Pumpkin puree in a decorated mason jar next to fall decorations on a wooden surface (with logo overlay)

Pumpkin Puree from Scratch

Use any leftover pumpkins you may have to make your own pumpkin puree. It’s perfect for holiday baking and tastes better than canned.

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It’s that time of the year again…. pumpkin everything! Of course, everyone hears about the pumpkin spice lattes and other drinks. But what about all of the delicious desserts and food that can be made from pumpkin puree?

I know many people are purchasing pumpkins now, or will be soon, to get ready for Halloween. Pumpkin carving is a lot of fun, and is a great family tradition if you celebrate the season. 

Family photo at the pumpkin patch
Pumpkin Patch 2017

But, if you are anything like me, the time can just slip away and next thing you know you are setting a plain, uncarved, untouched pumpkin out on the front porch. We’ve done this a few times now because we just run out of time to carve with all of the other events that the Fall season brings. 

When this happens, what are you going to do with that extra pumpkin (or four) that you have? 

Four young boys at the pumpkin patch
Cousins at the Pumpkin Patch 2017

My suggestion: use it to make your own pumpkin puree to use in recipes for the season! Trust me, one average-sized pumpkin makes a lot more puree than you would think. You’ll have plenty to make pumpkin pie, pumpkin pasties, pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin bread, and any other pumpkin foods.

We have been doing this for a couple of years now, and end up giving the puree away to family and friends to use for their Thanksgiving desserts because we just can’t use it all. 

Luckily, though, you can freeze the puree to use at a later time. 

Young boy cleaning out a pumpkin on the ground covered with newspaper
Ryan cleaning out his pumpkin

You’ll notice as you are making your puree that it’s a much different color than the canned pumpkin puree. But, this is pure pumpkin, no added ingredients or colors or anything else. And, we find that it tastes better, too, since it’s straight from a fresh pumpkin.

Pumpkin Puree Step by Step

Ingredients

  • 1 pumpkin
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400F. Start by cutting the top off of the pumpkin, similar to how you would if carving it.

Top view of pumpkin with the top cut off and sitting next to it on a wooden surface

Cut the pumpkin in half starting from the top and going to the base of the pumpkin.

Pumpkin cut in half laying on a wooden surface

Remove the seeds and the stringy parts of the pumpkin. You can save the seeds to make roasted pumpkin seeds, and the stringy part can be used to make pumpkin bread. 

Two halves of a pumpkin cleaned out with the seeds in a stainless steel bowl next to it on a wooden surface

Brush the fleshy sides of the pumpkin with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt.

Two halves of a pumpkin brushed with oil and sprinkled with salt next to a pastry brush and salt shaker laying on a wooden surface

Use a pan that has high enough sides that any moisture from the pumpkins won’t drip into the oven. I find one half of a regular pumpkin fits well in a 9×13 glass dish. Turn the pumpkins over so the flesh side is down and bake for about 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the pumpkin. They should be soft enough that a knife can easily press through the skin. 

Two large glass baking dishes with half of a pumpkin in each, with the flesh side facing down, on a wooden surface

Remove the pumpkin from the oven and carefully move it to a cooling rack. Let it cool for about an hour, then use a spoon to pull the flesh from the skin. The skin can then be thrown in a compost bin so you aren’t wasting any part of the pumpkin.

Cooked pumpkin laying in glass baking dishes with flesh side up, flesh has been removed and is in a stainless steel bowl all on a wooden surface

Place the flesh in a blender and blend until it is smooth. I usually have to add up to a 1/2 cup of water to the blender to get it to puree well.

Stainless steel bowl of pumpkin flesh next to a blender filled with pumpkin flesh and water all on a wooden surface

The puree will store in the refrigerator for up to one week or the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Pumpkin puree in a decorated mason jar next to fall decorations on a wooden surface (vertical)

Recipe

Originally Published On: September 13, 2018

Last Updated On: September 14, 2023

Pumpkin puree in a decorated mason jar next to fall decorations on a wooden surface

Pumpkin Puree

Use any leftover pumpkins you may have to make your own pumpkin puree. It’s perfect for holiday baking and tastes better than canned.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Cooling Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour
Course:
Homemade Staple
Cuisine:
American
Keyword:
pumpkin
Servings: 6 cups
4.75 from 8 votes

Ingredients

  • 1 pumpkin
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400F
  • Cut the top off of the pumpkin, then cut the pumpkin in half from stem to base
  • Scoop out the seeds and stringy parts of the pumpkin, leaving as much flesh as possible
  • Drizzle the pumpkin flesh with oil and sprinkle with salt
  • Place the pumpkin in a baking dish with the flesh side down and bake for 30-45 minutes, until soft
  • Move the pumpkin to a cooling rack and let cool for one hour
  • Carefully scoop out all of the flesh from the skin and place in a blender
  • Blend the pumpkin until smooth, about 3-5 minutes
  • Store for 1 week in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer
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Nutrition Facts
Pumpkin Puree
Amount Per Serving
Calories 79 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Sodium 389mg16%
Potassium 770mg22%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 19295IU386%
Vitamin C 20.4mg25%
Calcium 48mg5%
Iron 1.8mg10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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46 thoughts on “Pumpkin Puree from Scratch”

    1. We hadn’t until we had a pumpkin that we ran out of time to carve and didn’t want to just throw it away. It tastes much fresher and gives a better texture to pumpkin pie than canned pumpkin.

  1. I’ve never been brave enough to try this myself so I always buy the canned puree but I love the thought of having it without any additives or preservatives. Reading this, it really doesn’t look difficult at all, so I really should go ahead and give it a try. I’m thinking of how delicious pumpkin bars will be made with this puree!

  2. 5 stars
    That looks delicious! Generally, I like pumpkin drink or pumpkin pie but never tried a puree. So great to see how happy look your kids and all the family sharing funny pumpkin moments.

  3. 5 stars
    I have never done just a puree of pumpkin before. But I suppose it would be better for recipes and such than the stuff in cans. I’m always willing to try something once so I will have to check this out.

  4. Aw what a lovely family picture…I love this!! Also the Pumpkin puree looks delicious and I like the way you have presented this in the jar xx

  5. 4 stars
    I just love the different uses of this pumpkin puree recipe! It’s also a great way to get the kids involved in this special forthcoming occasion.

  6. Ahhhh Tis the season of all things pumpkin! I will have to try making my own purée next time I have a recipe that calls for some pumpkin!

  7. 5 stars
    It’s a great use of the pumpkins. And the homemade tastes better as well. Love pumpkin puree and the way we can use it. Thanks.

  8. Tis the season for pumpkin puree. We have a pumpkin soup we do on January first. I usually freeze the pumpkin. Now, I will make the puree and conserve it thanks to your recipe.

    1. Sounds like a great plan! I haven’t tried freezing this recipe yet. But if you do, make sure you leave a lot of space in the container since there’s so much water. I’ve frozen other similar things (when I was making homemade baby purees for the boys) and didn’t leave enough space and had glass jars shatter in the freezer!

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