Cooked, puréed winter squash, usually sold canned. Plain pumpkin purée is nothing but squash; pumpkin pie filling is pre-sweetened and spiced and is not the same product.
What it does in a recipe: A thick, mildly sweet vegetable purée that supplies moisture, fibre and body without adding fat. Pick the swap that covers that job - the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Canned pumpkin, Pumpkin puree
4substitutes
1close matches
Producecategory
Quick answer
Butternut squash purée
1 cup pumpkin purée = 1 cup roasted butternut squash, puréed smooth
All substitutes, best first
4 ways to replace pumpkin purée
Butternut squash purée
Closest match
1 cup pumpkin purée = 1 cup roasted butternut squash, puréed smooth
Butternut is denser and sweeter than most pumpkin varieties but has essentially the same starch and moisture profile once cooked and blended.
MethodRoast rather than boil it, then drain off any free liquid - a wet purée will throw off a pie or a batter.
Trade-offSweeter and slightly more orange. Most people cannot tell the difference in a spiced pie.
1 cup pumpkin purée = 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
It delivers a comparable volume of moisture and pectin in a quick bread or muffin, where the purée is functioning as a wet ingredient rather than a flavour.
Trade-offThinner and paler, and it will not set in a pie. Use it in muffins and loaves, not in anything custard-based.
Canned purée varies in moisture between brands. If yours looks loose, spread it on kitchen paper for ten minutes before it goes into a pie filling.
At a glance
Pumpkin purée in summary
Pumpkin purée at a glance: category, its job in a recipe, the diets it suits, the diets its substitutes can satisfy, and how many substitutes there are.
Can I use butternut squash purée instead of pumpkin purée?
1 cup pumpkin purée = 1 cup roasted butternut squash, puréed smooth. Butternut is denser and sweeter than most pumpkin varieties but has essentially the same starch and moisture profile once cooked and blended. Sweeter and slightly more orange. Most people cannot tell the difference in a spiced pie.
Can I use sweet potato purée instead of pumpkin purée?
1 cup pumpkin purée = 1 cup mashed roasted sweet potato. Very close in colour and texture, with more starch and sugar, which makes it set a little firmer in a custard-style filling. Distinctly sweeter and denser. Cut the recipe's sugar by a couple of tablespoons.
Can I use unsweetened applesauce instead of pumpkin purée?
1 cup pumpkin purée = 1 cup unsweetened applesauce. It delivers a comparable volume of moisture and pectin in a quick bread or muffin, where the purée is functioning as a wet ingredient rather than a flavour. Thinner and paler, and it will not set in a pie. Use it in muffins and loaves, not in anything custard-based.
Can I use mashed banana instead of pumpkin purée?
1 cup pumpkin purée = 1 cup mashed ripe banana, and reduce the recipe's sugar by 2 tbsp. Similar consistency and binding, but a ripe banana is considerably sweeter, so the sugar has to come down to keep the balance. Tastes plainly of banana, which the spices will not hide. The crumb is moister and browns faster because of the extra sugar.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter - confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.