don't blend the entire pumpkin and leave some of the flesh to toss into your favorite soups and salads, just like any other winter squash.
Bigger pumpkins will yield a thinner puree. You can strain the excess water through a cheesecloth or cook it on low on the stove until it's reached its desired thickness.
If the puree is too thick for the blender, you can add a little bit of water to thin it out to get the consistency you want.

What are you going to make now with your homemade pumpkin puree?

I highly suggest you make a batch of my Pumpkin Bars with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting. You'll thank me later, and your family won't believe they are totally grain-free!