Canned pumpkin puree works well enough for pies, casseroles, and other easy pumpkin recipes, but when fall rolls around you should really take advantage of those beautiful pumpkins by making your own fresh pumpkin puree. After your family trip to the pumpkin patch or grocery store during the fall, put those pumpkins to a good use! Homemade pumpkin puree is fairly simple to make, and will make you pumpkin pies authentic and tasty. If you're cooking for a family Thanksgiving dinner, it's worth it to go the extra mile and roast your own pumpkins!

The video below gives you an easy-to-follow tutorial or you could follow our step-by-step directions instead. Once you've made your own pumpkin puree, try making this Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Pound Cake. It's one of our favorite pumpkin recipes!

How To Roast a Pumpkin

To Roast the pumpkin:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut off the top of the pumpkin, then cut the pumpkin in half. 
3. Scoop out the seeds and insides with a spoon. To find out how to roast pumpkin seeds, checkout our how-to here.  
4. Cut the halves in half and place them open side up onto a pan. Bake for 45 minutes. To test if your pumpkin pieces are finished roasting, poke them with a fork. If they feel tender, they're done! They will be a dark golden color. 

To make pumpkin puree:

1. Once you've taken your roasted pumpkin pieces out of the oven, scrape of the skin of the pumpkin.
2. Mash the pumpkin with a potato masher, or break it up into smaller pieces and put it in the food processor a few pieces at a time. 
3. Pulse the food processor until all the pieces are pureed. If the mixture becomes too dry, you can add a little bit of water to it. Once the mixture is smooth, pour it into a bowl. Now it's ready to use for homemade pies, soups, casseroles, and more! 

Now that you're pumpkin puree pro, try making some delicious pumpkin desserts, such as these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins.

What will you make with your pumpkin puree? Let us know in the comments!