Learn how to cook a whole pumpkin or pumpkin pieces in your Instant Pot. Making Instant Pot Pumpkin is an easy way to make homemade pumpkin purée to use in your fall baking, soups, and more.
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Pumpkin season is upon us, and if you're planning to make a Naturally Sweetened Pumpkin Pie or a batch of Healthy Pumpkin Muffins, you may find yourself reaching for a can of pumpkin purée.
I'm here today to tell you to put the can down and reach for your Instant Pot instead so I can show you how incredibly easy it is to make a batch of Instant Pot Pumpkin Purée.
If you're looking for another way to cook a pumpkin, be sure to check out my oven-roasting instructions for Homemade Pumpkin Purée.
Why Instant Pot Pumpkin Purée?
If you're wondering why you should make Instant Pot Pumpkin, wonder no more!
- It's fast
- It's easy
- There's minimal mess
- The pumpkin is super fresh
- And, it's delicious!
Essentially we're steaming the pumpkin under pressure, which makes quick work of the job and produces perfectly tender pumpkin every time.
What kind of pumpkin is best?
I've heard many people say that sugar pumpkins are the best for making into pumpkin purée, but I'll be honest with you - I'll purée pretty much any kind of pumpkin I can get my hands on!
The canned pumpkin purée that you buy at the store is typically sugar pumpkin, which a little bit on the sweeter side. I also love cooking Muscat pumpkin, which is what you'll see in my Homemade Pumpkin Purée tutorial.
Check at your farmer's market or produce stand for different kinds of pumpkin. I've cooked and pureed blue Hubbard and Hokkaido pumpkins too, with delicious results.
I always cook my Halloween pumpkins as well (here's how to cook a Jack o' lantern!). Even though these are not as sweet or flavourful as other types of pumpkin, they're still great for baking with.
Can I cook a whole pumpkin?
You sure can! As long as it's small enough to fit into your Instant Pot, you can certainly cook a whole pumpkin. I do this with my Instant Pot Butternut Squash as well, and it works out great because there's no chopping or peeling to deal with prior to cooking.
A whole pumpkin will take roughly 20 minutes to cook at high pressure in your Instant Pot.
If your pumpkin is too big to fit into your Instant Pot whole, then you'll need to chop it into halves, or quarters. All you need to do is use a sharp knife to remove the stem, scoop the seeds out, chop your pumpkin into pieces that fit into your pressure cooker, and you're in business!
Pumpkin halves or quarters will take roughly 8 minutes to cook at high pressure in your Instant Pot.
Steaming Pumpkin
To make your Instant Pot Pumpkin, start by placing the trivet into your Instant Pot insert.
Pour 1.5 cups of water into the Instant Pot, and then place your whole pumpkin or pumpkin pieces onto the trivet.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot and ensure the vent is set to "sealing."
For a whole pumpkin set on Manual / High Pressure for 20 minutes. For pumpkin halves or quarters, set on Manual / High Pressure for 8 minutes.
When the pressure cook cycle is done, flip the valve to "venting" and quick-release the pressure.
Puréeing Pumpkin
Once your pumpkin has cooled sufficiently so that you can handle it, peel the skin off of the flesh. The skin should come off quite easily.
Transfer the roasted pumpkin flesh into a food processor and blend until smooth. You may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pumpkin.
Note! In order for your roasted pumpkin purée to have the same consistency as canned pumpkin would, you need to let it drain for a few hours.
Line a colander with cheesecloth, set it over a large bowl, and let it drain for 2-3 hours. You'll be amazed at how much liquid comes out!
Storing pumpkin purée
Fresh pumpkin purée will last about 5-7 days in the fridge. If you're not planning to use it immediately, I recommend you freeze it.
Once drained, portion your pumpkin purée into 1 or 2-cup servings and stash in the freezer for baking, smoothies, desserts, soups, or anything else you'd normally used canned pumpkin for.
I use reusable silicon freezer bags for this part, but you can use glass jars if you leave enough head space in them. According to food safety guidelines, you can freeze homemade pumpkin puree for 3-6 months.
Ways to use pumpkin purée
Be sure to check out our full archive of Pumpkin Recipes for more inspiration!
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Vegetarian Quesadillas with Black Beans and Pumpkin
Pumpkin Overnight Oats
Pumpkin Chai Latte
Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Baked Pumpkin Risotto
Healthy Pumpkin Granola
Instant Pot Pumpkin
Equipment
Instructions
Instant Pot Pumpkin
- Start by placing the trivet into your Instant Pot insert.
- Pour 1.5 cups of water into the Instant Pot, and then place your whole pumpkin or pumpkin pieces onto the trivet.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and ensure the vent is set to "sealing."For a whole pumpkin set on Manual / High Pressure for 20 minutes. For pumpkin halves or quarters, set on Manual / High Pressure for 8 minutes.
- When the cooking cycle is done, flip the vent to "venting" and quick-release the pressure.
Puréeing Pumpkin
- Once your pumpkin has cooled sufficiently so that you can handle it, peel the skin off of the flesh. The skin should come off quite easily.
- Transfer the roasted pumpkin flesh into a food processor and puree until smooth. You may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pumpkin.
Tara
You said that using large pumpkins for puree will be less sweet than using a sugar pumpkin. To use them for a pie, do I need to add more sugar/spices than normal to get the same flavor?
Katie Trant
I never add extra sugar or spices and my pies always turn out great!