How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree (Better Than Canned)

Homemade pumpkin puree starts with roasting a sugar pumpkin until the flesh is fork-tender and perfectly caramelized.  Once roasted, blend it into a smooth, creamy puree. Now, you have a perfect pumpkin puree for all your fall recipes. 

I ended up with about 2 cups of strained puree from one 5-pound pumpkin.

Once you try this homemade pumpkin puree, you will not want to use canned pumpkin. Homemade pumpkin puree is so much better, I even like to eat it by itself with a spoon. 

And do not forget to save the seeds, because you can make easy and quick roasted pumpkin seeds in your air fryer for a delicious fall snack or a topping for soups and salads. 

I use homemade pumpkin puree to make pumpkin recipes, such as pumpkin pies, pumpkin chocolate chip bread, pumpkin hummus, pumpkin crepes pumpkin muffins, and more.

And if you have some extra fresh pumpkin, try my pumpkin sheet cake with fresh grated pumpkin.

What you'll need

You will need only one ingredient to make this recipe - pumpkin. But I recommend finding sugar pumpkin ( sometimes called pie pumpkin) to make the puree. You can find them at the grocery store or farmers market starting at the beginning of September. You can also use Cinderella pumpkins or Kabocha. They are both rich, creamy puree beautifully. 

Jack-o-lantern pumpkins (carving pumpkins) are not the best options as they have fibrous flesh and often lack flavor. If you do have to use them, make sure they are not too old and always strain the puree well because these have a lot of water content. 

As for special equipment, you will need a blender or a food processor. I recommend having the cheesecloth on hand to strain the excess water out of the puree if you plan to use the puree for baked goods.  

How to make pumpkin puree

Prepare your workspace. Place a steady cutting board on a kitchen counter. Have a sharp knife, a medium bowl, and a spoon ready.

Slice the pumpkin in half. Wash the pumpkin to remove any dirt. Cut off the stem, so it will be more stable for slicing. Insert the knife into the top center of the pumpkin and cut downward. You may need to rock the knife back and forth or use a gentle sawing motion. Once halfway down, rotate the pumpkin, and slice it until you cut all the way through. You'll have two halves.

Quick tip: if you have a hard time slicing the pumpkin in half, microwave it for 1-2 minutes to soften the skin.

Scoop out the seeds. Use a spoon, or ice cream scoop to scrape out the seeds and the strings. You can rinse and save the seeds for roasting or discard them.

Quick tip: If your spoon keeps slipping, try using short, firm scraping motions holding the spoon at the very bottom of the spoon handle.

Roast the pumpkin. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Place both pumpkin halves on a prepared baking pan facing the cut side down. Roast them in the preheated 400 degrees f oven for about 45-60 minutes or until the flesh is tender, the skin slightly browned on top and starting to peel off.

Cool down the pumpkin. Let the pumpkin cool down for about 30 minutes because using hot food in a blender is not recommended.

Scoop out the flesh. Once cool to handle, spoon out the soft flesh with a spoon. Sometimes, I will be able to just peel off the skin.

Puree the pumpkin. Add the pumpkin flesh to the blender container. Blend on high until silky smooth. If you have more than one pumpkin, blend them in batches. You can also blend it using an immersion blender or a food processor.

Strain the excess liquid (important for baking recipes). Line a fine mesh strainer or colander with a cheesecloth.  Place it over the bowl to catch the pumpkin liquid. Spoon pumpkin puree into the cheesecloth. Let it sit for about 30-60 minutes so the gravity will drain the liquid from the puree. Puree should be thick and smooth. If it still too thin, you will have to drain it longer.

Quick tip: to speed up the process, you can stir it and gently press the puree down with the back of the spoon.

Nataliia's recipe tips

• Use smaller pumpkins like sugar pie pumpkins, kabocha or Cinderella as they have more flavor and a sweeter taste.
• Do not use any oil or seasonings.
• Always strain the puree if used for any baking recipes.
• Roast the pumpkins instead of steaming them for deeper flavor.
• Pumpkin puree can vary in volume, so I recommend weighing it when using it in recipes (15 oz can of pumpkin equals approximately 1¾ cups).

Using homemade instead of canned in recipes

If using homemade pumpkin in place of canned, make sure to strain homemade pumpkin well to get rid of any liquid.

For the sauces and soups, just follow the recipe as written and use 1 cup of homemade strained pumpkin for 1 cup of canned pumpkin. 

But for baked goods, I recommend weighing the pumpkin puree, because the volume might be different compared to canned one. You may also need to increase the cooking time a little bit, as homemade pumpkin puree will add extra moisture to your baked goods. 

Easy ways to use pumpkin puree besides baking

Alternative cooking methods

Besides the oven, you can use a pressure cooker or air fryer to cook the pumpkin for pureeing.

I still prefer the baking method not only because the roasted pumpkin flesh comes out sweeter and more flavorful, but you can also bake up to 2 pumpkins at a time.

When using an air fryer or instant pot, you will be able to cook only one small pumpkin or have the larger one at a time.

Pressure cooker directions: Cut the pumpkin into quarters. Pour one cup of water into the pressure cooker. Place a trivet on top. Arrange the pumpkin pieces on top of the trivet. Seal the lead and pressure cook on high pressure for 12-15 minutes. Do natural pressure release for 10 minutes followed by quick release. Let it cool down and puree the pumpkin.

Air fryer directions:  Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes to 375°F. Place the pumpkin haves in the air fryer basket facing the cut side down. Air fry at 375°F for 25-30 minutes or until the flesh is tender. Let it cool down, scoop out the flesh, and puree it in a blender or food processor.