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A bowl of pumpkin puree next to some baked pumpkin items
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5 from 5 votes

How To Make Pumpkin Puree (3 Easy Ways)

Making your own pumpkin puree is a breeze! Forget about the canned stuff and make your own at home with these 3 EASY methods!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Course: Puree
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Pumpkin puree
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 30kcal
Author: Erica Walker

Ingredients

  • 1 pie pumpkin (3-5 pounds)
  • parchment paper (for baking method)

Instructions

For Roasting:

  • Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out seeds and stringy pieces. Scrape until clean.
    Pumpkin sliced in half and scooped out
  • Place cut side down on a baking sheet lined with foil of parchment paper. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until soft.
    Pumpkins cut in half and ready to be roasted

For Instant Pot:

  • Place entire pumpkin in the Instant Pot and add 1 cup water (you may need to break off the stem if it doesn't fit). Cover and seal.
    Small pumpkin in an Instant Pot
  • On manual, cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Quick release. Allow pumpkin to cool slightly and CAREFULLY remove from the Instant Pot.
    Slice the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and stringy pieces.
    Cooked pumpkin split in half

For Steaming:

  • Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out seeds and stringy pieces. Scrape until clean.
    Pumpkin cut in half with seeds and strings
  • Fill your pot with a few inches of water and place the steamer basket inside, making sure it doesn't touch the water below. Bring the water to a boil. Add pumpkin to the steamer basket. Cut the pumpkin into smaller pieces if needed to fit.
    pumpkin slices on a cutting board
  • Steam for 20-30 minutes or until the flesh is soft when peirced with a fork. Carefully remove pumpkin peices and allow to cool until you are able to handle. Scrape the flesh into a bowl and discard the skin.
    Pumpkin slices in a steamer

Pureeing The Pumpkin:

  • Scoop your cooked, soft pumpkin into a blender or large food processer. Pulse until smooth.
    Cooked pumpkin in a blender ready to blend
  • If your puree is too thick, add one tablespoon of water at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
    If your pumpkin puree is too thin and watery, lay some cheesecloth or paper towels over a mesh strainer and over a large bowl. Pour in the pumpkin puree and allow to strain until thickened (this could take several hours).
    Pumpkin puree in a blender
  • Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze for up to 4 months.
    Pumpkin puree in a glass jar

Video

Notes

  • To make a thicker puree, strain the water out by putting paper towels in a strainer and leaving the puree in the strainer for 1-2 hours.
  • Portion the pumpkin out in a greased muffin tin (1/2 cup per potion) and freeze. Once frozen, place the frozen discs in a freezer-safe container or bag. Pull out the amount your need each time and thaw to use in your favorite recipes (or use as baby food)
  • 2 cups of homemade pumpkin puree = 1 (15oz) can of canned pumpkin

Nutrition

Calories: 30kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Vitamin A: 7IU