How To Make Pumpkin Puree 3 Ways

I love to make many pumpkin recipes when the season starts, like my Pumpkin Donut Holes, Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes, or Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread. Pumpkin puree is one of these ingredients that can be used to make pretty much any recipe and give them a Fall flavor. But canned pumpkin puree can be either hard to find or expensive. So if you want to make your own instead, follow my recipe below to make it at home easily!

Choosing The Pumpkin

Some pumpkins are sweet, others are watery, and some are starchy. Let me share the best pumpkin varieties to make a creamy, smooth pumpkin puree every time. The ideal type of pumpkin for pumpkin puree are:

Sweet Starchy

The following pumpkin varieties tick these boxes:

Jack-o Lantern – the ones often used as ornamental gourds for Halloween. Buttercup Kabocha Porcelain Doll Pink Pumpkin Acorn Squash Jarrah dale – that’s what we are using in this recipe. It’s an Australian squash variety with blue-green skin.

How To Make Pumpkin Puree

It’s super easy to make your own pumpkin puree at home. All you need is the right kind of pumpkin. That’s it, just one ingredient.

Method 1: Roasting

This is the best method to make pumpkin puree as a side dish. In fact, roasting the pumpkin gives it a delicious flavor, and it keeps the puree smooth, thick, and not watery. To use this method, first cut the whole pumpkin and scrape down the side if dirty and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.

Method 2: Steaming

If you don’t have an oven, steaming the pumpkin is a great way of making homemade pumpkin puree.

Method 3: Boiling

The last method consists of boiling the pumpkin.

Turning Pumpkin Into Puree

The best way to puree the cooked pumpkin is to use a:

Food processor High-speed blender like a Vitamix

But, if you don’t have any of these, you can also use a potato masher or a fork. This won’t create a smooth velvety pumpkin puree, but it’s also an option to puree pumpkin. The last option is to use an immersion blender and add some liquid like almond milk, water, or vegetable stock to help you blend the pumpkin. This method is not recommended if you want to use the pumpkin puree in baking because it adds moisture.

How To Use Pumpkin Puree

As mentioned above, choose the cooking method that matches the recipe you want to make with your homemade pumpkin puree. I recommend the oven-roasting method because it works the best with all recipes. You can use this pumpkin puree as a:

Side dish Ingredient for recipes calling for canned pumpkin puree. Meal – it makes a delicious bowl of food for babies!