How to Roast a Pumpkin in Six Steps

Most of the time, I use canned, pureed pumpkin. It’s easy and good for making pumpkin pie, bread and muffins. But fresh, roasted pumpkin has a great flavor that’s sometimes worth the trouble. It’s also a good project for kids to see how a pumpkin goes from a big, orange vegetable to a smooth puree.

Here’s how to roast a pumpkin in six steps.

1. Choose a small pie pumpkin. Big carving pumpkins aren’t what you want here. Look for 2- to 3-pound pumpkins. You’ll want to roast just one or two at a time. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice off the stem. Then, place the pumpkin on a sturdy cutting board, and cut the pumpkin in half using a sharp knife.
3. Using a big spoon or ice cream scoop, scoop out the guts and seeds. You can rinse and save those seeds for roasted pumpkin seeds later – yum.
4. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Brush the inside of the pumpkin with olive oil, and place face down on the baking sheet.
5. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees. If your pumpkins are smaller than 2 pounds, this will take less time. If they’re closer to 3 pounds, it may take more time. You should be able to easily pierce the skin with a fork when the pumpkin is done.
6. Remove from oven, and cool for about 10 minutes. Using a large spoon, peel away the skin. It should come off very easily. Use the roasted pumpkin for pie, risotto, soup, cookies or your favorite pumpkin recipe. If making a puree, place pumpkin in a blender, and blend for about 2 minutes until totally smooth with no clumps.

If you need some ideas for how to use your roasted pumpkin, check out these pumpkin recipes!