Homemade Pumpkin Purée

Pumpkin Spice season is here, and so is the season of ridiculously overpriced store-bought pumpkin purée! But don’t worry, I’ve got a secret to share with you today – making your own homemade Pumpkin Purée is not only a breeze, but it’ll save you some serious dough!

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why make your own pumpkin purée?

There are several reasons why you may want to try your hand at making your own delicious homemade Pumpkin Purée. Here’s my top selling points!

1. Better value than store-bought canned pumpkin purée. It’s so expensive these days for a single can, up to $7 I’ve seen it! You can buy several pie pumpkins or squashes for that price and make several times more than a can.
2. It tastes so much better than store-bought! I find the flavour of homemade purée is a little sweeter and more concentrated than canned varieties.
3. It’s so easy to make and keep large batches on hand for an entire season.
4. It’s very versatile so that you can use different kinds of pumpkins or squashes, or even sweet potatoes, to give you incredible flavour.

What kind of pumpkin do i need?

I’ve put on my mad scientist hat and meticulously researched, planned and tested out different ways to make this fluffy orange stuff and have come to a shocking discovery… it’s really flipping easy AND you technically don’t have to use a ‘pumpkin’ to make pumpkin purée.

Most canned pumpkin purées are a blend of several types of pumpkin anyway, so there’s no need to go searching all around for pie pumpkins if you can’t find them. Butternut squash, kabocha squash, hubbard squash, and even sweet potatoes can be blended together to create an amazing, sweet tasting purée for all sorts of delicious recipes!

NOTE: Do NOT use a carving pumpkin AKA Jack-o-lantern pumpkin, as they are much more watery, stringy and will result in a bland tasting, watery purée. That is not to say they aren’t edible – because they are! But they’re more suitable for cooking in soups and stews.

how to make pumpkin purée

Making homemade Pumpkin Purée couldn’t be easier. It’s literally as simple as bake the pumpkin, let it cool, scoop out the flesh and blend it up until smooth. And done! I personally love combining several types of pumpkin, squash and even sweet potato to get the sweetest, creamiest and most vibrant coloured purée, but you 100% can just use one single type of pumpkin or squash. By using more than one pumpkin I usually end up with lots of purée, which is intentional, so I can freeze most of it to have on hand for several weeks at a time. But making several smaller batches for whenever you need it for a specific recipe is also perfectly acceptable, too!

1. Wash your pie pumpkin or squash and cut off the top stem. Depending on the size of it, you can either leave it whole (if it’s small) and scoop out the seeds from inside, or cut it in half and remove the stringy pulp and seeds from each half.
2. Place each pumpkin half cut-side down on a parchment lined baking tray. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until the skin has started to become golden and you can pierce the flesh with a sharp knife with no resistance.
3. Let the pumpkin cool until it’s just warm enough to handle without burning yourself. Depending on the type of pumpkin/squash you use, the skin should peel off quite easily (this is especially true for pie pumpkins). If the skin fragments into little pieces, then you can use a spoon and carefully scoop out the soft flesh. This is definitely recommended for kabocha and hubbarb squash as the skins tend to be thicker and less peelable.
4. Place the cooked pumpkin flesh in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend it until a nice smooth, creamy and thick purée has formed. Transfer to sealable jars or containers and store in the fridge for up to 10 days or in the freezer for months.

what can i use pumpkin purée for?

Pumpkin Purée can be used in so many kinds of recipes from drinks, breads, desserts, soups, curries and more! Most pumpkin spice recipes usually call for pumpkin purée as well. In drinks try adding it to smoothies, holiday nog or latte syrups. Add it to your pancake and waffle batters in the morning, add it to banana breads, muffins, oatmeal and more! It also adds incredibly creaminess and depth of flavour to soups, stews and curries.

Try some of my favourite pumpkin spice recipes that I think you’ll love!

1. Pumpkin Cornbread
2. Pumpkin Spice Bliss Balls
3. Pumpkin Spice Hummus
4. Cranberry Apple Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal
5. Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Mini Scones

pump(kin) it up!

When I tasted my own homemade pumpkin purée for the first time, it was like eating a sweet dessert. No tinny aftertaste or watery consistency, just smooth, creamy and fluffy sweet goodness! No matter how you decide to use it, homemade Pumpkin Purée will never disappoint… fresher always tastes better than canned any day!

If you digged this recipe you might love some of my other fall-inspired treats like my Turmeric Ginger Banana Muffins, Sweet Potato Brownies or Pumpkin Cornbread!

Lastly, if you made this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @SteamyVegan and use hashtag #SteamyVegan! I seriously love seeing what you’re cooking up! Plus make sure to check me out on YouTube — I have HUNDREDS of videos to give you limitless plant-based inspiration!