Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree is one of the easiest recipes there is! With just 3 ingredients needed and only 20 minutes of time, you'll have a flavorful puree that you can use for baking or just as a simple side dish, too!
Why spend a ton of money at the store buying pumpkin in a can when you can easily make it yourself? The biggest thing about making puree in the Instant Pot is that it's literally as simple as prepping and adding.
This easy pumpkin recipe is a game-changer when pumpkin season comes around. Your pies, cookies, and puddings are going to be so flavorful!
When people think of puree, a lot of people don't really know what to use it for. The easy answer? Use it for anything that you want! This could be a fun side dish for the holidays or even a great way to make some baby food!
Since you're literally using minimal ingredients - you can eat it as it or add in other toppings and flavors as you want.
You can also use it as an applesauce substitute when you make your favorite dessert.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
This puree recipe works because it's simple. There's something so lovely about simplicity in cooking that we all need to focus on that and get back to the basics.
Why spend hours in the kitchen when you don't have to? Why make recipes more complicated than they really need to be? Why add a ton of ingredients that you really even don't need?
- The smooth texture and savory flavor make it versatile
- It's a fast way to cook up real pumpkin!
- This puree is great for making pumpkin pies, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, and puddings - and you can even freeze it for later.
Recipe Video
Recipe Ingredients
Pumpkin - This will work best with the baking pumpkins that are actually used in pies and other pumpkin recipes. This isn't meant to be used for the larger decorative pumpkins.
Water - Needed to help thin out the pumpkin mixture.
Salt and pepper - To taste.
How to make Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree
Since you only need three easy ingredients, you'll have them gathered and ready in no time at all!
Step One: Cut the pumpkin in half, remove the seeds and cut the pumpkin into small pieces.
Step Two: Add 1 cup of water and the pumpkin pieces into the Instant Pot.
Step Three: Set the pot to high pressure for 15 minutes. Once the time has passed, do a Quick Release.
Step Four: Mash up the cooked pumpkin to make puree pumpkin using a fork or an immersion blender.
Using a fork is going to leave lumps so if you're looking for the smoothest way to make pumpkin puree, using a blender is going to work the best.
Step Five: Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Variations
Add varied seasonings - While most people prefer to keep this puree "bland" to be able to use it in other recipes, you can easily add other seasonings and change it up.
Add sugar - If you want this to taste like pumpkin pie without actually having to bake a pie, add a little bit of cinnamon and sugar - or even some pumpkin pie spice.
Helpful Tips
- Be sure that you're using a sharp knife to cut the pumpkin. Also, scoop out the seeds and save them for later - you can cook them up and make a delicious and healthy snack.
Recipe FAQs
Cooking pumpkin seeds is so simple - and there are so many options. Once you get all the pumpkin seeds out of the pumpkin, you'll need to start cooking them in the oven.
I like to add coconut oil to them and then put on some seasonings like chili powder because I like them spicy. I then put them on a baking sheet and cook them in the oven until they're dried and "roasted."
It's debatable if making your own pumpkin puree is going to be better than canned. While you're most definitely going to have a sense of pride in making your own, you'll want to pay attention to the ingredients that are on the canned version to be sure of a difference.
A lot of canned pumpkin has extra sugars or additives - and sometimes it isn't even pumpkin! There are some companies that will use squash in their canned pumpkin, so read the labels.
The grainy texture will come if the pumpkin puree is overcooked. If this happens, not all is lost.
You can use a strainer to get out any lumps in the puree and still use it just fine! I also like to strain mine if I'm wanting it to be super smooth for pies or things like that.
Instant Pot Pumpkin Recipes
Love the idea of adding more pumpkin to your diet? Here are even more recipes using pumpkin that you're sure to love.
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Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree
Ingredients
- ½ pumpkin cubed
- ½ cup water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the pumpkin in half, take out the seeds, and then cut the pumpkin into small pieces.
- Add water to the Instant pot and place the pumpkin pieces inside.
- Put on the lid and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Once the cooking time is complete, do a quick pressure release.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Then, mash the pumpkin using a fork or immersion blender.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- Be sure that you're using a sharp knife to cut the pumpkin. Also, scoop out the seeds and save them for later - you can cook them up and make a delicious and healthy snack.
- The grainy texture will come if the pumpkin puree is overcooked. If this happens, not all is lost. You can use a strainer to get out any lumps in the puree and still use it just fine! I also like to strain mine if I'm wanting it to be super smooth for pies or things like that.
- If you want this to taste like pumpkin pie without actually having to bake a pie, add a little bit of cinnamon and sugar - or even some pumpkin pie spice.
I have a question about this recipe. Do you leave the skin on and puree, or when do you take the skin off? Thanks