You may be wondering why you should make homemade pumpkin purée from scratch when you can just pick up a can or two at the store. For starters, this all-natural (seriously delicious) pumpkin purée recipe is probably the simplest thing you’ll do all year. Beyond that, it yields an intensely pure pumpkin flavor that’s impossible to get from a can and it elevates every pumpkin-spiced and pumpkin-infused sweet or savory recipe you make.
Why Make Homemade Pumpkin Purée?
If you’re looking for ways to make better-tasting, less-processed holiday pumpkin desserts, and savory sides, or you just want to know what a pumpkin pie was really meant to taste like, you’re 30 minutes from everything you need (this includes the prep time and cooking time!). I’ve reduced the typical 40 to 60-minute pumpkin roasting time most pumpkin purée recipes call for, down to just 20 minutes (because everyone’s trying to save a little more energy these days).
What is Hokkaido Squash & What Does it Taste Like?
For this recipe, I’m using an Italian-grown Hokkaido squash — it has a mildly sweet and full nutty flavor making it perfect for pumpkin pie filling, ravioli or tortelli filling, cheesecake, or any of your favorite pumpkin spice recipes. Hokkaido squash is a variety of Japanese squash with a squatty shape, bright reddish-orange skin, and brightly colored orange flesh that contains less water than other varieties which makes it perfect for making pumpkin purée. When cooked (especially roasted), this squash is slightly sweet and has a very soft, thick, creamy consistency with a nutty flavor.
The skin is also edible so if you’re roasting this pumpkin to eat as a side dish, you can leave the skin on. If you do peel it, you can save the skin and pulp to add to brodo bags (MealPrep broth bags that I have ready to go in the freezer for making vegetable or meat stocks throughout the week). I also season and toast the seeds for a snack which makes this a zero-waste pumpkin.
What’s the Best Pumpkin Variety to Use For Making Homemade Pumpkin Purée?
An important thing to look out for when hunting for whole pumpkins to purée, is size — look for smaller varieties like the Hokkaido or Kabocha, or ones labeled “sugar pumpkin”, or “pie pumpkin” and stay away from larger pumpkins (like the ones used for carving Jack-O-Lanterns for Halloween). For all the reasons I outlined above, Hokkaido pumpkin is perfect for making pumpkin purée. But besides the superior flavor, it contains less water than most pumpkins which gives you a thick and luscious purée without needing to strain it like some pumpkins. It works just as well for sweet and savory dishes like pumpkin pie tart, in pumpkin focaccia bread, diced and added to risotto, in pumpkin cheesecake, or in my 96-year-old Granny’s pumpkin bread recipe (coming this week). You may also want to consider the Kabocha squash which has a darker and intensely sweet flesh when roasted with a hint of chestnut flavor.
Homemade Pumpkin Purée Ingredients
This delicious homemade pumpkin purée recipe uses one ingredient — roasted pumpkin. Not adding salt makes this purée more versatile so it can be used in any recipe.
- one 2-pound whole Hokkaido, Sugar, Kabocha, or Pie Pumpkin, peeled and diced (1kg)
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Purée in 20 Minutes. (the easiest and most cost-effective way)
If you’re looking to save a little more energy this year when baking for the holidays, this homemade pumpkin purée recipe is a great place to start. Whole pumpkins are cheap and produce a good yield of purée. And you can reduce the oven roasting time to just 20 minutes (down from the 40 to 60 minutes that most recipes call for) just by taking a couple of extra minutes to peel and chop it into a large dice. I use a vegetable peeler and it’s super easy (leave the edible skins on if you’re planning to eat the roasted pumpkin as a side instead of puréeing it).
By making the pumpkin pieces smaller instead of roasting entire halves, the pumpkin cooks a lot more quickly, saving you time and money. You can go one step further and save even more by doubling the recipe.
- Preheat oven 400°F/200°C. + roast the pumpkin. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add peeled and diced pumpkin in one layer. Roast for 20 minutes, or until fork-tender. Remove from the oven and place the pumpkin into a food processor.
- Purée the pumpkin. Process the pumpkin until smooth and creamy and ladle into jars or use it in your favorite recipe calling for canned pumpkin or pumpkin purée. *If you don’t have a food processor, mash the pumpkin or use a potato ricer to get a creamy consistency.
Can You Freeze Pumpkin Purée?
Yes, you can freeze pumpkin purée Portion the purée into usable portions and place it in an airtight container and freeze it for up to one year. If there’s excess space in the container you’re using, you can top the purée with a layer of parchment paper, wax paper, or sustainable cling film before you seal it which will help keep ice crystals from forming on top. When you’re ready to use the purée, simply defrost it in the refrigerator overnight, or leave it at room temperature until thawed. Give it a quick stir and use it as called for in the recipe. If you’re stocking your freezer with abundant pumpkin purée, you can portion it into freezer bags, remove any air bubbles, and stack them which saves a lot of room.
Looking for More Delicious Pumpkin Dishes or Ways to Use Homemade Pumpkin Purée?
If you love pumpkin and pumpkin-spiced desserts as much as we do, we think you might also enjoy these recipes.
- Granny’s Super Tender Pumpkin Bread w/Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
- No-yeast Easy Skillet Pumpkin Flatbread (recipe coming soon)
- Easy Pumpkin Focaccia Bread (Focaccia alla Zucca)
- Super Moist Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread w/Toasted Pumpkin Seed Crunch
- Pumpkin Cheesecake w/Chestnut Graham Cracker Layer
- All-Natural Kabocha Pumpkin Pie Tart w/Pecan Crunch (no canned pumpkin)
Let’s get started!
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How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Purée
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 pound 10 ounces Purée (26 ounces) 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This homemade pumpkin purée recipe is perfect for making better-tasting, less-processed holiday pumpkin desserts, and savory sides, or for making homemade baby food, or the best homemade pumpkin pie ever. It takes just 30 minutes to make from start to finish! I’ve reduced the typical 40 to 60-minute pumpkin roasting time that most pumpkin purée recipes call for, to just 20 minutes (because everyone’s trying to save a little more energy these days).
Ingredients
- one 2-pound whole pumpkin (Hokkaido, Sugar, Kabocha, or Pie Pumpkin), peeled and diced (1kg)
Instructions
- Preheat oven 400°F/200°C. + roast the pumpkin. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add peeled and diced pumpkin in one layer. Roast for 20 minutes, or until fork-tender. Remove from the oven and place the pumpkin into a food processor.
- Purée the pumpkin. Process the pumpkin until smooth and creamy and ladle into jars or use it in your favorite recipe calling for canned pumpkin or pumpkin purée. *If you don’t have a food processor, mash the pumpkin or use a potato ricer to get a creamy consistency.
Notes
- If you don’t want to peel or dice the pumpkin, simply cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and roast the two halves flesh side down and increase the roasting time by an additional 20 to 30 minutes until fork tender.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Condiments + Sauces + Dips
- Method: Oven Roasted
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Purée step-by-step photos
