Pie pumpkins are typically about how many inches in diameter?

Pie pumpkins are typically about 6 to 8 inches in diameter.

These small pumpkins are also called sugar pumpkins or sweet pumpkins. Their compact size makes them practical for roasting and puréeing, while their flesh is generally sweeter, denser, and less stringy than that of large jack-o'-lantern pumpkins. A 6-to-8-inch pie pumpkin is roughly comparable in size to a large grapefruit.

Size is not the only distinction. Carving pumpkins are bred mainly for a large hollow cavity and thin walls that are easy to cut. Pie pumpkins tend to have more usable flesh relative to their overall size, giving cooks a better texture for pie, bread, soup, and other recipes. After roasting, the flesh can be scraped out and puréed.

The measurement describes a typical range, not a strict rule. Pumpkin varieties vary, and cooks can also use other winter squashes—including butternut squash—in pumpkin pie. Canned purée may not come from the small pumpkins sold as sugar pumpkins: Libby's, for example, uses its Dickinson pumpkin variety instead.