Is it worth it to make homemade pumpkin puree for pumpkin pie? We compared homemade to canned and did the pie taste test. Find out what we discovered.
Okay, so we’ve walked you through how to make your own pumpkin puree, but the real question is, “Is it worth it?” After all, if you’re going to take 2-3 hours out of your life prepping fresh pumpkin for a pie, it had better be a pretty amazing pie, right?
Canned pumpkin is convenient and consistent and it’s 100% pumpkin with nothing added. But we wondered if the canning process made it lose some of its fresh pumpkin flavor or if the type of pumpkins used in the canned pumpkins weren’t as flavorful. So we put both canned and fresh pumpkin to the test by making and eating two pumpkin pies.
It’s a hard job, but we were willing to make the sacrifice for you!
Being food-scientist-wannabes, we wanted all the variables other than the pumpkin puree to be identical so we used the most widely-used pumpkin pie recipe (the one from LIBBY’S®) and a store-bought frozen pie crust. Normally we’d make our own, but we didn’t want variations in pie crust texture to influence the final verdict.
Canned Or Fresh Pumpkin For Pumpkin Pie?
Look
The homemade pumpkin puree was much lighter in color than the canned pumpkin, which can be attributed to the different varieties of pumpkins. This showed a bit in the final product; the pie on the right is made with our homemade pumpkin puree, and next to the canned pumpkin pie, it is visibly lighter and less vibrant.
After cooling, the canned pumpkin pie had more moisture on the surface than the pie made with homemade pumpkin puree. This is probably because our homemade puree was drained very thoroughly and had less liquid to begin with.
Taste
Among our taste-testers the verdict was unanimous: The canned pumpkin pie tasted better. The spices seemed more pronounced, especially the cloves, and the pie made with the canned pumpkin was said to have a “stronger pumpkin aftertaste” and to be “more flavorful.”
Texture
We baked the pies to an internal temperature of 175°F to remove any variation in texture due to baking differences. The homemade pumpkin pie had the preferred texture and was denser than the pie made with canned pumpkin. That’s because our starting puree had less liquid than the canned pumpkin. However, the textural advantage didn’t outweigh the better flavor of the canned pumpkin.
Convenience
It is undoubtedly more convenient to buy a can of pumpkin puree. There is no preparation required other than opening a can. On the other hand, making your own pumpkin puree takes a couple of hours and requires more equipment (a food processor like this and cheesecloth, for starters).
Cost
My pumpkin cost a little over $4/pound. I got one that was about 2 pounds ($8), which yielded 24 ounces of pumpkin puree. By comparison, a 15-ounce can of pumpkin usually costs between $1-$2. Unless you happen to grow your own squash or have a friend who is handing out pie pumpkins for free, it’s much cheaper to buy a can.
The Final Verdict
After all that, the verdict is pretty clear. Save your time and money and go for the canned pumpkin! There’s a time and a place for making things from scratch, but in this case, you can take the shortcut, guilt-free. So what are you going to do with those extra 3 hours? Have fun!
This article originally appeared in November 2015 and was revised and republished in October 2021.
Sounds like you didn’t drain the excess liquid out of your home made puree. The puree should sit in a seive over a bowl for an hour or two to let the extra liquid drip out. Quite a lot will drain out. Makes a big difference in the texture of whatever you bake with your puree.
We do actually suggest draining homemade pumpkin puree, Sarah – https://thecookful.com/prepare-your-own-pumpkin-for-pie/
Judy, Judy, Judy. Do you care to share your recipe? Must … have … pie.
I switched to making pumpkin pie from fresh pumpkins about 20 years ago. We really prefer the taste and the texture. I have a great recipe that works with both, but we think it’s better with fresh.
Thank you for sharing, Judy!
Fresh pie pumpkin is so much better. I cut the pie pumpkin in half, take out the seeds, put it in a steamer basket for about 25 min. take out the pulp, put in a food processor and puree it. So simple and faster. After my pie is bake I put some honey on top, spread with the back of a spoon and top that with coconut. Every one really likes this pie. Try it, you will never go back to canned pumpkin. The taste is different and very delicious.
Honey and coconut on top? Sounds so decadent, Ruth!
We made our own fresh pumpkin pie last year, for a fun variation to try with my son (my 11yo son is the one who loves pumpkin pie the most, so it has become his contribution). We use the recipe on the Trader Joes pumpkin cans that uses a cup of cream, whole milk, eggs, and brown sugar.
For me – I can’t go back to canned! The texture is incomparable! I had read to multiply the spices so last year I doubled and this year I will do 3x or 4x, until it’s completely perfect.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I like fresh pumpkin too, Kay, but the canned can be a real time saver! If you cook down a large pumpkin, it’s handy to freeze the extra puree for more pies or other treats throughout the holidays!
I disagree that canned is better. Fresh pumpkin pie has a texture and taste that everyone I’ve given pumpkin pie to perfers. Fresh pumpkin is a living food that can be eaten raw, plus used in all kinds of recipes. Canned pumpkin has pretty much had the life destroyed out of it and it’s uses are limited. No one would ever eat pumpkin out of the can, or a bowl with just salt, it needs sugar and fat to make it palatable. Maybe no one would ever eat pumpkin directly out of the garden, but some people like it baked with salt, or in a raw dip without sweetner. Noting that if you cook with fresh pumpkin add a bit more spices is a good tip, and makes sense, so I value that part of your article. Fresh pumpkin has more life so no wonder it can handle more spice.
Thanks for your feedback, Madeline! There could also be a preference based on what people are used to eating?
Also I forgot to add- $8 for a single pie pumpkin?! My grocery store sells them 99 cents each all season and I get roasted seeds as a snack from them too. I can’t imagine anyone bothering to buy any at that price, ouch!
Actually Momo is right, if you look up more information about it the FDA is actually very lenient on what ‘pumpkin’ is, they actually allow companies to use any variety of squashes for canned pumpkin- yes, even if the can says 100% pumpkin, it typically isn’t.
The results may be from the fact that the term “pumpkin” on the label also includes squash so it is most likely a mix of different pumpkins/squashes that would result in a different taste than from a true pumpkin. You can google what goes into the canned products.
Hmmm…shouldn’t the ingredient list say what’s in it? I buy the can that says “pure pumpkin” so I hope that’s what’s in it.