Canned pumpkin puree is mostly a combination of different pumpkin and squash variations, meaning there are many substitutes you can consider. Homemade pumpkin pie made out of pie or sugar pumpkins remains ideal, but squashes can be just as good—butternut, acorn, red Kuri, and kabocha squashes are the favorites. However, you can also discard pumpkins and squashes altogether and go instead for sweeter-tasting sweet potatoes. They have a distinctive orange color and an earthy flavor with nutty touches, making them surprisingly good substitutes for pumpkin puree.