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Have you ever made your own pumpkin puree? It’s easy and so worth taking the time to make. To make it easy, I bake my pumpkins whole. No need to hack through tough skin and trying to remove the skin from the flesh. Nope…. this is super simple. I also use this method for butternut squash! Super simple….guaranteed!!!
Be picky when choosing your pumpkins. You aren’t looking for the carving variety. Instead, look for one labeled sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin. At the grocery store, these will be found in the produce area near other winter squash varieties. Sugar pumpkins have a higher sugar content than carving pumpkins. They are usually less stringy as well. This year I ended up with three different pumpkin varieties for baking. I bought one at the grocery store. Then we went to a pumpkin patch for selecting our carving pumpkins. They had a large wagon full of sugar pie pumpkins! These were a mixed variety and I picked different kinds.
Start by washing your pumpkins. Place on a baking sheet and pierce each pumpkin several times using a sharp knife. This allows steam to vent and prevents a pumpkin explosion (that would be an ugly mess for your oven!) Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes. The time, depends on the size of your pumpkin. At 45 minutes, take a knife and push through the skin. If it slides through with very little resistance, it’s done!
Let pumpkins cool completely for easy handling. Then using your hands, pull the stem and peel back the skin. Break pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. You can use utensils, but I find it easiest to just dig in with my hands….plus it’s nice and gooey! Plop all this pulp into the food processor and process until smooth. I did have to stop several times to push down the pulp. It’s thick. You might be tempted to add water to make it easier to puree…but DON’T DO IT! You will end up with a watery puree. Just have a little patience and it will all work out.
What should you do with this puree? Pumpkin scones, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes…..
- 1 sugar pie pumpkin
- Wash pumpkin
- piece pumpkin with a sharp knife in several places
- place on a baking sheet
- bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 60 minutes
- let cool completely
- peel of skin and remove seeds
- place pulp into a food processor
- process until smooth.
You can easily cook more than one pumpkin at a time. Pumpkin puree can be frozen.
Drain off excess liquid that may accumulate before using.
Try these Pumpkin Scones
27 Comments
Kathleen | Hapa Nom Nom
November 6, 2015 at 3:06 pmOoo… this would be perfect for my pumpkin ravioli! Thanks for this fabulous recipe, Kathy!
Kathy
November 7, 2015 at 6:41 amPumpkin ravioli! I am going to have to check that out!
Hannah | The Swirling Spoon
November 6, 2015 at 2:56 pmWill have to try this technique of roasting the pumpkin whole! I always make my own pumpkin puree, not out of choice but because canned puree is not a thing in Australia bahaha. This looks so much easier than peeling and boiling, which is what I usually do! (and nearly chop my fingers off every time :D)
Kathy
November 7, 2015 at 6:43 amI hope you give it a try…you need to save your fingers!
Manali @ CookWithManali
November 6, 2015 at 9:57 amI have actually never made my own pumpkin puree. I think I should considering it’s easy to do so and homemade is always better. Thanks for the tutorial Kathy!
Kathy
November 7, 2015 at 8:28 amHomemade is better! I hope you give it a try!
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen
November 6, 2015 at 9:15 amI love making dishes with pumpkin puree. Nothing can beat homemade puree. Thanks for this share.
Cailee August
November 5, 2015 at 4:35 pmWOW!! This looks amazing! What a fun, homemade idea!! I love it! Honestly, I’ve never actually thought to make my own pumpkin puree (I know, crazy, right?!! ) But I def should!! I bet it makes recipes so much more delicious!!!
Kathy
November 5, 2015 at 8:03 pmIt’s worth giving it a try!
Meghan | Fox and Briar
November 5, 2015 at 10:26 amWhat a great idea roasting them whole like that! So much easier. I have not made pumpkin puree this year, but I did a few years ago and it turned into the best pumpkin pie I have ever made – so much better than canned pumpkin! Thanks for reminding me that I need to get on that – and for the easier method! Also – I love how the pumpkins look after they have been roasted, they are just beautiful.
Kathy
November 5, 2015 at 8:04 pmRoasting them whole is the way to go!
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks
November 5, 2015 at 8:10 amI just roasted my own pumpkins for the first time a few weeks ago! I like your method of leaving them whole rather than cutting the top off, scooping the seeds out, and slicing them in half first! You are way smarter than me! 🙂
Kathy
November 5, 2015 at 8:04 pmI’m just always looking for less steps!
David @ Spiced
November 5, 2015 at 6:33 amInteresting! Thanks for sharing this tip. I have never made my own pumpkin puree. We go through the stuff like crazy though! We actually add a scoop on top of the dogs’ food at night after the vet recommended it for extra fiber. Add in the pumpkin baking that I’m always doing, and you can see how we go through it so fast. I need to try making my own now!
Kathy
November 5, 2015 at 8:05 pmFeeding it to your dog?! Lucky dog!!!
Kristine | Kristine's Kitchen
November 4, 2015 at 9:57 pmI just made my first batch of homemade pumpkin puree the other day! It’s amazing how much fresher it is compared to the canned stuff. Your recipe looks SO easy!
Kathy
November 5, 2015 at 5:53 amYou are right…it does taste fresher! Plus you know just what’s in it!
Senika @ Foodie Blog Stalker
November 4, 2015 at 3:19 pmI love that you don’t have to hack into the pumpkin before cooking it! I need to try making (and eating) my own pumpkin puree, yum!
Kathy
November 4, 2015 at 7:48 pmGive it a try!
Lori from LL Farm
November 4, 2015 at 9:06 amHi Kathy,
I made pumpkin puree for my first time this year by baking the quartered pumpkin. Thanks for the tip on doing it whole!
~Lori
Kathy
November 4, 2015 at 7:47 pmHooray for you! Glad you made some!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
November 4, 2015 at 8:23 amI haven’t tried making my own pumpkin puree yet, but it is on the list! I LOVE that you cook your pumpkin whole!! SO clever and YESS to way less work! Can’t wait to give it a try! Cheers, my dear!
Kathy
November 4, 2015 at 7:47 pmI do like to make things a bit easier!
Ami@NaiveCookCooks
November 4, 2015 at 7:39 amKathy I love making pumpkin puree at home but lately I have been ahem lazy!! Totally needs to change as thanks to you, I remembered how good homemade pumpkin puree tastes!!
Kathy
November 4, 2015 at 7:46 pmI like doing several pumpkins at one time and freezing the extra so I have it when I need it.
Laura ~ Raise Your Garden
November 4, 2015 at 5:43 amI love the idea of making your own pumpkin puree and it doesn’t come in an aluminum can (who wants that?!) The more I read about food coming in aluminum cans, the more I want to run! And it’s fantastic you feed the scraps to the chicken, I wish I could have some, but they are banned, ha, even though we have almost an acre, people would complain. So we feed them to our deer friends in the backyard. But it’s such a good idea cause those scraps (And especially the seeds!!) are loaded in nutrients. And I bet you can guess what I do with my seeds though, haha. Brilliant idea. You’ve convinced me to make some puree and not be lazy =)
Kathy
November 4, 2015 at 7:45 pmYou can do it! And I need to start roasting seeds – like you! I wonder if I can roast them after the are cooked…