How to Make Pumpkin Powder (Recipe)

I found a great deal on pie pumpkins for a dollar each. Normally I buy and decorate with larger pumpkins but figured it was high time I found out if pie pumpkins taste better than a big pumpkin as folks claim because we eat our pumpkin decorations after the holiday.

Most of that is long after the holiday because I preserve fresh pumpkin by making pumpkin powder. It takes up less room in my tiny kitchen than freezing it in puree form and is easy to reconstitute into pumpkin puree when it comes to making dinner, cookies, or pie time.

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How to Preserve Fresh Pumpkin  the Easy Way!

You will need:

Fresh pumpkin – pie or larger it doesn’t matter. In our unofficial taste test, taste depends more on the recipe you use than the size. We found both sizes taste good.

Knife, throw in a cutting board for kicks too

Dehydrator – I have this exact Nesco dehydrator that I can’t recommend enough!

Oven or electric pressure cooker – I have an Instant Pot like this one

Blender or food processor

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post for your convenience.

How to make it:

1.  Cut the pumpkin open and remove the seeds and strings with a large spoon or by any means necessary.

Tip: If you like to garden, compost bins love pumpkin guts!

2. Cook the pumpkin:

How to make Pumpkin Puree in the Oven

Bake the pumpkin at 350 degrees (F ) for one hour.

 

How to Make Pumpkin Puree in an Instant Pot

Put a vegetable steamer basket like this one in the bottom of the Instant Pot ,add 1 1/2 cups of water, fresh pumpkin and secure the lid closed.  Set the Instant Pot to cook on Manual High Pressure for 8 to 15 minutes depending upon the size of your pumpkin and who well done you want it to be. If you like your squash cooked a litter firmer, try setting the pressure cooker to eight minutes instead of fifteen. Once the timer sounds, vent the steam from the Instant Pot, remove the lid, and behold Fifteen Minute Pumpkin Puree!

Depending on the size of your pumpkin, you may need to cut it to make it fit into the pressure cooker.

3. After the pumpkin has cooled, cut the pumpkin into cubes and put it on your dehydrator trays. The cooked pumpkin was so soft I sliced and lifted it off the pumpkin rind with a butter knife.

I didn’t use I these Clean a Screen Dehydrator Tray Liners because I was too lazy to grab them from the cupboard and put them on my trays. BIG MISTAKE because the trays were much harder to clean without the liners. Don’t be me.

4. Dry the cooked pumpkin in the dehydrator at 145 degrees (F) for 6 -12 hours until the pumpkin is thoroughly dry. Your drying time will depending upon how thick you slice the pumpkin, the temperature, and the amount you want to make at a time. You can speed the drying time by rotating the trays every four hours if you like.

Hi everyone Lacey here! My treat jar is looks empty. After you dehydrate your pumpkin cubes you can also put some aside to give your dog as healthy and yummy dog treats!

5. When the pumpkin is thoroughly dehydrated, grind the pumpkins into a powder using a blender or food processor.

Grind time!

 

5. Store the pumpkin powder in an airtight container (I use a repurposed empty glass jar.) You can also put one of these food grade silica gel packs into your storage container to remove any moisture you might have missed when dehydrating the pumpkin.

How to Make Pumpkin Puree from Pumpkin Powder

Thoroughly mix together a 1/4 cup of pumpkin powder into one cup of water. Allow the mixture to sit for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin puree is fully rehydrated. Yield: 1 cup of pumpkin puree. 

Rather buy than DIY? Check out the following pumpkin powder options - and more! - below!

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