Can You Use Pumpkin Pie Mix Instead of Pumpkin Puree?

5 min readMay 24, 2022

Are You Searching to Know that Can You Use Pumpkin Pie Mix Instead of Pumpkin Puree? We’ve all experienced that terrifying moment when we realize we need a specific item for a dish we’re preparing and that ingredient isn’t in the house. This sometimes necessitates a fast trip to the market, but other times it may be substituted with something you already have in the pantry.

It’s wonderful when that happens, so if you’re creating a pumpkin dish, you might be asking if you can use pumpkin pie mix instead of pumpkin puree. If this works, it may save you a trip out, so let’s look into it.

Can You Use Pumpkin Pie Mix Instead of Pumpkin Puree

Is it possible to use pumpkin pie mix for pumpkin puree? Unfortunately, you cannot. Because pumpkin pie mix contains a lot of sugar and other spices, it will make the completed meal far too sweet. If you want your completed meal to be sweet, you may be able to minimize other sources of sugar, although this may not work very well.

Why Can’t You Substitute Pumpkin Pie Mix for Pumpkin Puree?

Unfortunately, this mixture is just too sweet! Savory dishes normally call for pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie mix, while containing pumpkin, is not a viable substitute. Your completed meal will be way too sweet to consume.

If you don’t have enough pumpkin puree for a dinner, there are some other options you can try, which we’ll go over momentarily, but pumpkin pie mix isn’t one of them.

Similarly, if you perform the swap the other way, you will need to add a lot of sugar and a few spices to make the completed pumpkin pie taste as it should.

What exactly is Pumpkin Puree?

So, what exactly is in pumpkin puree? What are you attempting to imitate? As the name implies, pumpkin puree is made entirely of winter squash. It has only been boiled and pulped and has not been seasoned in any way, making it ideal for savory pumpkin dishes and those where you want to make your own seasoning.

Can You Use Pumpkin Pie Mix Instead of Pumpkin Puree

You might be surprised to hear that pumpkin puree frequently contains other winter squashes. It can be prepared entirely with little pumpkins or with a variety of winter squash. It is rarely produced with huge pumpkins since they do not have a nice flavor.

Pumpkin puree is available in cans (also just called canned pumpkin). This product is highly popular in the fall and may be utilized in a variety of meals.

Try it in soups, smoothies, and milkshakes, as well as pumpkin bread and cookies. It’s juicy, rich, and delicious, and many people prefer to use it for pumpkin pie as well, so they can flavor it to their liking and add as much sugar and spices as they like.

What exactly is Pumpkin Pie Mix?

Pumpkin pie mix is similar to pumpkin puree, but the main difference is that the pie mix already contains spices and sweetness. This means you can’t really change the flavor, and it’s designed to be used as a pumpkin pie filling.

It usually contains nutmeg, cloves, ginger, sugar, cinnamon, and other spices. It’s highly sweet, which makes it difficult to utilize as a substitute for pumpkin puree.

If your meal is sweet, you can use the combination, but the results will most likely be underwhelming. While your pumpkin meal may look nice, it is unlikely to taste as good.

Of However, if you’re cooking a pumpkin pie or anything sweet like a milkshake, pumpkin pie mix could be fine. Remove any other sugar from the recipe; the pie mix should be sweet enough when the evaporated milk is added, so you don’t need (or want) any extra sugar.

Make a small batch of anything using pumpkin pie mix when you intended to use pumpkin puree, just in case it doesn’t work out. When a large amount of food is at danger, it’s preferable to go out and obtain the proper ingredient than to chance a disaster with that much food.

What can you use in place of pumpkin puree?

So, what are your alternatives if you suddenly discover you need pumpkin puree but only have pumpkin pie mix?

It depends on the recipe, but butternut squash or sweet potato will work well as a replacement for pumpkin puree in most circumstances. These squashes have a similar flavor and texture, and you might not be able to tell the difference if you use them together.

Make sure to properly simmer and mash them to achieve the smooth texture of canned pumpkin, and this should work nicely for you. You may also use half and half, adding pumpkin puree and winter squash, such as sweet potato, to bulk up the dish.

What Should You Do If You Purchased the Wrong Canned Pumpkin?

This is simple because both pumpkin pie mix and pumpkin puree come in cans labeled “pumpkin.” If you purchased pumpkin pie mix rather than pumpkin puree, you may decide to return to the store and replace the goods. This is your best option for completing your dish successfully, especially if you don’t have winter squash.

If you purchased pumpkin puree instead of pumpkin pie mix, the substitution may not be necessary. Using a solid recipe, you might be able to simply flavor and sweeten the puree. It won’t taste precisely the same, but you should be able to obtain a good outcome with this approach!

Conclusion

In most circumstances, pumpkin pie mix cannot be substituted for pumpkin puree. It may work if you also need to include sugar and spices (which you can eliminate), but it generally results in an unpleasantly sweet and strange-tasting meal.

Experiment with various winter squashes, and always double-check what you buy at the shop. If you want a pumpkin pie, it’s generally best to create your own, so don’t grab the incorrect can!