Baking query (pumpkin)

[carbonel]

What can replace a quarter-cup of pumpkin puree? Or is that such a small amount that I don't need to bother?

I bought a can of pumpkin puree for a batch of no-bake pumpkin spice balls that called for only a quarter of a cup of the puree. (Having made them, I suspect the recipe may have been deficient in some way, but I'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out if they turn into something more promising than they currently appear.)

But that leaves me with most of a can (about 1-3/4 cup remaining). I found a recipe that would use up the rest, but it does call for a full can of pumpkin puree.

I don't have any unsweetened applesauce in the house, or I'd use that. Any other suggestions? Or do I even need to sub anything for it?

I'm a fairly competent baker, but normally I make a new recipe exactly to the specifications the first time, then play around with it on subsequent attempts.

Advice appreciated.

Comments

[naomikritzer]

One option would be to buy a jar of pumpkin or squash baby food, which would be closer to the quantity called for in the recipe than a full can.

I'm pretty sure you could substitute 1/4 cup of mashed ripe banana, but that would significantly change the texture.

You could buy frozen winter squash (Bird's Eye has a butternut squash), thaw out some cubes, puree them, and use 1/4 cup of that. Basically any winter squash can be swapped in for pumpkin puree (and in fact I've heard rumors that the canned pumpkin is in fact some other variety of squash, which is one of a number of reasons that pumpkin pie made from an actual pie pumpkin rarely turns out as well as pumpkin pie made with canned pumpkin from Libby's.)

Pumpkins are frauds!

[lsanderson]

All pumpkins are squash. Or more specifically, we call orange ribbed squash 'pumpkins' and the canned 'pumpkin' ain't even the orange ribbed squash we call 'pumpkin' -- it's another squash with better flavor.

That aside, I'd go ahead a bit short or bake, boil or microwave a sweet potato and mash it to make up the missing amount. No one but you will be aware of the switch. Cooked and mashed carrot would also work.

[minnehaha]

The baby food idea is clever.

K. [personally would just make the pie recipe on the can with the bit missing because it would be fine]