Elevate your pumpkin pies, cookies, muffins, and bread to the next level with this easy-to-make Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree recipe. Perfect for everything from pies to soups, this homemade puree adds a touch of seasonal magic to any dish.
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You know Fall is here when you start seeing cute little sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins in your grocery stores!
My kids love carving and decorating these pumpkins for Halloween and putting them around the house with tea lights. But did you know these cute, little pumpkins can be cooked and pureed for all your Fall baking adventures?
In today's recipe, we're using sugar pumpkins aka Pie Pumpkins to make homemade pumpkin puree. These are a smaller, sweeter variety of pumpkins. They are less fibrous than regular pumpkins, making them a great choice for cooking.
Get ready to stock up on homemade pumpkin puree. It's a treat you and your family will love. Let's get started!
Jump to:
- Why We Love This Recipe
- Ingredients - Notes & Availability
- How To Make Pumpkin Puree in Instant Pot
- Alternate Method: Oven Roasted Pumpkin Puree (for 2 or more pumpkins)
- How Much Pumpkin Puree Does This Recipe Make?
- My Preferred Cooking Method - Oven vs. Instant Pot
- Uses - What Can I Make with a Cup of Pumpkin Puree?
- How To Store & Freeze
- Recipe Tips & Notes
- FAQ
- More Fall-Inspired Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
Why We Love This Recipe
You need to make Instapot pumpkin puree just one time and you will never buy canned pumpkin again! Here are some reasons we love this recipe:
- It's a fast, easy recipe that's virtually hands-off and results in creamy, naturally sweet, fresh pumpkin flesh every time.
- Fresh pumpkin puree has a pleasant aroma and is lighter in texture as compared to the canned version. This translates to whatever you end up making with it.
Ingredients - Notes & Availability
All it takes is two ingredients for homemade pumpkin puree in the Instant Pot that outshines any canned variety. You need:
- Pumpkin: Pick a sugar pumpkin, around 2 pounds in weight. The skin should be bright orange and should not have brown spots. Look for the pumpkins labeled sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin.
- Water: We need water for steaming the pumpkin if using the Instant Pot method, and a little for blending later.
How To Make Pumpkin Puree in Instant Pot
Here are the step-by-step Instructions for cooking pumpkin in the Instant Pot. Please note: Instant Pot can fit only one sugar pumpkin.
- Prep the Pumpkin: Wash and dry the sugar pumpkin. If the pumpkin is too tall to fit in the Instant Pot, cut the stem using a chef's knife by laying the pumpkin sideways on a damp kitchen towel, so it stays stable.
- Pressure Cook: Pour 1 cup water into the inner pot of a 6 qt Instant Pot, or 2 cups for an 8 qt. Place the trivet and put the pumpkin on the trivet. Close the lid and set the valve to the sealing position. Press 'Manual' or 'Pressure Cook' and set 12 minutes at high pressure. (check time variation in recipe notes)
- Cool and core: Once the cooking is done, let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid after the pin drops, remove the pumpkin, and let it cool for 10 minutes. Slice the pumpkin in half or quarters. Using a spoon, remove the seeds and stringy core. You can save the seeds for roasting if you wish.
- Puree: Using a sharp spoon, scoop out the flesh like you would for an avocado. The skin is so soft that it starts separating very easily from the flesh. Using water if needed, blend the pumpkin flesh in a food processor or blender until smooth.
Alternate Method: Oven Roasted Pumpkin Puree (for 2 or more pumpkins)
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash and dry the sugar pumpkin.
- Slice and prep: Cut the stem using a chef's knife by laying the pumpkin sideways on a damp kitchen towel, so it stays stable. Now slice it in half. Using a spoon or an ice cream scoop, remove the seeds and stringy core.
- Bake: Line a baking tray with parchment paper or foil. Place the pumpkin face down on the sheet (flat side down). Roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or till the pumpkin skin darkens and the flesh is fork tender. The exact time will depend on the size of the pumpkin.
