How to make homemade pumpkin puree for pie from scratch to be used in your favorite healthy pumpkin recipes. This easy step by step process will show you how!
Orange pumpkins heaped at country roadside stands, and filling the baskets at the local farmers market signal it’s time to bake with pumpkins.
With homemade pumpkin puree you can bake up all your favorite fall desserts, most popular is pumpkin pie from scratch. Make the perfect dessert for a cozy supper on a fall evening or to tote along to your next potluck. Here is the step by step process on how to make homemade pumpkin puree.
Best Pumpkins for Making Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Select bright-colored, firm, unblemished pumpkins. When shopping for pumpkins, look for those labeled Sugar Pumpkins or Pie Pumpkins. These are the best for baking since they are sweet, flavorful, and have smooth-textured flesh.
Avoid large Halloween carving pumpkins because their flesh is too fibrous for a soft puree. They are full of seeds and very bland.
Homemade Pumpkin Puree Video
Ingredients for Homemade Pumpkin Puree
- 3-4 pound pumpkin
- salt
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree for Pie
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice the top of the pumpkin off. Then, cut the pumpkin in half, and then each half into halves. Scoop out the seeds and fiber with a large metal spoon.
Sprinkle the pumpkin flesh with kosher salt and lay the halves, flesh side down, on a parchment paper-lined pan. Roast until pumpkin is soft, 45 to 60 minutes. When the flesh is fork tender, the pumpkin is finished roasting.
Remove the pan from the oven. Using a large spoon, remove the roasted flesh of the pumpkin from the skin to a blender or to the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes.
How Long Does Pumpkin Puree for Pie Last?
If you aren’t using your homemade pumpkin puree right away, it can be stored in the fridge. If kept in an airtight container, it will last for about a week. I like to keep some on hand during the fall to add to my pumpkin pie spice smoothie and pumpkin chip granola bars.
How to Freeze From Scratch Pumpkin Puree
Fresh homemade pumpkin puree and opened canned pumpkin purée only lasts for a week stored in a glass container in the fridge. However, storing in the freezer it will last for months. Freezing homemade pumpkin purée in amounts you use most makes it easier to store, thaw, and use. These are the best ways to do that.
Frozen pumpkin puree will last for 6-8 months if stored correctly.
In a Freezer Bag
Get a large freezer safe plastic storage bag and fold the edges outward. Then, spoon how much you want of pumpkin into each bag. Seal the bag with just a small opening remaining, then use your hands to flatten out the pumpkin inside the bag and push out the air. Freeze the bags flat, stacking them as you go.
In a Freezer Safe Glass Storage Container
This is my preferred method for storing any leftovers in the freezer or fridge since I try to stay away from using a lot of plastic. Using small glass containers, spoon the amount of puree you want in each one. Place the lid on and store in the freezer.
How to Use Frozen Homemade Pumpkin Puree
To use frozen homemade pumpkin puree, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. It is best to use thawed pumpkin puree within a few days for the best flavor.
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree for Pie Recipe
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree for Pie
How to make homemade pumpkin puree for pie from scratch to be used in your favorite healthy pumpkin recipes. This easy step by step process will show you how!
Ingredients
- 3-4 pound pumpkin
- salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice the top of the pumpkin off. Then, cut the pumpkin in half, and then each half into halves. Scoop out the seeds and fiber with a large metal spoon.
Sprinkle the pumpkin flesh with kosher salt and lay the halves, flesh side down, on a parchment paper-lined pan. Roast until pumpkin is soft, 45 to 60 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven. Using a large spoon, remove the roasted flesh of the pumpkin from the skin to a blender or to the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes.
Notes
Select bright-colored, firm, unblemished pumpkins. When shopping for pumpkins, look for those labeled Sugar Pumpkins or Pie Pumpkins. These are the best for baking since they are sweet, flavorful, and have smooth-textured flesh.
Avoid large Halloween carving pumpkins because their flesh is too fibrous for a soft puree. They are full of seeds and very bland.
Thank you for sharing. Just wondering what your new pantry looks like now that you’ve remodeled the kitchen? It was so lovely before. You have a nice slow way of doing things.
Thank you! My pantry essentials is smaller now but I hope to share that in the near future!
The first time i tasted home made pumpkin puree was from my mom, i was grown and we kids came home for the holidays and mom had made a pie, that was so much better than what you buy in a can. I started making my own, i never even liked pumpkin till i tasted fresh. Thanks for this reminder,i need to try it again for the holidays.
What a sweet memory! I hope you do try it again this season!
I always make my own pumpkin puree too as my son won’t eat pumpkin pie made from a can or from store bought pie crust. My late husband was the same way too. Which I was fine with because I didn’t like it either, prefer my own made from scratch foods. Thanks Sarah, that is how I make my puree too. Hugs, Brenda
It’s hard to imagine there is that much of a difference between homemade and store bought. But, there really is! Hugs to you!
What if the store where I’m buying from doesn’t label their pumpkins? With the small round pumpkins be the pie kind?
I’m hoping to go to the pumpkin patch this week end and get some good ones!!
Generally, the small round ones are pumpkin pie pumpkins. Hopefully, you can get some at the pumpkin patch.
I have NEVER made a pumpkin pie from raw pumpkin. Do I add evaporated milk, sugar and spice as with the canned pumpkin?
Thanks,
Greetings! I share a post on how to make a pumpkin pie from scratch using the homemade puree – you can find it here: https://www.rockyhedgefarm.com/best-from-scratch-pumpkin-pie-recipe/