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If you’re reading this, it’s likely that pumpkin season is in full swing. Today, I’ll show you how to cook a whole pumpkin in the easiest way possible. (Seriously!)

You can use roasted pumpkin to make homemade pumpkin puree. It tastes richer than the kind that comes in a can, making it perfect for pumpkin soup or a healthy pumpkin pie.

Don’t forget to save the pumpkin seeds for a healthy snack as well. You’ll make the most of your fresh pumpkin this way!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review

“This was the quickest, easiest, and safest way to roast a whole pumpkin pie pumpkin.” – Janet

pumpkin cut in half on pan

How Do You Prepare a Pumpkin For Cooking?

First, you’ll scrub the outside of the pumpkin to remove any visible dirt. Then, you have two choices for preparation.

  • Cook the pumpkin whole. No need to cut it first, so it feels safer.
  • Cut the pumpkin in half. You’ll scoop out the seeds, then roast the pumpkin.

Pros for Cooking a Pumpkin Whole:

Roasting a whole pumpkin is ideal for making homemade pumpkin puree, because the inside doesn’t get dark and caramelized at all. Instead, the inside is steamed, leaving you with a bright orange flesh that’s easy to puree later.

Cooking a pumpkin whole also means you don’t need to struggle to cut through the tough shell while the pumpkin is raw. When you roast a pumpkin whole, it’s tender enough to be cut with a butter knife, and the seeds are easily scooped out once the pumpkin is cool enough to handle.

Pros for Cooking the Pumpkin Halved:

The perk of cutting a pumpkin before cooking it is that it will cook faster, and you won’t have to scoop the seeds out later, when it’s hot from the oven.

The seeds are easier to clean the pulp off if you scoop them out raw, too. So, if you’re looking to snack on the seeds later, this method will make that process easier.

spoon scooping out pumpkin flesh

How to Cook a Whole Pumpkin

Step 1:

Preheat your oven to 400ºF and have a baking sheet ready. Rinse off the pumpkin, then use a knife to stab the hard outer shell a few times, to allow for ventilation.

whole pumpkin on sheet pan

Step 2:

Place the pumpkin on the baking sheet (or use a square baking dish) and transfer to the oven. For a 2.5- to 3-pound pumpkin, it will need to roast for approximately 60 minutes at 400°F.

The pumpkin is ready when the flesh is darker, and the skin can be easily pierced with a fork.

whole pumpkin cooked on pan and cut in half

Step 3:

Cut the pumpkin in half, and allow it to cool until cool enough to handle.

Use a large spoon to scrape out the seeds, and reserve them for another use. (Like making crunchy roasted pumpkin seeds!)

removing seeds from whole cooked pumpkin

How to Cook a Halved Pumpkin

Step 1:

Start by cutting the fresh pumpkin in half. You can cut it crosswise (as pictured below to the left) or lengthwise (pictured to the right). Either way, I don’t recommend trying to cut through the stem.

If cutting a pumpkin lengthwise, start by cutting next to the stem, directly to one side of it. It’s okay if one half is larger than the other. In my experience, both halves will still cook evenly.

Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy middle.

two pumpkins cut in half

Step 2:

Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy middles from each pumpkin half. Save these for making roasted pumpkin seeds later.

Brush the inside and edges of the pumpkin lightly with olive oil, then arrange the halves cut-side down on the pan. (Line the pan with parchment paper, if you want to save yourself some clean-up later.)

Roast at 350ºF until tender, about 45 minutes for the average 2.5 to 3-pound sugar pumpkin.

pumpkin seeds scooped out and placed on pan

Step 3:

You’ll know the pumpkin is done when the shell appears darker and is easily pierced with a fork.

Let the pumpkin cool until you can handle the pieces comfortably. Then, you can scoop out the middle and make pumpkin puree as directed below.

roasted pumpkin scooped out of shell

How to Make Fresh Pumpkin Puree

Once the pumpkin is cooked, scoop out the tender pumpkin flesh from the outer shell. It might be a little stringy at this point, so I like to transfer it to a food processor.

Briefly process the cooked pumpkin in the food processor, pulsing several times. Stop and scrape down the sides, as needed, until everything is very smooth.

You can add a splash of water, if needed, to help everything blend, but this should be unnecessary in most cases. As soon as it’s smooth, it’s ready to use.

pumpkin puree in food processor

How to Store Pumpkin Puree

Store the pumpkin puree in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. Use it in your favorite pumpkin recipes! You could also freeze it to extend its shelf life for up to 6 months.

pumpkin puree

Roasted Pumpkin FAQs

Which pumpkin is best for baking?

