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Instant Pot Pumpkin is a quick and easy fall side dish with tender pumpkin cubes seasoned with nutmeg and brandy! They take just 20 minutes to cook in the pressure cooker, so they’re the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving meal!
If you love the combination of sweet and savory, you’ll love this easy pumpkin recipe!
The pumpkin cubes are browned in the Instant Pot with butter, then pressure cooked with some brandy, chicken stock and nutmeg, so they turn out amazingly delicious and tender.
The Instant Pot is definitely my favorite time saving kitchen appliance, especially during the holiday season. It’s great for soups like this Instant Pot pumpkin soup, or side dishes like these Instant Pot mashed sweet potatoes.
We love to serve this pumpkin recipe with our Thanksgiving turkey, but it’s also great for busy weeknights with some coconut jasmine rice and air fryer boneless chicken thighs.
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If you want to enjoy more pumpkin while it’s in season, I highly recommend this spicy Thai pumpkin curry or this caramelized air fryer pumpkin!
And, if you want to learn how to make pumpkin puree, this post will show you how to make pumpkin puree in the slow cooker!
Why this recipe works
- Cooking pumpkin cubes in the Instant Pot is much quicker than oven roasting, which can take up to an hour! This recipe cooks in about 20 minutes, including time for pressure to build and release in the Instant Pot.
- You only need 8 ingredients and you can prep the pumpkin cubes in advance to save yourself some time!
- Using the Instant Pot frees up oven space, which is so important when cooking a big Thanksgiving meal.
- Not only is this recipe the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving, it’s also great for meal prepping and serving as part of an easy weeknight dinner.
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Ingredients
For a full list of ingredients, please refer to the recipe card at the end of this post.
You’ll need 1 pound of pumpkin for this recipe, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes. For the best results, use a small culinary pumpkin such as a sugar pumpkin. Smaller pumpkins are sweeter and more tender. Here's a helpful video in case you’re not sure how to peel and cut a pumpkin.
The pumpkin cubes are browned in 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter, just reduce the amount of salt you add to the recipe.
Brandy has a subtle sweet flavor, so ¼ cup is used to enhance the natural sweetness of the pumpkin. If you don’t have brandy, you can substitute rum, whisky or wine. For a non-alcoholic substitute, try 100% pure apple juice or white grape juice.
For additional cooking liquid, you’ll just need ⅛ cup of chicken stock. You can use store-bought or homemade like this crockpot chicken broth. Vegetable stock will also work well.
To season the pumpkin, the recipe calls for salt, pepper, nutmeg and a bay leaf. Nutmeg is warm and slightly nutty and a little goes a long way. Bay leaves are very aromatic so you just need one. If you don’t have any, try substituting with dried oregano or thyme.
Garnish with some fresh sage and crème fraiche. Optional but delicious!
Step by step instructions
STEP 1: Heat the Instant Pot on the sauté setting until hot and add the butter.
STEP 2: Add the pumpkin and brown for 1-2 minutes.
STEP 3: Add the brandy and cook for 30-60 seconds.
STEP 4: Add the remaining ingredients (except sage and crème fraiche) and pressure cook on high for 3 minutes.
STEP 5: Release the pressure naturally for 5 minutes, then use the quick release to release any remaining pressure.
If the pot has too much extra liquid, simmer on the sauté setting for 5 minutes.
Serve garnished with fresh sage and drizzled with crème fraiche.
Expert tips
- Cut your pumpkin into roughly the same size cubes for even cooking. They should all be about 2-inch pieces. If your pieces are larger, they may not be cooked when the pressure fully releases.
- To save time, look for pre-cut pumpkin at your grocery store.
- If you’re using a whole pumpkin, keep the seeds and treat yourself to these roasted pumpkin seeds.
- Avoid using larger carving pumpkins as they tend to be watery, stringy and lacking in flavor.
- Smaller pumpkins are more flavorful, tender and easy to peel and cut.
- If you’re having trouble cutting through your pumpkin, try microwaving it for a few minutes to soften it enough to cut through.
- Be sure to let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes as the pumpkin cubes will continue to cook during this time.
- Be careful not to overcook or leave warming in the Instant Pot for too long as the pumpkin cubes will start to get mushy.
Common questions
If your pumpkin is cut into 2-inch cubes, it will only take 3 minutes to cook on high pressure in the Instant Pot. Just remember that you’ll also need to factor in time to brown the pumpkin for a few minutes and for pressure to build and release. In total, it will take about 20 minutes.
Small culinary pumpkins are best for cooking and baking. These can be called sugar pumpkins, pie pumpkins or baking pumpkins. The large carving pumpkins are more decorative. While you can cook with them, their flesh can be stringy and watery.
If you’re cooking a whole pumpkin in the Instant Pot, you can definitely leave the skin on. When cooking cubes, however, it’s best to peel the pumpkin first.
Yes, butternut squash and acorn squash have a similar taste and texture, so they’ll work well as substitutes for pumpkin in this recipe.
To make this recipe in advance, you can peel and cube your pumpkin a day or two ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. If you want to make the entire dish ahead of time, you can reheat it in the microwave. Just be careful that the pumpkin cubes don’t get mushy when reheating.
Storage instructions
Instant Pot pumpkin cubes can be stored without the optional garnish in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I don’t recommend freezing them. To reheat, warm them in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove top with a splash of chicken stock.
Serving options
There are so many delicious ways to serve up Instant Pot pumpkin. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Paired with buttery roasted turkey thighs or roasted duck for a holiday meal.
- With other side dishes like air fryer carrots and sous vide Brussels sprouts.
- On top of Instant Pot jasmine rice or Instant Pot basmati rice for an easy weeknight dinner.
More Instant Pot recipes
- Instant Pot Black Beans and Rice
- Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie
- Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts
- Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes
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Recipe
Instant Pot Pumpkin
Ingredients
- 1 pound pumpkin sugar pumpkin, cut in 2" cubes
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup brandy
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ cup chicken stock substitute vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- Fresh sage for garnish
- Crème fraiche for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the Instant Pot on the sauté setting until hot and add the butter.
- Add the pumpkin and brown for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the brandy and cook for 30-60 seconds.
- Add the remaining ingredients (except sage and crème fraiche) and pressure cook on high for 3 minutes.
- Release the pressure naturally for 5 minutes, then use the quick release to release any remaining pressure.
- If the pot has too much extra liquid, simmer on the sauté setting for 5 minutes
- Serve garnished with fresh sage and drizzled with crème fraiche.
Expert Tips:
- Cut your pumpkin into roughly the same size cubes for even cooking. They should all be about 2-inch pieces. If your pieces are larger, they may not be cooked when the pressure fully releases.
- To save time, look for pre-cut pumpkin at your grocery store.
- If you’re using a whole pumpkin, keep the seeds and treat yourself to these roasted pumpkin seeds.
- Avoid using larger carving pumpkins as they tend to be watery, stringy and lacking in flavor.
- Smaller pumpkins are more flavorful, tender and easy to peel and cut.
- If you’re having trouble cutting through your pumpkin, try microwaving it for a few minutes to soften it enough to cut through.
- Be sure to let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes as the pumpkin cubes will continue to cook during this time.
- Be careful not to overcook or leave warming in the Instant Pot for too long as the pumpkin cubes will start to get mushy.
Nutrition
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