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October 20, 2020

Roast your Halloween pumpkin! How to make homemade pumpkin puree

WATCH: Roast your Halloween pumpkin: How to make homemade pumpkin puree

From pumpkin pie to pumpkin spice lattes, in the world of fall-themed foods, pumpkin reigns king.

Grab those small Halloween pumpkins decorating your home, and follow these simple steps to make your own homemade pumpkin puree. This must-try recipe comes from Chicago-based registered dietician Maggie Michalczyk, who runs the blog "Once Upon a Pumpkin."

"[The pumpkin] can definitely go beyond just the pumpkin spice latte. It's full of nutrition, so it's awesome to use in a variety of different ways all fall long," Michalczyk told "Good Morning America."

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Ingredients

1 2- to 4-pound pie or sugar pumpkin

Spices of your choice for the seeds

PHOTO: Look for a pie or sugar pumpkin about 2-4 lbs.
Maggie Michalczyk
Look for a pie or sugar pumpkin about 2-4 lbs.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 415 degrees.

Cut off the top of the pumpkin with a sharp, serrated knife, and scoop out the seeds and stringy parts inside of the pumpkin.

PHOTO: Start by cutting off the top of the pumpkin and scooping out the seeds
Maggie Michalczyk
Start by cutting off the top of the pumpkin and scooping out the seeds

Do NOT throw away the seeds. Set the seeds aside.

PHOTO: After scooping out, set your seeds aside.
Maggie Michalczyk
After scooping out, set your seeds aside.

Cut the pumpkin in half. Then, cut each half in half to get four pieces.

PHOTO: Cut the pumpkin in half.
Maggie Michalczyk
Cut the pumpkin in half.

Place the flesh side of each of the four pieces down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

PHOTO: Cut each of your halves in half to get 4 pumpkin pieces.
Maggie Michalczyk
Cut each of your halves in half to get 4 pumpkin pieces.

Roast for 20 to 25 minutes.

PHOTO: Place the four pieces flesh down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and roast for 20 to 25 minutes.
Maggie Michalczyk
Place the four pieces flesh down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and roast for 20 to 25 minutes.

Let cool completely.

Peel the skin off with your hands, and add the pumpkin flesh to a food processor. Pulse for three to four minutes, stopping to scrape the sides.

PHOTO: After cooling, peel off the skin with your hands, and add the pumpkin flesh to a food processor.
Maggie Michalczyk
After cooling, peel off the skin with your hands, and add the pumpkin flesh to a food processor.

A thick puree will start to form.

PHOTO: Pulse the pumpkin pieces for about three or four minutes
Maggie Michalczyk
Pulse the pumpkin pieces for about three or four minutes

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Or if you want to preserve that fall feeling until spring, you can freeze your puree in a container or Ziploc bag for up to three months.

PHOTO: Now you have a beautiful and delicious pumpkin puree.
Maggie Michalczyk
Now you have a beautiful and delicious pumpkin puree.

Editor's note: This was originally published on Oct. 31, 2019.