Making pumpkin puree from scratch is easy and contains half of the daily recommended vitamin K intake. This delicious fall recipe is great to use for pies, cookies, muffins, smoothies and more!
Make sure to choose a smaller pie pumpkin for this over the larger jack-o-lantern varieties. While it may seem like bigger is better, larger pumpkins are very fibrous and won’t create a creamy purée that’s perfect in soups, pies, and baked goods. For an easy morning treat, combine ½ cup homemade purée with 1 cup milk, frozen banana, 1 teaspoon molasses, pinch of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg for a pumpkin-pie smoothie.
- 1 small sugar pumpkin (2-3 pound)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 piece parchment paper
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Use a sharp knife to slice off the stem and then slice the pumpkin in half width-wise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and remove any excess pulp. Lightly rub the inside of the pumpkin flesh with olive oil and place flesh side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the oven and roast for approximately 45 minutes until the flesh can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Flesh should now be easy to separate from the skin. Scoop out the flesh of the pumpkin with a spoon. Place the cooked pumpkin flesh in a blender or food processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Depending on the power of the blender, this may take up to two minutes.
Note: Keep, clean and roast pumpkin seeds for a light snack. Freeze any leftover pumpkin for easy access through the winter months.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving (approximately 1 cup): 80 calories. Fat: 1 gram. Sodium: 0 milligrams. Fiber: 7 grams. Total Carbohydrates: 20 grams. Sugar: 8 grams. Protein: 2 grams.
Recipe adapted from fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org.
