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Homemade Pumpkin Puree is smooth, naturally sweet and perfect for babies, but it's just as useful for family meals and baking too. Make a batch to freeze, and you will always have some ready for sauces, soups, or all your holiday baking.
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Reasons to Love This Recipe
- Versatile: Serve as a baby food on its own or mixed with other purees, or use in sauces, smoothies and baking.
- Freezer Friendly: Make a big batch and freeze in cubes so you have always got some ready to go.
- Nutrition: Naturally rich in Vitamin A and C, with no added ingredients, just fresh pumpkin.
Ingredient Information - Pumpkin Variety
Not all pumpkin are created equal when it comes to flavour and texture.
- In Australia, look for Kent or Butternut pumpkins, both are sweet, smooth and easy to mash.
- In the USA, look for sugar pumpkin or pie pumkins, which are smaller and naturally sweeter than carving pumkins.
- In the UK, crown prince, sugar pie and butternut pumpkins are great options .
Avoid field or carving pumpkins as these are bred for size and appearance, not taste. Their flesh tends to be watery, fibrous and bland.
How to Choose a Good Pumpkin for Pureeing
- Choose one that feels heavy for its size
- Avoid soft spots, cuts or bruises
- Tap it - a deep, hollow sound means it's fresh.
- The skin should be firm, matte and unbroken.
Step by Step Instructions (With Images)
Pumpkins can be baked, steamed or boiled. Baking pumpkins is my preferred method as I believe it gives the best flavour and is better for retaining nutrients. I also find it less labour intensive (no need to cut off the peel before cooking.)
For these reasons, I always recommend roasting pumpkin when making pumpkin puree.
- Cut the pumpkin in half, through the stem, and scoop out the seeds and stringy fibres.
- Cut into large chunks and roast, uncovered, for approximately 45-50 minutes, until tender.
- Once cool enough to handle, remove the flesh from the skin and place in blender or food processor.
- Blend until you have a smooth puree.
If you would prefer to boil/steam -
- Cut the pumpkin in half, through the stem, and scoop out the seeds and stringy fibres.
- Chop into 2-3cm (1 inch) chunks and peel.
- Add to boiling water and cook for around 20-30 mins (until tender) or add to a steamer or metal colander over boiling water and steam for about 50 minutes (until tender).
- Puree in a food processor or blender until smooth.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve on its own as a smooth first baby puree or mix with other purees.
- Stir into yogurt or blend into smoothies for a natural hint of sweetness.
- Add to sauces, soups, risottos or pasta for creaminess and extra nutrition)
- Use in baking and holiday favourites, try it in pumpkin bread, muffins, pancakes, pies or spiced loaves.
- Season for flavour variation: for sweet, add cinnamon, nutmeg, clove or ginger; for savoury, try thyme, rosemary, cumin or turmeric.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Spoon the puree into ice-cube trays and freeze until solid. (Flexible ice cube trays work best as it is easier to pop out the frozen cubes.) Once fully frozen, pop them all out and place into a freezer bag or container and return to the freezer. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Read more about storing baby food.
Recipe FAQs
Pumpkin puree is a great first food for babies. Most babies are ready to start solids around 6 months of age.
Pumpkin has a naturally sweet, mild flavour that pairs beautifully with both fruits and vegetables. Try mixing it with:
- Apple puree, pear puree or banana puree for a sweet puree.
- Carrot puree, sweet potato puree or zucchini puree for a veggie blend.
- Yogurt, baby oatmeal, or rice for a creamy texture.
You can also add a touch of cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg to introduce new flavours. (Read more about Introducing Spices and Herbs to Babies.)
More Puree Recipes...
Full Recipe
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Pumpkin Puree
Equipment
- Food Processor, Blender or Stick Blender
Ingredients
- 1 Pumpkin * SEE NOTE 1
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 190℃ / 375℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Rinse the pumpkin under cold water to remove any dirt and pat dry with a clean tea towel.
- Using a sharp knife cut the pumpkin down the middle, through the stem, and scoop out the seeds and stringy fibres.
- Chop the pumpkin into large chunks. * SEE NOTE 3
- Bake in the oven for 45-50 min, until the flesh is tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Once cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the peel and add to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
Recipe Notes
- I used a Kent Pumpkin (popular in Australia). Most varieties will work but the large field pumpkins (used for Halloween decoration/ carving) are not recommended. My pumpkin was 1.23kg (approx 2.7lb) in size and yields 6 cups of puree.
- If USA based look for sugar or pie pumpkins.
- I cut mine into 16 chunks of approx the same size. If using smaller pumpkins you will have fewer chunks.
Jamie
Which oven setting do you use for baking the pumpkin? Just conventional heating (top and bottom)?
Amy
Hi Jamie, I have a fan assisted oven.
Carl
Nice