Learn exactly how to cook a pumpkin and make easy homemade pumpkin puree! Pumpkins can be intimidating, but in this easy step-by-step tutorial you’ll learn exactly how to cut, dice & roast a pumpkin for cooking and baking. Use your homemade pumpkin puree for all of your favorite pumpkin recipes!
I’m not sure about you, but I’m a PL4L aka Pumpkin Lover 4 Life. It will forever be my favorite. In fact, enjoy a photo of me below when I was 9 years old, making my first pumpkin pie completely from scratch (and using homemade pumpkin puree).
Since starting my annual pumpkin week, I’ve gotten a ton of questions on how to cook a pumpkin and how to make homemade pumpkin puree, especially because canned pumpkin tends to fly off of the shelves each fall. Today I’ve got all the answers you! It turns out homemade pumpkin puree is absolutely delicious, easy to make and so much fun! I don’t want to spend too much time talking, let’s just get to this thing!
Large pumpkins that we traditionally think of as jack-o-lanterns aren’t ideal for pie as they are very stringy and have a lot of seeds. There really isn’t very much “meat” to the larger pumpkins. Sugar pumpkins, also known as pie pumpkins, are sweeter. They are also pretty small.
How to cook a whole pumpkin
Use this method to roast a whole pumpkin and use it in sweet & savory recipes.
- Use a very sharp knife to cut the pumpkin in half on one side of the stem (with stem facing upward).
- Use a spoon to scoop out the pumpkin seeds and discard or save for roasting later.
- If you’re making a sweet recipe, rub the pumpkin with a little melted butter or coconut oil, then rub a little brown sugar into each pumpkin and sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired. For a savory recipe, rub the pumpkin with olive oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper.
- Place pumpkin flesh side down on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Roast at 375 degrees F for 40-50 minutes. Peel off the skin and enjoy!
Cook cubed pumpkin (perfect for soups)
- Place pumpkin cubes on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper (add any other spices you’d like!)
- Roast at 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until pumpkin cubes are fork-tender, flipping halfway through. You can also add it to soups and curries or in any recipe that calls for winter squash.
Fresh Pumpkin Purée vs Canned
FAQ
Can you use big pumpkins for pumpkin pie?
Can you bake with a big pumpkin?
What size pumpkin is best for pie?
Can you use a big pumpkin for pie?
Yes, you can use a big pumpkin for pie. A big pumpkin is just like a regular pumpkin; you can use it for making pumpkin pies, pumpkin bread, and other pumpkin-flavored dishes. Just make sure to cut the pumpkin into pieces that will fit into your oven, and be sure to remove the seeds and the stringy pulp before cooking.
How can one prepare pumpkin to eat?
The pumpkin can be prepared boiled or baked. In both cases, it can be consumed with the peel and the seeds that will provide fiber. It can also be seasoned with oil and other aromatic seasonings, such as rosemary.
Can you make pie with canned pumpkin?
Here’s the deal. Those large, showing pumpkins are full of water. Yes, you can cook up the flesh, make soup, breads, and cookies. But if you want to make pie or any other recipe that calls for canned pumpkin, then you must get rid of a large amount of liquid.
Is pumpkin pie easy as pie?
Whoever coined the term “easy as pie” had obviously never baked a pumpkin pie! Part of the challenge with pumpkin pie is that there are a lot of variables. First, there’s the type of pan you use: ceramic, glass, and metal all behave differently. Second, no homemade pie crust is ever the same.