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–+ servings

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Homemade pumpkin puree

Making homemade pumpkin puree is so easy. This recipes calls for baking a pumpkin, so you don't have to go through the trouble of peeling one.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 3 cups

Ingredients 

  • 1 medium baking pumpkin around 2.5 kg or 5 pounds
  • 1 teaspoon salt optional

Instructions

  • Heat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Rinse and scrub your pumpkin, then pat it dry. Cut the squash into quarters, starting at the stem and cutting through to the bottom. Then pull out each piece. (Don’t attempt to cut through the stem as it’s too dry and tough.)
  • Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp with a spoon. If the quarters are very big, cut the pieces even smaller.
  • Place sliced pumpkin on your baking sheet (and sprinkle with salt if you want) and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the pumpkin is easily pierced with a knife in several places. You want to see the pumpkin collapse a bit under its own weight and for the flesh to pull away from the skin easily.
  • Allow the pumpkin to cool until you can safely handle it. Scoop out the flesh and transfer it to a food processor. (If your food processor is smaller or the pumpkin is very big, you might have to do this in batches.)
  • Process the pumpkin on medium-high speed until it’s very smooth, about 5 minutes.
  • Store fresh pumpkin puree in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or prepare one-cup servings in bags and freeze them for up to 6 months.

Notes

You don’t have to use salt when baking the pumpkin, as it’s much easier to add salt to whatever recipe you need the puree for. But if you want extra flavor in your baked pumpkin, a sprinkle of salt helps.
Best varieties of pumpkin for puree: Sugar pumpkin, Kabocha squash, Musquee de Provence, Butternut squash or any pumpkin sold as a baking or pie pumpkin.