Homemade Fresh Pumpkin Puree is the easiest homemade thing ever! You won’t buy any canned puree after you see you can make it at home. Freeze it in zip bags and use it in your favourite pumpkin recipes all year round.
Homemade Fresh Pumpkin Puree is the best thing I’ve made since the start of this month! I’m updating this recipe with a new photo and a video.
How to Store Pumpkin Puree
I buy a huge pumpkin in September every year to make the puree and use it all year round. I’ve received several emails from our readers and from friends around asking how to store fresh pumpkin puree. After roasting and blending the pumpkin as you can see in the video, just share it in zip bags and store in the freezer up to 8-10 months. You can put some of it in a jar and store in the refrigerator for a week if you are planning to use it right away.
I have a lot of recipes in mind these days which call for pumpkin puree. I know you can easily go with canned pumpkin puree, but it’s not possible here in Turkey. Although there are a lot of canned foods at markets, I’ve never seen canned pumpkin puree. So if I want to bake with pumpkin, homemade fresh pumpkin puree is the only option I have.
But hey, I already love to make things from scratch! And this pumpkin puree recipe came out amazingly yummy. I have it even at breakfast as is! So does our 3-year-old son. He loves it without any additional sweetener.
What type of pumpkin is used for make pumpkin puree?
Mostly sugar pumpkin is recommended for puree since it is sweeter. We don’t have it in our area, so I always use those huge ones. Well, their sweetness is fine for me, but you might find it not sweet enough. Then you can just sprinkle some sugar on the pumpkin slices before roasting.
What to use pumpkin puree for?
Just imagine some sweet pumpkin puree on your regular pancakes in the morning! If you make Pumpkin Pancakes and top them with this puree, believe me the joy doubles!
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread is probably our number one recipe with this puree. Have you seen it yet? I combine kefir and pumpkin in this bread and it becomes wonderfully moist.
If you are looking for a savory recipe, then you should check out our Pumpkin Lentil Soup. Red lentil and pumpkin is perfectly balanced and this soup is not a sweet one as a result unlike most of the pumpkin soup recipes.
Other savory pumpkin recipes you need to go check out:
Savory Pumpkin and Cheese Stuffed Shells from An Edible Mosaic
Chicken Bacon Pumpkin Gnocchi from Nutmeg Nanny
Pumpkin Sage Savory Muffins from Love Food Eat
Pumpkin and Manchego Beer Bread from Spoon Fork Bacon
I just couldn’t hide my surprise and happiness when I saw huge pumpkins in our local market. I wasn’t expecting it that soon. It means that we will see pumpkins at our weekly bazaar soon. We bought a big pumpkin, about 10 pounds of pumpkin and made this easy peasy yummy pumpkin puree. I put some of it into jars and keeping them in the fridge for an early use and froze the rest for later use throughout fall and winter or even spring. I started my pumpkin series with Pumpkin Yogurt Cake at the beginning of September and with this simple puree I will continue making lots of pumpkin recipes this fall. BTW the small cute green thing in the first photo is used just for decoration. I bought it from a vendor who was selling zucchini in the bazaar. He said this kind of zucchini is grown just for decoration purpose. Have you ever seen such a thing?
The color of pumpkin when cooked is stunning, isn’t it? You can create many recipes with that vibrant orange color and without doubt your guests will be impressed with whatever you make.
Homemade Fresh Pumpkin Puree is what you will need for baking with pumpkin. It couldn’t have been easier! You will never want to buy canned pumpkin puree after you make it yourself. Well, I simply roast pumpkin chunks and puree them in a food processor. Vendors here are so kind that they slice and remove the skin, so the hardest part is done. If you buy whole pumpkin, then you need to do it yourself. If you have a sharp knife, it shouldn’t be a problem for you. Just cut it into halves, remove the seeds and cut them into wedges. No need to remove the skin at this step, it’s easier when they are roasted. See it in the video.
I didn’t add any sugar or spices because I want pure pumpkin puree, but if you like you can use spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg or cardamom.
I’m planning to use this homemade fresh pumpkin puree in cornbread, cakes and muffins. Are you in love with pumpkin? Don’t want to miss any pumpkin recipes here? Subscribe our newsletter and see them directly in your inbox.
Homemade Fresh Pumpkin Puree
Simple homemade pumpkin puree that everyone can easily make.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: puree
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 large pumpkin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).
- Cut the pumpkin in big chunks. Scoop out the seeds. (See the video above)
- Place the pumpkin chunks on a baking sheet. Skin-side down.
- Roast for 1 hour until fork tender.
- Remove the pumpkin from skin when they are still warm. It’s easier then.
- Puree in batches in a food processor until smooth. Add in a few tablespoons water if it is too dry and scrape down the pumpkin chunks as needed.
- Freeze it in zip bags for a later use.
Notes
You might need to add a little water you add over the chunks of pumpkin in the food processor depending on the type of pumpkin you use. Some pumpkins are too dry, some are watery, so check it and decide when pureeing pumpkin. If it’s too dry, it’s almost impossible to puree them, so add about 1/4 cup water gradually and then run the processor.
Hi Zerrin! Your photos are absolutely fab! How do you get them so clear? Do you live in Turkey? Because I find that on the whole Turkish friends are not keen on pumpkin in any other form than kabak tatlısı – the traditional pumpkin dessert. They absolutely hate pumpkin soup, for example. What is your experience?
Thank you Claudia! So sorry for my very late response. I just can’t catch up with things on the blog sometimes and I’ve just realized your comment when writing another pumpkin post and linking back to this post.
My husband shoots them using Nikon D810. I’m living in Eskişehir, 3 hours away from Ankara. I know Turkish people love pumpkin only in dessert form, but I do love to discover new recipes. And I love to use it in baking. It gives an amazing color and flavor to cakes and cookies. As for the pumpkin soup, I find it too sweet so I make it with red lentils and hide that sweetness a bit. Everyone in my family loves my pumpkin lentil soup.
If you truly want to make a homemade pumpkin recipe- this is the way to go! It may take some time, but the result is worth it.