Avoid using large carving pumpkins for baking, as they lack flavor. Instead, look for smaller pie pumpkins (also called sugar pumpkins), which are dense and darker in color.

How much pumpkin puree do you get from a sugar pumpkin?

For a pumpkin that weighs roughly 2.5 to 3 pounds, you can expect to yield about 3 cups of puree after cooking it. (Close to 2 cans worth!)

spoon scooping out pumpkin flesh

How to Cook Pumpkin (+ Make Puree)

4.80 from 20 votes
If you've been intimidated by cooking a whole pumpkin, I'm going to show you the easiest way to do it. You can cook it whole, directly into the oven, or cut it in half first if you don't mind cutting through a tough shell. Either way, you'll wind up with delicious results following the step-by-step photos below.
prep10 mins cook45 mins total55 mins
Servings:4

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 (2 to 3 pound) sugar pumpkin

Instructions

How to Cook a Whole Pumpkin

  • Preheat your oven to 400ºF and have a rimmed baking dish ready.
  • Rinse off the pumpkin, then use a knife to stab the hard outer shell several times, to allow for ventilation.
  • Place the whole pumpkin on the rimmed baking dish, then transfer to the oven to roast until tender, about 60 minutes. (Smaller pumpkins may cook in only 45 minutes.) The pumpkin is ready when the outer shell is darker, and can be easily pierced with a fork.
  • Cut the pumpkin in half, then allow to cool until you're able to handle it. Use a large spoon to scrape out the seeds, and reserve them for another use.
  • Once the seeds are removed, use the spoon to scrape out the cooked, tender pumpkin from the shell. You can transfer this to a food processor to puree until very smooth, then use it in your favorite pumpkin recipes! Pumpkin puree can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week, or you can store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to Cook a Halved Pumpkin

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cut the pumpkin in half, lengthwise or crosswise, avoiding the stem to make the cutting process as easy as possible. (It's okay if the halves aren't perfectly equal in size.) I think it's easiest to cut the pumpkin in half crosswise, where it's hollow, rather than by the stem.
  • Scoop out the seeds, then brush the halves lightly with olive oil, to help prevent too much browning around the edges. Arrange the halves cut-side-down on the pan.
  • Roast at 350ºF until tender, about 45 minutes. A fork should easily piece through the shell, and it should look visibly darker in color.
  • Let the pumpkin cool until you can handle it, then scoop out the tender insides and puree in a food processor until smooth. Use the puree in your favorite pumpkin recipes! Cooked pumpkin can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1/4 of a whole pumpkin. In my experience, a whole pumpkin that’s about 2.5 pounds makes roughly 3 cups of pumpkin puree, or 2 cans worth.
Want to cook the seeds? Here’s how to make perfectly roasted pumpkin seeds.

Nutrition

Calories: 88kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 1156mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 28945IU | Vitamin C: 30.6mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 2.7mg
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: gluten-free
Keyword: how to roast pumpkin, roasted pumpkin

Pumpkin Recipes To Try

If you try this roasted pumpkin method, please leave a comment and star rating below, letting me know how it works for you! And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too. We can all benefit from your experience.

Megan Gilmore leaning on her white countertop.

Megan Gilmore

Hi, I’m Megan. A former fast food junkie turned best-selling cookbook author. As a Certified Nutritionist Consultant (CNC), I love to make healthier food using simple ingredients. I test these recipes multiple times in my kitchen to make sure they will turn out perfectly for you.

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Comments

  1. Easy peasy lemon squeeze! Thank you easy to use recipe for sugar pumpkins thank you so much for your content.

  2. I have used this for a couple of times and so thankful for it. I also had made your older version pumpkin pie and my family loved it. Thank you!

  3. This was the quickest, easiest and safest way to roast a whole pumpkin pie pumpkin. My 2 pumpkins are cooling so I can scoop the insides out and into the food processor.

  4. I usually pie several “pie” pumpkins every fall. I bake them as you suggested.( I like my fingers attached to my hands too) I typically freeze the puree, in premeasure amounts(typically 2c.) in ziploc bags. I also discovered that it’s better to dump it out of the bag while frozen and let it thaw in a bowl. Less messy!

  5. I loved all three recipes I tried: the whole pumpkin, the pumpkin seed granola, and the began pumpkin pie!