Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree

Learn how to make easy homemade pumpkin puree in the Instant Pot. Use this fresh pumpkin puree in all your fall dessert recipes. Making pumpkin puree at home is a great way to save money and you know that you can find pumpkin puree. I love that it's an easy Instant Pot recipe as well.

I don't know about you all but I have noticed the last few years it's been hard to find pumpkin puree in the store. This year it seems to be a little harder. I had been looking for over a month for canned pumpkin when I finally decided that homemade would be best.

Since I had been looking for canned pumpkin puree and couldn't find it. I headed to a local farmer's market and purchased some pie pumpkins for a 1.50 each. One pumpkin yielded about 16 ounces of puree.

And yes homemade pumpkin puree is so much better and is easy to make in the pressure cooker. The homemade puree is a great substitution for canned pumpkin. I like to use it in all my fall recipes like my pumpkin muffins.

How To Make Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree

If you don't have an Instant Pot yet I highly recommend going and getting one. I always say that my IP paid for itself after I made hard boiled eggs for the first time. Pumpkin puree is another good reason to get an Instant Pot.

Pumpkin puree can be made in minutes in an Instant Pot. Then you can store the puree in the fridge for up to 5-7 days. You can portion it out into freezer bags to freeze for up to a year. Or if you are great with canning you can process a few pie pumpkins for the year.

The first thing you need to do when making a puree with a pie pumpkin is to remove the stem. Placing the trivet into the inner pot of your Instant Pot. Then add the required water amount for your size of IP. Since I was using my 6 quart IP I only needed 1 cup of water.

Placing the lid on the pressure cooker and adjust the cook for 13 -15 minutes depending on the size of pumpkin you have. You will want to do a natural release for 9-10 minutes or until the float valve pin drops.

I cooked a few different sizes. The pumpkins that were under 3 pounds I cooked for 13 minutes. However, the ones that were 3-4 pounds I cooked for 15 minutes with the 10-minute natural release.

How To Make Puree

When you take the pumpkin out of the IP you will want to make sure it's fork-tender. Pierce the skin of the pumpkin with a fork, if the pumpkin feels tender it's done. However, if it doesn't feel tender then you will need to cook it for a few more minutes.

That's where the size of the pumpkin comes into play for how long it needs to be cooked for. Once the pumpkin has cooked in the Instant Pot place it on a cutting board. I would give it some time to cool down so it's not too hot to handle.

When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle cut it in half with a large knife. Taking a spoon you will need to clean out the seeds to both halves of the pumpkin.

Because the pumpkin skin will start to pull away from the inside of the pumpkin. You will notice that the skin looks cracked when you take it out of the IP. Go ahead and peel the skin off, if you need to use the spoon to scrape any of the skin off the pumpkin.

With the skin removed from the pumpkin place it into a blender. I was able to get a full pumpkin into my blender.

Tips For Homemade Pumpkin Puree

I love to be able to share tips and tricks when it comes to cooking a recipe. This recipe doesn't have many tips because it's simple to make but here are a few.

I added one tablespoon of water into my blender while the pumpkin was pureeing. This will help to make the puree smoother.

You can blend for a little bit without the water to see if you need it or not. I notice every time I make pumpkin puree I need to add water.

It will take a few minutes to get the puree smooth. Once you have the puree smooth you can use it in a recipe like our Pumpkin Bread.

Or you can store it in the fridge for 5-7 days. You can also freeze it for up to a year. I have read that some people even can it.

The best type of pumpkin to use is either pie or sugar pumpkin. Whichever pumpkin you use make sure that the stem is removed. If the pumpkin is to big to fit into your IP then cut it into chunks.

This homemade pumpkin puree is great in many recipes. We have enjoyed replacing the canned pumpkin with this recipe. It does have a pale color but is loaded with fresh flavor.

Answering the question "what's there to eat" ~ Jen

Other My Creative Manner recipes you may enjoy are:

• Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler
• Raspberry Cranberry Jello Salad
• Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

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