Best Savory Instant Pot Pumpkin Recipes for Fall

Pumpkin has always been a staple of fall, but it has reached new heights thanks to the spice. People love their pumpkin spice, and that love has forced the number of Instant Pot pumpkin recipes for fall to grow.

Pumpkin spice things up with some of the best savory Instant Pot pumpkin recipes for fall that everyone can enjoy. When cooking pumpkins, we must decide whether to turn them into a sweet treat or a savory dish.

A savory-cooked pumpkin still has many of the same flavors as a sweet homemade pumpkin purée. However, taking fresh pumpkins and turning them into a fantastic pumpkin season dish is not exactly easy.

That’s not to say it is very difficult, but people are more familiar with using canned pumpkin. We will get more flavor and freshness if we use pumpkin pieces from a fresh pumpkin. Fresh is always far better than any other option.

The best part is that we don’t have to use one of those larger pumpkins that are mainly used for jack-o-lanterns. Instead, we can use small pumpkins. Of course, there is an art to picking the pumpkin, depending on what favorite pumpkin recipes you plan on using.

Picking and prepping the pumpkin is going to be the most challenging part, thanks to the Instant Pot. Instant Pots are pressure cooking devices that combine heat, steam, and high pressure to reduce the cook time on just about any recipe.

Using fresh pumpkins for savory pumpkin recipes may make things a bit more difficult in the prep stage, the Instant Pot will make things easier, and the smell of pumpkin spice will fill your home, giving you that fall feeling we all want.

Best Savory Instant Pot Pumpkin Recipes for Fall

Grabbing a can of pumpkin purée from grocery stores is the easiest way to start cooking pumpkin recipes. However, some people like a bit more of a challenge. Luckily, that challenge leads to a tastier dish.

First, we need to know how to pick a pumpkin for baking or cooking. Those are the same pumpkins we can use in an Instant Pot. An easy way to find the right pumpkin is to pick one that is less than eight pounds, has smooth skin, and no bruises or soft spots.

Sugar pumpkins, or pie pumpkins, can help you create an amazing pumpkin chicken curry. Don’t let the names of the pumpkins fool you. Of course, all pumpkins are a bit sweet, hence the name sugar pie pumpkins.

Just imagine that touch of sweetness in an Instant Pot pumpkin cornbread recipe. Picking the pumpkin is simple; prepping it might be an entirely different story.

How do You Prep a Pumpkin for Cooking?

The hardest part of cooking with fresh pumpkins is the prep; there are just too many questions. Do you need to peel the pumpkin before cooking? How do you clean a pumpkin before cooking? Can you eat raw pumpkins?

That last one is for those home chefs who like to taste everything before they add it to the bowl. Like any other type of produce, you will want to clean the outside of the pumpkin and then dry it off. Remember, we aren’t using pumpkins larger than eight pounds.

The next step is to cut the pumpkin in half and clean out the guts and pumpkin seeds. The pumpkin then needs to be baked, boiled, or steamed to soften it up. The pieces can then be puréed with an immersion blender without removing the flesh of the pumpkin.

That purée can be used in any pumpkin recipe, like an Instant Pot roasted chestnut pumpkin risotto recipe. Clearly, it is a process to make your own homemade pumpkin puree.

However, it is worth the effort if you really want your Instant Pot pumpkin dal to be as fresh as possible.

How do You Get the Most Out of a Pumpkin?

Investing the time and effort into using fresh pumpkins for your savory Instant Pot pumpkin recipes for fall means you want to get the most from them. For example, you go through all of that effort to make fresh pumpkin puree and use it to make a delicious Instant Pot pumpkin soup recipe.

That homemade puree can even last you a while if you store it properly. Maybe make an entire batch and save it for an Instant Pot pumpkin, chicken, and chorizo chili recipe later in the season.

You can also save the pumpkin seeds and roast them for a delicious snack. In fact, most of us associate pumpkin with homemade pumpkin pie or something sweet. We simply haven’t had a savory pumpkin dish until we’ve combined it with pasta.

Would pumpkin pancakes qualify as savory? Probably not. 

How to Jazz Up Boring Pasta

The food processor has been put away, we are done with the sharp knife, and we have an amazing jar of homemade Instant Pot pumpkin puree. Now, we need to use that puree to make some savory Instant Pot pumpkin recipes for fall.

Boring pasta recipes are the perfect place to sprinkle a little pumpkin spice. The Instant Pot will even make the pumpkin pasta recipe’s cook time shorter. Add your fresh homemade pumpkin puree to an Instant Pot sausage pumpkin pasta recipe.

Pumpkin pasta recipes are simply worthy Instant Pot recipes, and the fresh pumpkin purée will take things to a whole new level. How about trying your hand at a delicious Instant Pot pumpkin lasagna soup? That combines two Instant Pot basics: soup and pasta.

An even better recipe that everyone will love may be an Instant Pot pumpkin pasta recipe. Of course, knowing how to make your own pumpkin puree is a great skill and will provide you with the best results from any of these recipes.

However, there is nothing wrong with using canned pumpkin. Just remember, we are using smaller pumpkins, not one large pumpkin. That should make things easier. 

More Fall Instant Pot Recipes

Instant Pot Chicken and Gravy Recipes | Chicken and gravy is the perfect fall recipe. It’s not heavy enough for winter but warming and delicious.

Easy Instant Pot Thanksgiving Appetizers | Thanksgiving is the last fall holiday. Use your Instant Pot to prepare the biggest meal of the season.

Healthy Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup | Soup and fall go hand in hand. Why not start making your own soup instead of pouring it from a can?

Instant Pot Roasted Red Pepper Soup | You can even make a variety of soups and can them yourself.

Instant Pot Goulash Recipe with Beef | Goulash is a dish that everyone will love; in fact, it may just be the best pasta dish out there.