Pressure cooker pumpkin recipe to make homemade pumpkin puree is here. So easy to make in your Instant Pot or as a Ninja Foodi recipe!
If Instant Pot pumpkin puree is something you want to make this year, we have a recipe for you! Of course you could use your oven and the “old fashioned” way but this pressure cooker pumpkin method is SO much easier. One more addition to our long list of easy Instant Pot recipes for you to use. 😉 (affiliate links present)
How to Cook a Whole Pumpkin in your Instant Pot
It makes this Fall vegetable so tender and perfect for canning or making delicious Instant Pot pumpkin butter too! You can make this in a Ninja Foodi, Crockpot Express or any other brand.
I mean there are SO many options once this is done. I’d have to say our pumpkin zucchini muffins top the list though. Whether you want to just slice it to enjoy as a tender squash side dish with dinner or puree it when done that is up to you.
I got this squash from a relative out of her garden. In researching what it was it was found it to be a long pie pumpkin. Cooked it tastes just like the traditional circular orange versions.
I knew you could pop a whole pumpkin in your pressure cooker but it was a bit long so I cut up into large pieces. If it is too big to fit in their cut in half, just slice those halves into fourths and it will be fine that way. It worked great!
Ingredients
A pumpkin, and since we were making it a bit sweet we added some goodies like sugar, nutmeg and more. We will share what we made with you below. It was so yummy!! For this scoop the insides out. Throw this pulp into your blender with just a dash of liquid. Once it’s as smooth as you’d like you’ll have your own pressure cooker pumpkin puree to use as you wish.
Equipment Needed
- Trivet – I like one with handles or vegetable steamer basket
- A knife to cut the pumpkin into pieces so it will fit, sugar pumpkins are a great size
- A large spoon and colander are great for removing the seeds and cleaning.
- Cup of water
- Blender or food processor would work
- Mason jars for storing in fridge, or pint size freezer bags if making it in bulk and freezing it.
How to Cook Pumpkin in Pressure Cooker
Time needed: 25 minutes
Pressure Cooker Pumpkin
- Add ingredients
Put water and vegetable steamer basket inside your pressure cooker. Place your whole pumpkin inside (though cook time will be longer for this, think it is better in pieces) or cut into large pieces.
- Cook
Cook on high pressure cooking for 9 minutes in pieces or 13 minutes if left whole. Allow to pressure release naturally for a few minutes before you release rest of steam. Do not quick release, for the ideal texture. Allow to cool for a while before handling.
- Prepare
Spoon the inside of the flesh out of the middle if you want to make a puree and into a blender.
- Blend
Pulse or put on low speed to smooth and add in a variety of recipes or store when cooled in sealed jars.
Can you cook big pumpkins this way?
Not with this method or air fryer pumpkin. I mean it has to fit inside. Yes you can cut it in half or even into fourths if you wanted but there’s still a limited capacity. It might be easier to use a big pot on your stovetop with a trivet in the bottom for a rather large one. I would choose a small / medium one for this method.
Once you scoop out the seeds put them in a strainer and get the gunk off. Then you can make our killer air fryer pumpkin seeds for a healthy snack.
You could use these same steps with acorn, butternut squash or pressure cooker Spaghetti Squash too. In all cases I will suggest that my biggest tip is that you slice into pieces and remove the seeds first. This will get you the best overall tender texture with the flesh, so soft it is almost like butter with a spoon.
Pressure Cooker Pumpkin
Equipment
- 1 trivet
Ingredients
- 1 pumpkin
- 1.5 c water
Instructions
- Put your water and vegetable steamer basket inside your pressure cooker.
- Place your whole (small enough pumpkin to fit in your Instant Pot) in whole or cut into large pieces and arranged so it fits inside with the lid on.
- If cut into large pieces (and seeds/inside removed) set to pressure high for 9 minutes. If left whole it takes closer to 13 minutes.
- Allow to naturally release for 5 minutes, then release rest of steam.
- Take pieces, whole pumpkin out and allow to cool so you can handle it.
- Once cool enough use a spoon to scrape the inside of the pumpkin out and into a blender. (if you used a whole pumpkin put the seeds and stringy chunks to the side.
- Pulse blender or put it on a low speed to make pumpkin puree to use in a variety of recipes like our homemade pumpkin butter I will link to above this recipe card.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What can you make with homemade pumpkin puree?
- Our pumpkin monkey bread is to die for!!
- Try pumpkin coffee creamer with some pumpkin cookies with cake mix
- We love this pumpkin crisp or pumpkin pie sheet cake are always a hit.
We have even made pumpkin angel food cake which is just amazing.
How long does pumpkin puree last in the freezer?
It can last up to a year if stored properly!! That means you can make “all things pumpkin” all year long with this! Make a big batch and then store in airtight containers or in pint size freezer bags. Make sure to remove the air, zip them closed, and lay them flat.
I like to freeze as much as I would typically use in one use. That’s about the size of a can of pumpkin I’d buy at the store. Take one out at a time and allow to thaw out on the countertop, then bake away with it!
Works great and so much easier than cutting off skin and boiling pumpkin. I did that for years and it was so time consuming. I measure pumpkin into 2 cup amounts and freeze in freezer bags for cooking pumpkin bread around Christmas time.
so glad
I did my pie pumpkin in my Instant Pot and it was so much easier than doing it in my oven. Can’t wait to make my pies.
Can this process also work with Acorn Squash?
Yes, cut in half it would work with that too. Timing would depend on size but very similar. I have a microwave acorn squash too, you can search my site in search bar for that one
If you use your own pumpkin puree for recipes made with canned (thicker) pumpkin puree you do need to adjust your favourite old recipe as your puree will be thinner.
So, soooooo easy, thank you!
So glad
Even after reading the recipe, I did not think it was going to be easy. Let me tell you, next year I will but many pumpkins or grow than, and make my own purée. Never again will I buy canned.
I have a large pressure cooker how is that different from an instant pot?
No different, just use pressure cook high
Can you use your instantpot as a pressure cooker? And can pumpkin? I’m seeing to only use pressuer coker
IP site says it is not safe to can food if that is what you’re referring to, it doesn’t get quite hot enough to kill all bacteria for that.