Pressure cooker pumpkin puree is so easy to make in your Instant Pot, Crockpot Express or Ninja Foodi! Use it to make pumpkin butter, inside recipes and more. Homemade and perfect every time.

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. 😉 (originally published 8/18, affiliate links present)
Ninja Foodi Pumpkin
It makes this Fall vegetable so tender and perfect for canning or making delicious 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.
FIRST – You should sign up for my free newsletter so you get new posts emailed to you twice a week and never miss out on anything! Now let’s start with a few basic tips:
- Make sure to Bookmark our InstaPot recipes page. We add new ones each week!
- Then PRINT this —–> Instant Pot cooking times cheat sheet that will help you understand how long meat, vegetables and beans take to cook in your pressure cooker.
- This is a great InstaPot cookbook and a set of wooden utensils are great to grab too.
- I HIGHLY recommend you buy this non stick pot.
- You should still deglaze pressure cooker after sautéing but it won’t have as many issues with this better liner.
For reference, this is the pressure cooker I have (a 6 quart) and use for all recipe creations.

Steam Pumpkin
Essentially this is what you’re doing. With the water in the bottom, the veggie in the basket on high pressure will heat up the liquid to create very hot steam which will soften the flesh so you can blend it to mash it as you would like to.
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 Instant Pot but it was a bit long so I cut up into large pieces. It worked great!

Another difference if you cut the pumpkin vs. sticking the whole thing in is you can remove the seeds beforehand. Don’t throw them out though!! Once you scoop out the seeds put them in a strainer and get the gunk off.
- Then make roasted pumpkin seeds
- Or air fryer pumpkin seeds for a healthy snack.
- This is one of our favorite Fall snacks, and quite healthy too!
I guess it depends on what you’re making, I was on a mission to make homemade pumpkin butter so I preferred for the seeds and “gunk” to be gone beforehand.
Homemade pumpkin puree recipe
- Pumpkin – if left whole make sure it fits into your Instant Pot with enough room for the lid to close. Or cut into larger chunks
- Trivet – I like this one with handles or vegetable steamer basket
- Cup of water
- Blender
Mason jars for storing in fridge, or pint size freezer bags if making it in bulk and freezing it.

How to Cook Pumpkin in the Instant Pot
The oven version has always worked fine but I am all about easy. Making this Instant Pot pumpkin really is a breeze. With a super short pressure cooking time you may never buy canned again.
- What’s great about this Instant Pot pumpkin recipe is you can leave it plain, or add any spices you like.
- LOVE nutmeg, add a bit more than others might.
- Prefer a sweeter sugar pumpkin puree, then add a bit of brown sugar to your mixture when you put it into the blender or food processor.
Now once you’re done with the cook on high pressure stage don’t do a quick release. Rather, allow for a natural pressure release for 5 minutes first, then 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.
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!!

Can you cook big pumpkins?
Not really. I mean it has to fit inside your pressure cooker. 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.
How do you make pumpkin powder?
That isn’t what we’re sharing here, but we have made shared how to dehydrate apples and you’d use the same machine. If you’d rather make a powder (for whatever reason) there are instructions here.
- Instructions on how to can pumpkin is here. A great option if you’re making a large batch and want it to use for multiple recipes. It’s really no different than if you made Instant Pot jam and wanted to save that for years on end.
- Or use it immediately like we did when we made our pumpkin butter. You can use the same process for butternut squash and make soup this way too!
Either way it is a lot easier than you might think to cook a fresh pumpkin!
Want to make some homemade pumpkin butter now?? That’s how we used ours!

We hope that helped you understand how to cook pumpkin quickly!
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!
Instant Pot pumpkin
This is what you can do with it once it is done and ready to use:
- Pumpkin chocolate bread is amazing
- Our pumpkin monkey bread is to die for!!
- Try pumpkin coffee creamer with some pumpkin cookies with cake mix
- Instant Pot baby food is fun, or this pumpkin crisp or pumpkin pie sheet cake are always a hit.

Homemade pumpkin puree
You can make this or air fryer pumpkin if you have a Ninja Foodi too? Follow the same instructions below if you have that pot. We have even made pumpkin angel food cake which is just amazing, and more October Instant Pot recipes here.
How Long to Cook Pumpkin in Pressure Cooker
Time needed: 25 minutes
Pressure Cooker Pumpkin
- Add ingredients
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.
- Cook
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. - Prepare
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.
- Blend
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 have linked to in this recipe.
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Pressure Cooker Pumpkin
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.

Rachel
Tuesday 22nd of November 2022
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?
The Typical Mom
Tuesday 22nd of November 2022
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
Leona
Tuesday 28th of December 2021
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.
JRo
Monday 23rd of November 2020
So, soooooo easy, thank you!
The Typical Mom
Wednesday 25th of November 2020
So glad
Daphne
Friday 6th of November 2020
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.
Tina
Friday 1st of November 2019
I have a large pressure cooker how is that different from an instant pot?
The Typical Mom
Saturday 2nd of November 2019
No different, just use pressure cook high