Pumpkin Puree
Ligia Lugo
Published:
October 29, 2025
Last Modified:
November 29, 2025
Fresh pumpkin puree is vibrantly colored with a velvety texture. Roasting the pumpkin before blending brings out the natural sweetness and concentrates the flavor for pure pumpkiny goodness!
In addition to making (and eating!) pumpkin anything and everything, I also love to use fresh pumpkins for decor during the fall season. You have your jack-o-lantern pumpkins of course, but I always pick up a few smaller baking pumpkins to arrange around the house–on the steps, by the entryway, or as a dinner table centerpiece.
This serves two purposes. Not only does it give festive appeal during the autumn, but once things take a turn towards winter, I can slice and cook my decorative pumpkins into pumpkin puree which I then use in all of my favorite pumpkin dishes and desserts through the holidays and beyond!
I used to simply boil or steam my pumpkin to make it into puree, but sometimes it would turn out watery and lacking in flavor. For this reason I prefer to roast my pumpkins before turning them into pumpkin puree. The flavor becomes ultra rich and the texture is super smooth, all while you are in complete control of the moisture content! Plus, making homemade pumpkin puree is more cost effective than buying canned pumpkin puree, and it freezes like a dream.
Ingredient Notes
- Sugar pumpkin – Sometimes also called a “pie pumpkin”, I always recommend using sugar pumpkin for pumpkin puree. It has a sweeter, creamier flesh as compared to the carving pumpkins you see on doorsteps and stoops this time of year. Plus, sugar pumpkins max out at about 6 pounds, making them much easier to cut and cook with as compared to large field pumpkins.
- Olive oil – A drizzle helps the pumpkin to roast by keeping it moist and giving it some color. Since we will be roasting at high heat, use light or regular olive oil here and stay away from extra virgin olive oil this time.
- Salt – Enhances the natural sweetness of your fresh pumpkin. I always recommend at least a small sprinkle, but if you are planning to use your pumpkin puree only for desserts, you could omit the salt here.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat and scoop. Preheat your oven to 400℉ and use a large chef’s knife to cut your pumpkin. If you have a smaller-sized pumpkin, you can simply cut it in half but if your pumpkin is a larger size, you’ll want to cut it into wedges as you can see I did. Scoop out and discard the pumpkin seeds (or save for another use!) and any stringy flesh they are attached to.
- Arrange. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the pumpkin wedges or pumpkin halves cut-side down.
- Oil and season. Use a basting brush or clean hands to rub olive oil on all cut sides of the pumpkin pieces. Sprinkle the flesh with salt as desired.
- Bake. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and roast for about 45-60 minutes. The time will depend on the size and type of pumpkin you are cooking, but it will be done when the flesh becomes soft, fragrant, and takes on a dark orange coloring. It’s okay if it develops a bit of golden to dark brown around the edges like you see in my photo–that will add some great flavor!
- Scrape. Allow the roasted pumpkin to cool just long enough to make it handleable, then use a spoon to scoop the flesh away from the skin and into a bowl. Take care to avoid tearing or breaking the skin–which may be brittle–as it has a tough and unpleasant texture. Keep scraping until the pumpkin skin is scooped clean and you have all of the flesh in the bowl.
- Transfer. Place the roasted pumpkin flesh in a blender or food processor.
- Blend. Cover tightly and blend until smooth. If the mixture seems very thick or the blender is having a hard time getting going, you can add a small splash of water.
- Season and serve! Taste your roasted pumpkin puree and add more salt if desired. Serve warm or work it into your favorite pumpkin recipes like pumpkin muffins, pumpkin black bean soup, or pumpkin waffles!
Watch Us Make Pumpkin Puree
Tips From Ligia
Cook with the skin on!
Even though we will be removing the pumpkin skin after cooking, the cooking process goes a whole heck of a lot better if the skin is left on the flesh. It helps to give the pumpkin flesh structure, holding it together and keeping it moist during cooking.
Use a metal spoon to remove the pumpkin seeds.
In my experience, using plastic cooking spoons to remove pumpkin or winter squash seeds never works very well, but the sharper edge of a metal spoon works perfectly! You can use a cookie scoop, ice cream scoop, or a large metal serving spoon if you have it.
How To Store
Refrigerating Pack your pureed pumpkin into an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to a week.
Freezing Homemade pumpkin puree freezes well! I suggest packing it into relatively small–about 1 cup–sized freezer-safe containers, that way it’s easy to take out as many as you need at a time. Alternatively, pack it into freezer safe zip top bags or freeze your pumpkin puree in ice cube trays, then pop the cubes out and into a large freezer bag once frozen. No matter what container you use, the frozen pumpkin puree will keep for up to 6 months.
Thawing Transfer the frozen pumpkin puree to the refrigerator the night before you plan to use it, this way it will defrost slowly and safely.
Reheating If you are using the pumpkin puree in a recipe, there is no need to reheat it first, just give it a good stir to make sure the texture is cohesive. If you are planning to enjoy it by itself, reheat it gently in a saucepan over low-medium heat. If the texture seems too thick, you can stir in a few tablespoons of water until it reaches the desired consistency you like.
Pumpkin Puree Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs pumpkin
- Olive oil, as needed
- Salt, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉ and use a large chef’s knife to cut your pumpkin into halves or wedges depending on size. Scoop and discard the pumpkin seeds and any stringy flesh they are attached to.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the pumpkin pieces cut-side down.
- Use a basting brush or clean hands to rub olive oil on all cut sides of the pumpkin pieces, then sprinkle with salt as desired.
- Transfer to the oven and roast for about 45-60 minutes until the pumpkin flesh becomes soft and fragrant. It’s okay if it develops a bit of golden to dark brown around the edges like you see in my photo–that will add some great flavor!
- Allow the roasted pumpkin to cool just long enough to make it handleable, then use a spoon to scoop the flesh away from the skin and into a bowl. Take care to avoid tearing or breaking the skin as we don’t want any bits of skin to wind up in the puree. Keep scraping until the pumpkin skin is scooped clean and you have all of the flesh in the bowl.
- Transfer the roasted pumpkin flesh to a blender or food processor.
- Cover tightly and blend until smooth. If it seems very thick or the blender is having a hard time getting going, add a small splash of water. The texture will depend on the initial water content of the pumpkin you used and how long it cooks for.
- Taste and add more salt if desired. Serve warm or work it into your favorite pumpkin recipes!