- Cool and puree: Cool the pumpkin for 10 minutes. Using a large spoon, scoop out the flesh. Blend the pumpkin flesh in a food processor or blender until smooth.
How Much Pumpkin Puree Does This Recipe Make?
One 2-pound sugar pumpkin should result in roughly 2 to 2.5 cups of pumpkin puree.
My Preferred Cooking Method - Oven vs. Instant Pot
My preferred method changes based on the quantity I'm cooking. If I'm cooking just one pumpkin, the Instant Pot is the clear winner. It cuts down the cooking time by a third.
If I'm cooking 2 or more pumpkins, I use the oven method. You can easily fit 2 sugar pumpkins, around 2 pounds each, on one baking sheet.
So after the height adjustments, you can roast up to 4 pumpkins at the same time. Just remember to switch the top and bottom layer half-way through for even cooking.
Uses - What Can I Make with a Cup of Pumpkin Puree?
Here are my three favorite ways to use pumpkin puree:
How To Store & Freeze
Refrigerate: The pureed pumpkin flesh will stay stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
When going to incorporate it into any recipe, just make sure to remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes beforehand. This is to bring it to room temperature so it blends well.
Freeze: You can also freeze this puree. Pour the pumpkin puree into large ice-cube trays (¼ cup size cubes) and freeze for up to 3 months.
Alternatively, place about 1 cup portion (the equivalent of ½ can) into Ziplock freezer bags. Push out all the air and seal tight. Label, date, and freeze flat in your freezer.
Thaw the desired quantity to room temperature right overnight in the fridge.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Sugar or pie pumpkin. For best results, pick one of these smaller pumpkins since they are smaller, sweeter, and less fibrous than the large carving pumpkins.
- For medium size pumpkins (3-4 pounds), adjust the Instant Pot cooking time to 15 minutes, high pressure. Let the pressure naturally release. The pumpkin flesh should be fork-tender. If it's still hard, cook for an additional 5 minutes followed by natural pressure release.
- If the pumpkin is too big to safely fit in your Instant Pot, remove the stem, cut it in half, and scoop out the seeds and strings. Cut into quarters and place on the trivet. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, followed by a natural pressure release.
- Don't fret about the seeds and strings. Scooping out the seeds and stringy core will take a little muscle power, but it's okay if some strings remain. This will not affect the taste or texture of your puree.
- Puree in a blender or a food processor. I get a silky-smooth puree with a blender or food processor.
- Add water, if necessary. The moisture content in each little pumpkin will vary. If your pumpkin is dry or not blending, add 1 Tablespoon of water at a time until a smooth consistency is reached. But if you find your pumpkin puree to be too watery, strain it through a fine mesh sieve to rid of extra moisture.
FAQ
Sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins are best for making puree since they are sweeter than the big ones. They range anywhere from 2-3 lbs. in weight. Medium-size pumpkins (between 4-6 lbs.) also work great for cooking. I don't recommend the larger carving pumpkins since they have a fibrous texture and aren't as sweet.
Believe it or not, but canned pumpkin is not always 100% pumpkin! In reality, it's a blend of winter squashes (butternut, acorn, etc.). The blends vary depending on brand and manufacturer. Dickinson squash, owned by the popular Libby's brand, is a proprietary blend!
Pumpkin puree is just that - cooked and mashed squash. Pumpkin pie filling, on the other hand, is sweetened and spiced pumpkin. It is commonly used as a convenient, short-cut ingredient for pumpkin pie recipes.
For any amount of pumpkin puree your recipe calls for, use an equal amount of cooked, cooled, and mashed sweet potato or butternut squash.
Compared to carving pumpkins, pie pumpkins are smaller hence easier to bake. An average fruit weighs between 2 to 3 pounds.
