It's recommended you use a sugar pumpkin (known as pie pumpkin), as a sugar pie pumpkin is sweeter than large carving pumpkins. These smaller pumpkins are also firmer and less stringy than carving pumpkins. You can tell it's a sugar pumpkin because they are only about just 2-4 pounds. However, I always use a regular large carving pumpkin to make my puree, and the result is still great pumpkin puree!