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This Air Fryer Pumpkin recipe is a quick and easy side dish with just 7 ingredients including tender chunks of pumpkin, maple syrup and warming spices. It’s the perfect side dish for fall!
These air fryer roasted pumpkin cubes couldn’t be easier to make! Roasting pumpkin brings out its natural sweetness so all you need are a few basic seasonings that you probably already have in your pantry.
While I enjoy baking with pumpkin (like these pumpkin pie bars), I absolutely love using it to prepare main meals and side dishes like this Instant Pot pumpkin soup , Instant Pot pumpkin and pumpkin risotto.
There is just something about the sweet and savory combo that is so satisfying and comforting. Roasted pumpkin is also a great way to change up your roasted veggies!
I highly recommend adding it as a side dish to your holiday menu along with these sous vide turkey thighs, traditional stuffing and cranberry chutney!
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Why this recipe works
- Roasting pumpkin cubes in the air fryer takes just 15-20 minutes, so it’s much quicker than using the oven.
- Speaking of the oven, using the air fryer frees up valuable cooking space, which is so important during the holiday season!
- Air fryer pumpkin is a simple side dish for Christmas or Thanksgiving. You just need 7 ingredients and the pumpkin can be prepped ahead to save you some time.
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What is an Air Fryer?
The Air Fryer is a healthier alternative to frying foods. It's basically a small, powerful convection oven that sits on your countertop.
It circulates hot air around the food you're cooking, which is what gives it that crisp texture that mimics fried food (without all the grease).
Read more about the health benefits of using an air fryer.
I personally use this Ninja MAX XL Air Fryer because it hold 5.5 quarts, which is more than most. It has worked great so far and we just love how easy it is to use!
More air fryer recipes
Ingredients
For the full list of ingredients and quantities, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.
You’ll need 1 pound of pumpkin for this recipe, peeled and cut into 1-2" cubes. I recommend using a small culinary pumpkin such as a sugar pumpkin. Here is a helpful video on how to peel and cut a pumpkin.
The pumpkin cubes will be coated in just 1 tablespoon of oil and some simple seasonings.
For the oil, I prefer to use avocado oil, but you can use any high smoke point oil.
The seasoning consists of ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Feel free to change it up with more savory dried herbs if you prefer.
To enhance the sweetness of the pumpkin, I normally add a teaspoon of maple syrup. You can also use honey or coconut sugar instead.
Step by step instructions
Toss the pumpkin and other ingredients (except sage) in a bowl and mix to combine.
Place in the air fryer basket and cook at 375F degrees for 15-20 minutes, tossing every 7 minutes, until golden brown and crisped at the edges.
Garnish with fresh chopped sage and serve hot.
Expert tips
- If you want to save time, look for pre-cut pumpkin cubes at your grocery store.
- If you’re using a whole pumpkin, keep the seeds and make these roasted pumpkin seeds.
- Cut all of your pumpkin cubes in roughly the same size so they cook at the same rate.
- Make sure you remove all the stringy flesh from your pumpkin cubes and pat them dry before oiling and seasoning them. The goal is to remove moisture so they don’t end up soggy in the air fryer.
- You don’t need to roast the pumpkin in the air fryer in a single layer, but you shouldn’t over fill the basket either.
- To ensure even cooking, toss the basket a few times during cooking to rotate the pumpkin pieces around the air fryer.
- If your air fryer model requires preheating, you should preheat it before you add the pumpkin.
- Different air fryer brands and models will vary slightly, so you may need to adjust the temperature and air frying time slightly.
Common questions
You’ll want to look for sugar pumpkins, pie pumpkins or anything labeled as a culinary pumpkin. Avoid the large carving pumpkins as their flesh is stringy and watery.
While pumpkin skin is edible once roasted, it can sometimes be tough so I prefer to peel the pumpkin before cooking it in the air fryer.
Yes, you can definitely try this recipe with cubed acorn squash or butternut squash. Just note that you may need to adjust the air frying time slightly.
These roasted pumpkin cubes are best enjoyed straight out of the air fryer so I don’t recommend making them in advance. If you want to save yourself some time, however, you can peel and cut the pumpkin a day or two in advance and store the pieces in a sealed container in the fridge. When you're ready to eat, just oil, season and air fry.
Storage instructions
I think air fried pumpkin has the best texture when it’s freshly cooked and the edges are hot, crispy and golden brown. If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They will last for 3-4 days.
To reheat, just place the pumpkin cubes in the air fryer basket and air fry on 375F degrees for 5 minutes or until heated through. Just note that leftovers may not get as crispy.
Make it a meal
Here are a few of our favorite recipes to pair with pumpkin:
- Butter Roasted Turkey Thighs
- Roasted Duck
- Sous Vide Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Carrots
- Sous Vide Green Beans
If you love this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below and let us know your favorite thing about it. We'd also love to connect on Instagram! Follow us at @went_here_8_this for awesome recipes and all sorts of fun food stuff 🙂
Recipe
Air Fryer Pumpkin
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh pumpkin sugar pumpkin, peeled and cut in 1-2" cubes
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- Fresh sage for garnish
Instructions
- Toss the pumpkin and other ingredients (except sage) in a bowl and mix to combine.
- Place in the air fryer basket and cook at 375F degrees for 15-20 minutes, tossing every 7 minutes, until golden brown and crisped at the edges.
- Garnish with fresh chopped sage and serve hot.
Expert Tips:
- If you want to save time, look for pre-cut pumpkin cubes at your grocery store.
- If you’re using a whole pumpkin, keep the seeds and make these roasted pumpkin seeds.
- Cut all of your pumpkin cubes in roughly the same size so they cook at the same rate.
- Make sure you remove all the stringy flesh from your pumpkin cubes and pat them dry before oiling and seasoning them. The goal is to remove moisture so they don’t end up soggy in the air fryer.
- You don’t need to roast the pumpkin in the air fryer in a single layer, but you shouldn’t over fill the basket either.
- To ensure even cooking, toss the basket a few times during cooking to rotate the pumpkin pieces around the air fryer.
- If your air fryer model requires preheating, you should preheat it before you add the pumpkin.
- Different air fryer brands and models will vary slightly, so you may need to adjust the temperature and air frying time slightly.
Nutrition
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