More Fall-Inspired Recipes
- Pumpkin Bread (Whole-Grain)
- Apple Cinnamon Cake
- Creamy Curried Butternut Squash Soup
- Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potato
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Puree Recipe | Instant Pot & Oven
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We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 cup water for adding to the Instant Pot
- 2 lb sugar pumpkin : about 1 small pumpkin - see notes for 3-4 pound pumpkin
- ¼ cup water or as needed for pureeing
Instructions
Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree (for 1 pumpkin)
- Wash and dry the sugar pumpkin. If the pumpkin is too tall to fit in the Instant Pot, cut the stem using a chef's knife by laying the pumpkin sideways on a damp kitchen towel, so it stays stable.
- Pour 1 cup water in the inner pot of a 6 qt Instant Pot, or 2 cups for an 8 qt. Place the trivet and put the pumpkin on the trivet. Close the lid. Set the valve to Sealing mode. Press Manual, high, for 12 minutes. (check time variation in recipe notes)
- Let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid after the pin drops, remove the pumpkin and let it cool for 10 minutes. Slice the pumpkin in half or quarters. Using a spoon, remove the seeds and stringy core. You can save the seeds for roasting, if you wish.
- Using a sharp spoon, scoop out the flesh, like you would for an avocado. The skin is so soft that it starts separating very easily from the flesh. Blend the pumpkin flesh in a food processor or blender until smooth. Use water as needed, a tablespoon at a time.
Oven Roasted Pumpkin Puree (for 2 or more pumpkins)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash and dry the sugar pumpkin.
- Cut the stem using a chef's knife by laying the pumpkin sideways on a damp kitchen towel, so it stays stable. Now slice it in half. Using a spoon or an ice cream scoop, remove the seeds and stringy core. You can save the seeds for roasting, if you wish.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper or foil. Place the pumpkin face down on the sheet (flat side down). Roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or till the pumpkin skin darkens and the flesh is fork tender. The exact time will depend on the size of the pumpkin.
- Cool the pumpkin for 10 minutes. Using a large spoon, scoop out the flesh, like you would for an avocado. Blend the pumpkin flesh in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add water as needed to reach your preferred consistency.
Notes
- Look for sugar or pie pumpkin. They are smaller, sweeter and pop up in supermarkets around September. These are not the same as the pumpkins you get from pumpkin picking.
- For medium size pumpkins (3-4 pounds), adjust the Instant Pot cooking time to 15 minutes, high pressure. Let the pressure naturally release. The pumpkin flesh should be fork tender. If it's still hard, cook for 5 minutes more at High pressure, with another natural release. Let it cool for 10 minutes, then finish slicing, deseeding and pureeing.
- If the pumpkin is too big to safely fit in your Instant Pot, remove the stem, cut in half and scoop out the seeds and strings. Cut into quarters and place on the trivet. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, followed by a natural pressure release.
- Don't fret about the seeds and strings. Scooping out the seeds and stringy core will take a little muscle power, but it's okay if some strings remain. This will not affect the taste or texture of your puree.
- No oil is necessary. We want pure pumpkin puree without any addition flavor. This really makes the pumpkin shine.
- Puree in a blender, food processor or with a potato masher. I found I got the best results with the blender, but use whatever pureeing tool you have on hand. A potato ricer or food mill can also work.
- Add water, if necessary. The moisture content in each little pumpkin will vary. If your pumpkin is dry or not blending, add 1 Tablespoon of water at a time until a smooth consistency is reached. That being said, if you find your pumpkin puree to be too watery, strain through a fine mesh sieve to rid of extra moisture.
- Use immediately or store for later. Feel free to make pumpkin bread or any of your favorite pumpkin recipes as soon as the puree is ready. It will also keep for up to one week stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Just make sure to bring to room temperature before using.
- Freeze to enjoy pumpkin any time of year. Simply place about 1 cup portion sizes (the equivalent of ½ can) into small Ziplock freezer bags, push out all the air and seal tight. Label, date and freeze flat in your freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw to room temperature right on your kitchen counter or overnight in the fridge.
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