Roast your own pumpkins and make homemade pumpkin puree to use in all kinds of recipes. Fresh, roasted pumpkin puree is easy to make and stores well in the freezer to pull out anytime you need pumpkin puree.
I love growing beautiful, specialty pumpkins in my garden. They are beautiful and unique, and many heirloom pumpkins have a delicious, sweet flavor.
It’s actually kind of hard to cut them up and use them in the kitchen because I think they’re just so pretty.
This year, I grew the Fairytale pumpkin, which is the orangey-tan pumpkin on the left. Last year, I grew the Triamble pumpkin which is that beautiful blue pumpkin on the right.
Yep, that Triamble pumpkin is a year old. The hard rind on pumpkins help them store really well in a cool pantry or cellar.
After a little photo session with my pumpkins, it was time to cut the pumpkins up and roast them.
How to Roast a Pumpkin
Preheat the oven to 400°F and get out a large roasting pan or baking sheet big enough to roast a pumpkin.
Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. It can help to cut off the stem first and then cut the pumpkin in half.
Segment the clean pumpkins into thick 3 or 4 inch slices.
Lightly oil the pumpkins and lay them skin side down on the baking sheet.
Roast the pumpkin segments in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the pumpkins are soft when poked with a fork.
Remove the pumpkin from the oven and let it cool before peeling and pureeing.
What Kinds of Pumpkins to Roast
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you buy through my links, I could earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. I only discuss products that I love and think you’ll love, too. I’m glad you’re here and thanks for reading!
Sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins are the best kind of pumpkins to roast if you are looking for them at the store. Pumpkins meant for carving or Jack-o-Lanterns will not be as sweet and tasty.
If you’re interested in growing your own, some really delicious and interesting pumpkin options include:
- Triamble Pumpkin (slate blue, three-lobed pumpkin)
- Fairytale Pumpkin (flavorful pumpkin with lots of flesh)
- Galeux d’Eysines Pumpkin (wart covered pumpkin that is sweet and rich)
- Winter Luxury Pumpkin (considered the best tasting pie pumpkin)
- Cinderella Pumpkin (moderately sweet and the inspiration for Cinderella’s carriage)
- Jarrahdale Pumpkin (beautiful blue pumpkin)
- Red Warty Thing Pumpkin (bumpy red skin and a longkeeper)
- Marina Di Chioggia Pumpkin (Italian pumpkin popular for pasta dishes)
How to Make Pumpkin Puree & Freeze It
Once the pumpkins are roasted, peel off the skin and separate the roasted pumpkin flesh.
Blend or process the pumpkin flesh into a smooth puree.
From here, you can use it in recipes, or separate it into freezer bags or freezer-safe containers and store in the fridge.
I like to save 2 cups of puree in quart-size freezer bags so that they are portioned perfectly for recipes.
Another option would be to use 1-cup or 1/2-cup souper cubes to freeze purees and keep them in a single freezer bag. You can pull out the exact amount of cubes needed to cook with.
Press out as much air as you can to prevent freezer burn.
What to Make with Pumpkin Puree
Now that you have your homemade pumpkin puree ready to go, try making a pumpkin spice latte or pumpkin butter.
Put a big scoop of pumpkin in your next batch of pancakes or waffles.
Add some pumpkin puree to savory dishes like chili or chicken pot pie.
Whatever dish you make this season, try to sneak in some pumpkin to make it extra nutritious and fall-licious!
Roast Pumpkin Puree
Equipment
- baking sheet or roasting pan
- blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 whole sugar or pie pumpkin
- avocado oil, canola oil, or coconut oil
Instructions
- Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F.
- Cut the pumpkin in half from top to bottom and scoop out the seeds and pulp with a spoon. It can help to cut off the stem first before cutting the pumpkin in half.
- Segment the clean pumpkins into thick 3 or 4 inch slices.
- Lightly oil the pumpkins and place them skin side down on the baking sheet.
- Roast the pumpkin segments in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the pumpkins are soft when poked with a fork.
- Remove the pumpkin from the oven and let it cool before removing the peel and scooping out the roasted pumpkin with a spoon. Once roasted, the pumpkin can be eaten as is, or pureed.
- To puree roasted pumpkin, transfer to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Freeze extra pumpkin puree to save for later.