Pumpkin puree is super easy to make with your own homegrown pumpkins or pie pumpkins you purchase at the store.
This recipe for homemade pumpkin puree is so simple it’s next to impossible to mess up. It tastes better and fresher than anything that comes from a can. I hope you enjoy this easy homemade pumpkin puree recipe!
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Use your homemade pumpkin puree in one of these popular recipes:
Ingredients needed to make pumpkin puree
All you’ll need is one pie pumpkin. The cooking time in this recipe is based on an 8” pumpkin.
Sugar pumpkins and pie pumpkins work for this recipe. The Jack o'lantern type of pumpkin is too stringy and tough. They're not designed for eating.
See the tips and suggestions section for advice on how to use a different size of pumpkin. Make sure to use a pie pumpkin, though, not a carving pumpkin.
(Yes, the photo below is me at the pumpkin patch!)
How to make pumpkin puree in the oven
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9x13 baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Baking mat (2-pack) for easy and convenient baking, roasting, or food prep
- Food-safe silicone mats can be reused, again and again
- Non-stick, flexible silicone releases food without the need for oil, cooking sprays, or parchment paper
Remove the stem from your pumpkin and cut it in half from top to bottom. Scoop out the stringy guts. Keep the seeds, if you want them.
Place your pumpkin halves face down on the baking sheet.
Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the pumpkin from the oven and allow it to rest, undisturbed, for 10 minutes.
Flip the pumpkin halves over carefully and scoop out the cooked pumpkin.
Smash it with a potato masher or blend it smooth with a blender or food processor.
Use immediately or store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to one week. You can also freeze it for up to three months or dehydrate your pureed pumpkin a dehydrator.
Reminder: You can freeze things in glass jars that do not have shoulders. Narrow mouth jars with shoulders are not safe for freezing, but jars with straight sides up to the mouth are.
Always remember to save head room when freezing to allow for expansion.
If you want to dehydrate your pumpkin, spread it on a mat in your dehydrator. Most stacking type dehydrators come with trays. You can purchase silicone mats for your Excalibur dehydrator or use parchment paper.
- Large Capacity: Equipped with 9 easy-to-clean Excalibur dehydrator trays, this large food dehydrator boasts 15 square feet of drying space
- Accurate Temperature Control: Features a built-in on/off switch and adjustable thermostat with a range of 105 to 165 degrees F – low enough for...
- Low & Slow for Immune Boost: The perfect dehydrator for food and jerky, dried fruit leather, fruit roll-up puree, pet treats, homemade yogurt,...
Dehydrate until the puree has turned brittle and easy to crumble. Store in a jar with a desiccant.
Pumpkin puree tips
If you have a larger or smaller pumpkin, simply add or reduce about 5 minutes of cooking time per inch of variation in the diameter.
When the pumpkin is cooked, the shell should be easy to pierce with a knife. If your pumpkin seems on the larger side, check it before removing it from the oven.
The exact amount this recipe makes will depend on your particular pumpkin, its size, and how much meat it has. It will make approximately 32 oz of pumpkin puree.
This homemade pumpkin puree is used exactly like the stuff you buy in a can, measure for measure.
I hope you enjoy this super simple pureed pumpkin recipe! Print it off using the recipe card below so you can cook without getting pumpkin on your phone:
Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Ingredients
- One pie pumpkin
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9x13 baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Remove the stem from your pumpkin and cut it in half from top to bottom.
Place your pumpkin halves face down on the baking sheet.
Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the pumpkin from the oven and allow it to rest, undisturbed, for 10 minutes.
Flip the pumpkin halves over carefully and scoop out the cooked pumpkin.
Smash it with a potato masher or blend it smooth with a blender or food processor.
Use immediately or store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to one week. You can also freeze it for up to three months or dehydrate your pureed pumpkin a dehydrator.
If you want to dehydrate your pumpkin, spread it on a mat in your dehydrator. Most stacking type dehydrators come with trays. You can purchase silicone mats for your Excalibur dehydrator or use parchment paper.
Dehydrate until the puree has turned brittle and easy to crumble. Store in a jar with a desiccant.
If you have a larger or smaller pumpkin, simply add or reduce about 5 ½ minutes of cooking time per inch. Use a soft measuring tape to measure the pumpkin if you have doubts. Remember that the circumference is 3.14 x r squared and that your diameter is twice your radius.
Notes
Add or subtract about 5 minutes of baking time for each inch more or less of pumpkin diamter. The baking time is based on an 8" pumpkin.
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