How to make pumpkin puree (easy recipe!)

Now that the fall season is upon us, I have another delicious pumpkin recipe for you that is perfect for using for all your fall recipes and a must have basic recipe. Fresh pumpkin puree.

I know it is fairly easy to find pumpkin puree in a grocery store in the US, but here in the Netherlands it is a bit of a challenge. The canned stuff is simply not easy to find. So I created my own easy recipe for homemade pumpkin puree. And while this recipe is so simple you can hardly call it a recipe, I did think it would be a good one to add since there will be loads of pumpkin recipes coming up this season!

Pumpkin puree

The end result of your own homemade pumpkin puree depends on the type of pumpkin you’re using. I recently did a test comparing all sorts of different pumpkins and while all will give you a usable pumpkin puree, the flavor is very different! So use your favorite sugar pumpkins, blue pumpkins or any other pumpkin you like. Depending on the type of pumpkin you can make the puree with only the pumpkin flesh or you can use the pumpkins with skin on. When I use an orange organic pumpkin I tend to keep the pumpkin skin on, but if I use a butternut squash I take the skin off.

Cooking or roasting

For making your own pumpkin puree you can choose either the roasting method or the cooking method. The cooking method is easier and quicker, so I tend to prefer using that. The roasting method requires a bit more time and you will need to add the cubed pumpkin to a baking tray and roast until golden brown in about 20-30 minutes. (depending on the size of your pumpkin cubes)

You can also opt using the whole pumpkin but that will take even longer. Especially with large pumpkins that is a lengthy process! (you do use pumpkin halves and remove the pumpkin seeds of course)

Now roasting does get rid of excess water and the total weight of the pumpkin cubes can be reduced by half. The flavor of the pureed pumpkin will be stronger and excess liquid will have been gone already.

Flavor

You can choose to flavor your cooked pumpkin during the preparation stage. I personally like to keep it as natural as possible, so I can choose wether to use it for a sweet or a savory recipe. But if you know you’re going to be making a pumpkin pie filling with it, you can definitely use some of the pumpkin pie spice recipe I gave you before.

But if you’re not sure if you’re going to use it for either savory recipes or sweet recipes just keep it natural. That way you can use your homemade puree for all your favorite pumpkin recipes. A little drizzle of olive oil if you’re roasting is usually fine.

Blending

Ones you have either cooked or roasted your pumpkin you will still need to blend it into a puree. You can use a potato masher, a fine mesh strainer, a food processor or – my favorite – an immersion blender. You’ll be left with the pureed pumpkin and it is probably cheaper than a can of pumpkin puree from the store.

Once made you can keep the pumpkin puree in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or freeze it. I like to freeze it in ziplock bags and store it that way in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also freeze it in an ice cube tray if you know you’re going to be using smaller portions.

How much pumpkin will you need?

If you look at the recipe below, you will see that it doesn’t give you specific measurements. That is because you can make as much puree as you need. How many cups of puree you’ll be left varies, so I like to make more than enough so I know I have sufficient for my next couple of recipes.

To give a calculation example; when I bought a pumpkin weighing 1 kilo (2.2 pounds), I got left with a total of 764 gram (1.7 pounds) of pumpkin cubes. After processing that reduced to 579 grams (1.3 pounds) of pumpkin puree. And keep in mind that roasting will further reduce the total weight.

Canned pumpkin puree is usually a little less than one pound so you’ll have more if you make your own. I like to make a large batch and freeze the smooth puree.

Recipes using pumpkin puree

Now you know how to make homemade pumpkin puree, you want to use it in baking recipes I imagine. At least, that’s what I did with the puree. At the moment, I have these two delicious recipes for you!

• pumpkin pie from scratch
• easy pumpkin muffins