Easy Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Skip paying high store prices when you learn how to make your own homemade pumpkin puree! It’s super easy to make with pie pumpkins you grew at home or pumpkins you purchase at the store.
This recipe for homemade pumpkin puree is so simple it’s virtually impossible to mess up. It also tastes much richer 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:
Chocolate chip pumpkin cookies
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. See the tips and suggestions section for advice on how to use a different size of pumpkin.
(Yes, that’s me!)
How to make pumpkin puree in the oven
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9×13 baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Cut the stem short and cut the pumpkin in half from top to bottom. It can help to cut right next to the stem instead of trying to cut through it.
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 fork 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.
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Dehydrate until the puree has turned brittle and easy to crumble. Store in a jar with a desiccant.
Tips for making your own pumpkin puree
If you have a larger or smaller pumpkin, simply add or reduce about 5 ½ minutes of cooking time per inch. You can use a soft measuring tape to measure the circumference and then do a bit of math. Remember that the circumference is 3.14 x r squared and that your diameter is twice your radius.
It’s really hard to mess up this recipe so don’t worry too much if you don’t feel like measuring your pumpkin. 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 should make about 32 of puree.
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:
Easy Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Ingredients
- one 8" 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 fork 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.
Notes
If you have a larger or smaller pumpkin, simply add or reduce about 5 ½ minutes of cooking time per inch.
