It's easy to cook a whole pumpkin in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker! Are you ready to bake all the fall pumpkin spice recipes but can't find canned pumpkin on the store shelves? Did you grow your own pie pumpkins and just want to make your own pumpkin puree? I'll show you step-by-step ... no mixer or blender needed.
Y'all, this Instant Pot recipe cannot be any easier! It would even be a great "first time" Instant Pot recipe for beginners. It's literally one pumpkin and a cup of water and hands-off cooking.
Can you use any pumpkin for cooking?
Any small (one to 3 pound) pumpkin can be cooked in a 6 quart Instant Pot but not all pumpkins are created equal-not all are best for cooking.
What's the difference in a decorative pumpkin and a pie pumpkin?
A few years ago, I wrote an article for Christian Woman magazine called There's More to Pumpkin Than Pie. I explained that although all pumpkins are in the cucumber/gourd family they are not all the same.
There are pie pumpkins (also called sugar pumpkins) to cook with and then there are carving pumpkins to decorate the porch (also called jack-o'-lantern pumpkins).
A pie pumpkin has a smoother, less stringy texture, much lighter in color, and is sweeter than the deep orange, giant pumpkin you have probably carved or painted.
Pie pumpkins will most often be sold in the produce section of a grocery store or farmers market and will be labeled pie pumpkin or sugar pumpkin.
How to cook a whole pumpkin in an Instant Pot
Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.
- Remove the stem from a 2 to 3 pound pie pumpkin and place on the trivet in the Instant Pot insert pot.
- Cook on Manual or Pressure Cook for 23 to 25 minutes (see recipe); Natural Release pressure.
- Carefully remove the pumpkin using the trivet to transfer it to a bowl.
- Using a large spoon cut away the pumpkin rind. It will be very soft.
- Slice pumpkin in half and gently remove the seeds and pulp.
- The pumpkin will be soft enough to simply mash with a fork or potato masher.
- I like to drain the pumpkin for about 15 minutes, if necessary, in a sieve to remove any liquid.
- If you want to replace a 15-ounce can of pumpkin with your fresh pumpkin puree, measure 1 1/2 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoons.
- You can also weigh out 15 ounces on a kitchen scale.
- Store your pumpkin puree in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Can I eat pumpkin seeds with the shell?
Yes, the outer shell of pumpkin seeds can be eaten although they can be a little tough even when roasted. Just think of it as extra fiber.
The insides of the pumpkin seeds are called pepitas. They are chalk full of protein, Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids and a slew of good-for-you nutrients. Real Simple shares 8 recipes to make with roasted pumpkin seeds.
What can I make with homemade pumpkin puree?
- My favorite fall dessert right now is Pumpkin Spice Dumplings (Made with Crescent Rolls). It uses pumpkin puree!
- Serve it as a side dish in place of a baked sweet potato with a little butter...and maybe a little cinnamon sugar.
- Any recipe that calls for canned pumpkin puree or butternut squash.
- Baby food! Save money and make your own first foods. Be sure to use a pie pumpkin. Jack-o'-Lantern pumpkins are typically too coarse and stringy.
Is there a pumpkin shortage this year?
It's no secret the past couple of years has been a bit out of the ordinary for everyone. The aluminum shortage has affected the availability of canned soft drinks as well as other canned items.
There shouldn't be a shortage of pumpkins grown this year. Transporting pumpkins and cans of pumpkin puree across the country may be the issue due to a lack of workers picking them, processing them and driving trucks where they need to be delivered.
If you experience a shortage of canned pumpkin puree or you bought a pie pumpkin from a local market (or grew your own) and want to make your own pumpkin puree, I've got you covered! My step-by-step photos and directions make it easy-as-pie. (See what I did there?)
Other fall recipes you will love
Pumpkin Spice Dumplings (Made with Crescent Rolls)
Mandarin Orange Pumpkin Treats
Apple and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
Persimmon Spice Sheet Cake with Maple Frosting
Pan-Seared Pork Chops and Fried Cinnamon Apples
Let's be social!
How to Cook a Whole Pumpkin in an Instant Pot| Homemade Puree
Equipment
- 6 quart Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 2 to 3 pound pie pumpkin
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Remove the stem from a 2 to 3 pound pie pumpkin with a sharp knife and place the pumpkin on the trivet in the Instant Pot insert pot.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot with the seal in place. Cook on Manual or Pressure Cook for 23 to 25 minutes. (Twenty three minutes for a 2 pound pumpkin; 25 minutes for a 3 pound pumpkin). It took 13 minutes to come up to pressure and start counting down.Let the pressure naturally release (NR) after cooking 25 minutes. This took about 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove the pumpkin from the Instant Pot using the trivet and pot holders to transfer it to a bowl or cutting board.
- Using a large spoon cut away the pumpkin rind. It will be very soft and should just fall away.
- Slice the pumpkin in half and gently remove the seeds and pulp. The pumpkin will be soft enough to simply mash with a fork or potato masher. Save the pumpkin seeds if you want to roast them.
- I like to drain the pumpkin for about 15 minutes in a metal or plastic sieve to remove any liquid that might water out.
- Yield: 2 1/4 cups for a 3 pound pumpkin
Notes
- If you want to replace a 15-ounce can of pumpkin with your fresh pumpkin puree, measure 1 1/2 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoons.
- You can also weigh out 15 ounces on a kitchen scale.
- Store your pumpkin puree in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
- 83 calories per cup
Can seeds be roasted after cooking in the instant pot? Also have you ever tried pieces of a large pumpkin? TIA!
Unless you have a pressure cooker that also has a special air fryer lid attachment, I don't think "roasting" is possible in the pressure cooker. Roasting is a dry heat method and pressure cooking is a wet/steam cooking method. Maybe you could cook the in the pressure cooker, then dry them out/roast them less time in the oven. I haven't tried a portion of a large pumpkin. Be careful with larger pumpkins, because they may be the decorative kind of pumpkin that is less flavorful and stringy as opposed to the smaller sugar and pie pumpkins. You absolutely could still pressure cook a portion of a larger pumpkin, though. I've cooked butternut squash that was halved but I also like to just cook butternut whole!