Who knew that cooking a whole pumpkin was SO easy?! I tried this for the first time last year and it really is the easiest side dish you will ever make. You can also use this same method with other thick fall veggies like butternut squash, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, etc.
You have got to try this if you haven’t already!
You just buy a smaller pumpkin (the big ones ARE edible, but don’t taste very good), rub it with some olive oil (or coconut oil!) and put it in the oven at 400 degrees for around an hour to an hour and a half. (I put mine on a cookie sheet that was covered in aluminum foil to cook.)
Yep, that’s it! Then just cut the pumpkin in half, take the seeds out, and scoop out the pulp from the inside!
Then, either use it right away, or let it cool and put it in a freezer bag to save for another time. OR, if you have a little one in the house, then you can freeze it in ice cube trays to have individual baby food servings!
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You didn’t have to poke it or anything? Just rub it and toss it in? If it’s that easy, I’m all for it! Thanks!
I know I was shocked too! But nope, just rub it with oil and stick it in there!
and it tastes sooooo much better too 🙂 pumpkin pies are divine (!!!) with freshly baked pumpkin!
I do it all the time. It works with all types of pumpkins/gourds/squash. It’s amazing.
is it soft enough to just use with the rest of the pie ingredients…or so u blend it
I do this all the time but here are a couple of tips…
If you don’t like the stringy texture of the pumpkin you can put it in your food processor till smooth. I have also found that after you thaw the pumkin it tends to be a little runny, I like to put a layer of cheese cloth in a collander and let it drain over night and then measure it into 2 cup servings (or whatever measurement you use most for your recipies)… that way it is already measured and you don’t have to worry about thawing a big bag or chipping off smaller chunks of the frozen pumkin.
LOVE IT! I will definitely have to do that next time (which will be soon!) 🙂
Thanks so much for the suggestions!
I would still puree it in a food processor before using it in a pie or muffins. But you might be able to just mash it up with a potato masher (or even a potato ricer).
ok:) thanks!! So excited to try!!!
Just tried this yesterday for the first time too! Was so excited with how easy it was…. think I will be roasting a few more to have enough pumpkin to last past the holidays. My kiddos thought the bottom of the pumpkins (which hardened) made cool Native American bowls so we washed those out and set them on our front porch as fall decor. =)
Fun!! My pumpkins were a complete mess after I scooped it all out, lol. (I might have left them in the oven a little too long). 🙂
is it easier thn peeling the pumpkin and cooking the pumpkin and pureeing it? That’s usually what I do and then freeze the pumpkin for future use.
Next week when pumpkins are clearanced you can cook ahead and freeze to be ready for Thanksgiving & Christmas baking.
Tonya – The cutting and peeling of the raw pumpkin is what kept me from doing this before. I think it’s A TON easier this way.
We just gutted our pumpkin this week and baked pumpkin seeds. I never even thought to cook a *whole* pumpkin! I bet it smelled heavenly!!!! 🙂
How did the pumpkin seeds turn out?
It did smell WONDERFUL! Not as good as pumpkin pie though, lol! 🙂
This is so cool……and I bet the house smells so amazing when cooking………how do you know when it is done as I have never cooked any type of squash or anything. I am so exited I want to try and make a pie and I am all for the fresh rather than a canned pumpkin…….wow so cool, my son even said it sounded cool…..he is 20 so he normally doesn’t care to much……lol
I just pushed on the skin to see if it seemed mushy (I know, not very scientific, right?) I seriously would be terrible at writing a cookbook, lol!
And it did smell wonderful! I should’ve put some cinnamon oil in a pot on the stove to go with it. 🙂
🙂 thanks everyone
this is so cool………..am so excited to try this…………how do you know when the pumpkin is done ( i have never cooked any type of squash or pumpkin before)
Corinna – I just cooked it until it was squishy when I pressed on the outside with a hot pad. I know, not the most scientific way, lol! I could never write a cookbook.
Thanks, I’ll have to give it a try!
Just finished baking my sugar pie pumpkin. It was so easy. Now the puree will go in the freezer until I need it.
OH OH OH…I am so excited!!! My husband brought a home a huge pumpkin to set on our porch for halloween. I had been looking for ways to cook it and when I found this site I couldn’t wait. It was impossible to cook it whole as it would not fit in the oven so I fought with it a little to cut it in half, then scoooped out the seeds and yucky stuff then cut the halves in half and baked them 2 at a time on a foil lined cookie sheet…did I mention it was a huge pumpkin! I put foil lightly over the top and baked it at 350 for 1 3/4 hours. It looked all stringy and I was afraid it was not going to be good…but all I wasted was oven time and a tad of manual labor…so I easily peeled the pieces and put it into my food processor…it came out like babyfood…I have the other 2 pieces in the oven right now. I cannot wait to make something with this…it tastes awesome!!! I will freeze what I don’t use in zip locks…now I’m going to look at recipes to see what I will be making…I will also be checking everyone I know trying to get rid of their pumpkins!!
Yep, I love that!!!!
Are the seeds ready to eat this way?
The smaller pumpkins are probably the “sugar” “pie” pumpkins. Yes. These taste better because these ones are used for pumpkin pies!
I was so excited about finding this information. Can you eat this like you do squash or is it this way just for pies and breads. I would like to try to heat a beef stew in it while in the oven and while serving the stew, get some hunks of pumpkin. do you think that would work ???
thank you so much for the recipe, I truly am excited.
Rosemary