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

[the_rck]

Acorn or butternut squash will work, so will mashed banana or sweet potato. Applesauce tends to have too much liquid, but I think thicker stewed or puréed fruits would work.

[the_rck]

I should note that I have substituted these for each other when baking in the past. My daughter used to eat banana bread/squash bread for breakfast every morning for 3-4 years.

As someone said above, you kind of have to adjust to find the right texture. Some substitutions affect cooking time, too.