You won't believe just how easy it is to make Homemade Pumpkin Puree! Using the oven or the Instant Pot, this simple recipe yields smooth, earthy pumpkin puree with the most concentrated flavor.

Homemade Pumpkin Puree in Bowl next to sugar pie pumpkin and cinnamon sticks.

You will always find a can of pumpkin puree in my pantry, as there are so many ways to use canned pumpkin. But in the fall months when it is easy to find sugar pie pumpkins at most grocery stores and farmer's markets, I prefer making pumpkin puree from scratch.

Why You Should Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Easy to make. It really is not complicated, hard, or time-consuming to make homemade pumpkin puree.
Suburb flavor. Roasting pumpkin develops the taste of pumpkin, and the flesh becomes insanely soft and creamy.
Freezes well. You can make a large batch of pumpkin puree and freeze it to use at a later time.
No shortage. While canned pumpkin puree is sold at most grocery stores, there are many times when it is in high demand and can be difficult to find. By making your own pumpkin puree you don't have to worry about relying on the supply of your local store.

Which Pumpkins are Best?

When it comes to making pumpkin puree, you must use pie pumpkins, not carving pumpkins that are used to make jack-o-lanterns. Sugar pumpkins will yield the best flavor if you can find them, but any variety of pie pumpkins will work.

One thing to keep in mind is that pie pumpkins are seasonal items. Therefore, you may not be able to find them year-round depending on where you live. The good news is that homemade pumpkin puree freezes really well so you can make it when pie pumpkins are in season to have on hand year-round.

How Much Puree Will Each Pumpkin Yield?

As for how much puree you will get per pumpkin, that depends on the size of your pie pumpkin.

2½ pound pie pumpkin = 1¾ cups puree
3½ pound pie pumpkin = 2½ cups puree

Two Methods for Cooking Pie Pumpkins

There are two ways to prepare the pumpkins to make homemade pumpkin puree. You can opt to bake your pie pumpkins or pressure cook the pumpkins using the Instant Pot.

Method One: Bake the Pumpkins

Roasting the pumpkins will develop the most intense pumpkin puree, as the pumpkin caramelizes as it cooks, and becomes almost sweeter and richer.

Side by side picture of pie pumpkin halves on baking tray before and after baking.

Method Two: Pressure Cook the Pumpkins

While roasting the pumpkins will yield the most intensely flavored pumpkin puree, the easier way is to pressure cook the pumpkins. The one downside to this method is that you will lose quite a bit of flesh when you remove the seeds from the flesh of the pumpkin.

Collage of 4 pictures showing cooking pumpkin in instant pot and removing seeds.

How to Make Pumpkin Puree

Regardless of how you cook your pumpkins, once cool enough to handle, you are ready to make the puree! It is as easy as processing the flesh of the pumpkin in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Food processor with pumpkin puree inside bowl with sugar pumpkin to side.

How to Use Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Roasting the pumpkin ensures the pumpkin puree is thick like canned pumpkin puree. However, if you added water to your puree or used the Instant Pot method to prepare homemade pumpkin puree, it is best to drain the puree over a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. This will ensure that your homemade pumpkin puree has the same consistency as canned pumpkin puree and that your recipes turn out perfectly.

Keep in mind that you will need 1 & ⅞ cups of homemade puree for every 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: Store the cooled pumpkin puree in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Freeze: Place the cooled pumpkin puree into a freezer-safe bag, seal the bag with just a tiny bit of an opening remaining, then use your hands to flatten out the pumpkin inside the bag and push out the air. Seal the bag completely. label the bag with the amount of puree and then store the puree in the freezer, laying it flat to take up less space in the freezer. Store for up to 9 months in the freezer. Let the puree defrost in the refrigerator before using it for any recipe that calls for pumpkin puree.

Recipes Using Homemade Pumpkin Puree

If you made homemade pumpkin puree, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Learn to make Homemade Pumpkin Puree completely from scratch. This recipe results in a smooth pumpkin puree with the most concentrated flavor.

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Condiment, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 1

Cooling: 20

Total Time: 1 30

Servings: cups

Calories: 88kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

▢ 1 sugar pie pumpkins or another variety of pie pumpkin

Instructions

Oven Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 ℉. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Wash and dry the pumpkin. Slice off the top of a pumpkin, removing the stem. Cut the pumpkin in half, from the top to the bottom. Use a large spoon to remove the seeds and pulp from each pumpkin.
Lay each half of the pumpkin(s) face-down on the prepared baking sheet. and bake the pumpkin for 50-60 minutes, or until the flesh is very tender when pierced with a fork. Allow the pumpkin to cool on the pan for 20 minutes.
Once the pumpkin is cool enough to handle peel off the skin or use a large spoon to scrape the flesh from two of the pumpkin halves into the bowl of a large food processor fitted with an S-blade. Process for 3-5 minutes or until smooth and creamy. If needed, and only if needed, add ½ tablespoon of water at a time to get the puree smooth.

Instant Pot Directions

Wash and dry the pumpkin. Place the trivet inside the inner pot of an electric pressure cooker. Pour in 1-½ cups of cold tap water into the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Place the pie pumpkin on the trivet. If needed, cut off the stem of the pumpkin in order to fit inside the inner pot.
Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
Remove the pumpkin, remove the stem, and scoop out the seeds. Place the flesh of the pumpkin into a food processor fitted with an s-blade. Process for 3-5 minutes or until smooth and creamy. If needed, and only if needed, add ½ tablespoon of water at a time to get the puree smooth.

Equipment Needed

Notes

Pie Pumpkins: Use any variety or number of pie pumpkins you like. Sugar pumpkins have the best flavor in my personal opinion.

Yield:

2 ½ pound pie pumpkin = 1¾ cups puree
3½ pound pie pumpkin = 2½ cups puree

Using Homemade Puree in Place of Canned Pumpkin: If you added water to your puree or used the Instant Pot method to prepare homemade pumpkin puree, it is best to drain the puree over a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. Measure out the drained pumpkin to use in recipes calling for canned pumpkin puree.

Storage Instructions: Store cooled pumpkin puree in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. To freeze the pumpkin puree, measure out 1 to 2-cups of the puree. Place the measured puree into a freezer-safe bag, seal the bag with just a tiny bit of an opening remaining, then use your hands to flatten out the pumpkin inside the bag and push out the air. Seal the bag completely. label the bag with the amount of puree and then store the puree in the freezer, laying them flat to take up less space in the freezer. Store in the freezer for up to 9 months. Let the puree defrost in the refrigerator before using it for any recipe that calls for pumpkin puree.

Nutrition

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