Easily cook a whole pie pumpkin in your Instant Pot in only 20 minutes. There is no prep work- no chopping or peeling the pumpkin beforehand. Simply add the whole pumpkin to your pressure cooker and let it cook away! Instant Pot Pumpkin can be eaten mashed or cubed, used in other recipes, or turned into homemade puree.

In October when pumpkin season is in full swing and you're inundated with pumpkin recipes, it's a great idea to know how to cook a whole pumpkin- so you can use it to try out all of those fantastic recipes!
Using a pressure cooker to roast deliciously sweet pie pumpkins is incredibly easy and quick. Once you follow this recipe for making Instant Pot pumpkin, you'll never cook it any other way. Unless you have an air fryer, of course, and want to try out roasting pumpkin in there too!
You can do this with all other edible squashes and turn those into homemade puree or use in your favorite squash recipes. Here's how to cook an acorn squash in your Instant Pot and make puree. For other squash varieties, follow the same method and adjust the timing for the size squash you're pressure cooking. This is about 8 minutes per pound.
What To Do With A Whole Pumpkin
There are many ways to use a whole pumpkin! Using it in soup and chili, and making homemade pumpkin puree are just some of the many ways. You can also:
- Mash it like you would sweet potatoes and serve it with cinnamon, butter, and brown sugar. Mashed pumpkin is so sweet that it's even delicious served plain or with just a little salt and pepper.
- Make baby food.
- Make Instant Pot pumpkin pasta!
- Cut the pumpkin into cubes and drizzle it with a little butter. Serve both mashed and cubed pumpkin as a side dish with your dinner.
- Make pumpkin soup.
- Use as a substitution in recipes that call for sweet potatoes or butternut squash.
- Make pumpkin baked oatmeal.
- Cut it up, blend it into a homemade puree and use to make your favorite pumpkin desserts: pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice cheesecake, pumpkin cream cheese muffins, chocolate pumpkin bread or pumpkin quick bread.
And don't forget to save the pumpkin seeds to roast in your air fryer!
Ingredients
- Pie pumpkin, also called sugar or sweet pumpkin
- Water
You always need to add water to the bottom of the pot when pressure cooking a whole pumpkin. Use the minimum amount of water required for your size Instant Pot.
3 and 6 Quarts: 1 ½ cups water
8 Quart: 2 cups water
10 Quart: 2 ½ cups water
The water is not being used to do anything other than let the pot come to pressure correctly and then steam the pumpkin. If you realize you put the incorrect amount of water in, don't worry. As long as you have between 1 and 2 cups of water, there won't be significant changes in how the pumpkin cooks.
Other Squash and Pumpkin Varieties
You can do this with all other edible squash and pumpkin. For other varieties, follow the same method and adjust the timing for the size squash you're pressure cooking. This is about 8 minutes per pound.
Tools Needed
In addition to your Instant Pot, you'll need a trivet with handles or steamer basket, slicing knife, and chopping board. Any size Instant Pot works for this recipe, but you want to make sure the pumpkin fits inside while placed on the trivet or in the steamer basket.
If you're turning your pumpkin into a puree, you'll also need a blender. I use my Ace Nova cooking blender, and it does a great job at smoothly blending the pumpkin into a creamy puree.
Step-By-Step Directions
A whole pumpkin cooks for approximately 8 minutes per pound. I had a 2.6 pound pie pumpkin and pressure cooked it for 20 minutes, with a quick controlled release at the end. The result was a soft and tender pumpkin with skin that was beginning to peel off.
Step 1. Wash your pumpkin, scrubbing away any dirt. Add water to the inner pot and place the trivet or steamer basket inside. Put the washed pumpkin on the trivet or in the basket.
Step 2. Close the lid, seal, and set to pressure cook on high for 20 minutes (for a 2.5 pound pumpkin). If using a smaller or larger pumpkin, pressure cook for 8 minutes per pound. When done, complete a controlled quick release by lightly pressing on the pressure releasing valve to prevent hot water from spraying out (rather than pressing all the way down on the valve to release the pressure at the full force).
Step 3. Remove the pumpkin to a chopping board and let cool. Then cut the pumpkin in half.
Step 4. Scoop out the fibers and seeds. Reserve the seeds for roasting.
Step 5. Peel the skin off using your hands. Use a knife to cut away any skin that is hard to peel off with your fingers. Bonus- use the skin to make pumpkin chips!
