Be Free For Me Blog

When I heard yesterday that Eggo Waffles were in short supply due to flooding damage at one of their manufacturing facilities and repairs to another, my heart, honestly, didn’t even waffle.

I’m loving my Van’s Gluten-free Waffles; and as long as those Eggo-eating folks lego of my Van’s, and don’t leave them in short supply – my gluten free world is good.

But today I heard that canned pumpkin is now in short supply. This, my friends, causes a bit of gluten-free concern, since the Pumpkin Pie is one of the best all-around, gluten-free Thanksgiving desserts.
Pumpkin Pie can be a quick and easy dessert to make gluten-free, especially if you buy a pre-made gluten free pie crust. Pumpkin Pie is also an “I made this from scratch” masterpiece if you decide to tackle making your own gluten-free pie crust.

But what to do if you have no canned pumpkin? No worries. As long as you have access to a sweet pumpkin, the kind found in most grocery store’s produce departments, you can make your own pumpkin puree.

Watch out Libby’s.

Sugar pumpkins, or often called pie pumpkins, are different than the traditional jack-o-lantern pumpkins. First off, sugar pumpkins taste better than traditional jack-o-lantern pumpkins. Also, sugar pumpkins are more “meaty” on the inside, with a thicker pulp-filled shell; while jack-o-lantern pumpkins are hollower.

Making pumpkin puree as a substitute to canned pumpkin is as simple as baking a butternut squash. Below is a quick and easy recipe for making homemade pumpkin puree:

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cut a medium-sized sugar pumpkin into small 3”-4” pieces, remove seeds and pith. In a large baking dish, place the pumpkin pieces skin side up in about ¼” to ½” of water.

Place the baking pan in the oven and bake the pumpkin for about 1 hour or until soft. Let cool; then carefully peel away the skin and discard. Place the pumpkin pulp in a bowl and mash with a potato masher, or pulse in a food processor, being careful not to over process.