Cut into cubes, mash, or puree (see above for suggestions on how to use cooked pumpkin).
If not serving immediately, store in the fridge for up to 7 days in an airtight container or freeze in plastic freezer bags for up to 6 months.
*You will get approximately 1 cup of cooked pumpkin per pound. So for a 2.5 lb pumpkin, this recipe created 2.5 cups of cooked pumpkin (that I turned into a puree).
Tips
- Pick pumpkins that are firm and free from too many brown spots. A lot of pumpkins have some brown spots so if yours does, don't worry too much about it. Once the pumpkin is cooked, they will come off with the skin and won't have affected the flesh underneath.
- The stem easily comes off once the pumpkin is cooked, so don't worry about removing it beforehand. If it's too tall for the lid to close, tilt the pumpkin on it's side or cut the stem off.
- Wait until the pumpkin cools to peel off the skin and remove the seeds and stringy fibers.
- Because the pumpkin will be soft after pressure cooking, a steamer basket makes removal from the inner pot the easiest. If very soft it could slide off a trivet, so be very careful!
- While pie pumpkins (or sugar) are one of the best for cooking because of their sweetness and availability, Long Island Cheese and New England Pie are also fantastic.
Field pumpkins, the "regular" pumpkins that are found in pumpkin patches and used for carving and decorating, are not ideal for cooking. They tend to be large (too big to fit in the pressure cooker) and have watery, string flesh. These pumpkins are not recommended for eating.
More Instant Pot Recipes You'll Love
Instant Pot Pumpkin
Equipment
- Knife
- Large spoon
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb pie pumpkin see notes for smaller or larger pumpkins
- water see notes for correct amount
Instructions
- Wash your pumpkin, scrubbing away any dirt. Add water to the inner pot and place the trivet or steamer basket inside. Put the washed pumpkin on the trivet or in the basket.
- Close the lid, seal, and set to pressure cook on high for 20 minutes (*see notes). When done complete a controlled quick release by lightly pressing on the pressure releasing valve.
- Remove the pumpkin to a chopping board and let cool. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the fibers and seeds.
- Peel the skin off using your hands. Use a knife to cut away any skin that remains.
- Cut into cubes, mash, or puree (see post for full suggestions).
Jeanette Pine
This works amazingly well! I will never have to buy canned pumpkin again. I do up several pie pumpkins while they're in season then freeze the puree in 1 cup portions. Ready for fall baking!
Kristina
I’m glad to hear it! Enjoy!
Anonymous
I've wasted so many pumpkins saying I was going to make pumpkin puree for my pumpkin cheesecakes only to wast the pumpkin and not make the cheesecake. I just made exactly what the recipe said I would and now I cannot wait to try my cheesecake in the IP as well. This is so inspirational!!!
Kristina
Thank you for sharing this! I'm so glad you've been inspired to finally go ahead and make pumpkin puree now that the IP makes it so incredibly easy. Enjoy your cheesecakes!!
Leah
Can I get your instructions for making pumpkin chips? Thanks!
Kristina
Hi Leah! I don't have it down just yet- but basically, you take the peeled skin, toss it with a little olive oil and salt (plus cinnamon and nutmeg if you'd like), then air fry it for about 12 minutes at 375 degrees, or until it's crispy. I am still working out the exact seasonings and timings, so I will have it posted in a couple days.
Natalie
I never tried cooking pumpkin this way. This is great! I love making homemade pumpkin puree. I will definitely utilize IP next time I'm making pure. Thanks.
Christa
Whoa! How neat of an idea, can't wait to try this out 🙂
Oscar
Wow, I would never have thought to put the whole pumpkin in the instant pot. Great idea. Going to try this weekend.
Luca
I use our Instant pot so little, because itäs so difficult to come up with recipes, but this is a great idea! I will make it asap, thank you!
Amanda Scarlati
OMG why have I not thought of doing this yet??? I'm going to use this for my pumpkin pies and hummus this year!
Kristina
Pumpkin hummus sounds amazing! Enjoy!
Kayla DiMaggio
I have never thought to cook a whole pumpkin in the instant pot but now I am so excited to try it! Thank you for creating this tutorial!
Jeri
Great recipe! I love cooking pumpkin in the Instant Pot; it cooks so quick! I then pureed it and put it in freezer bags for later!
Megan Ellam
I had never thought to cook a whole pumpkin in the IP. Thanks for the tips.