Make pumpkin pie filling, or crust-less pumpkin cutie pies, from scratch- starting with a fresh “pumpkin” and ending up with dessert in under an hour. The process is simple with our easy-cooking tips like using a measuring vessel as a mixing bowl and pouring pitcher with the ever-useful immersion blender (my favorite kitchen helper after the pressure cooker of course!).
No more soggy pies!
The trick to making your own pumpkin pie filling from a fresh pumpkin in the pressure cooker is managing all of the extra water the pumpkin retains during the steaming process. Some squash varieties are notorious water hoggers, while others are more dense. Having started my recipe testing with a water-hogger I can tell you that a pie (and even our cutie pies) will be a soggy failure if you don’t carefully squeeze the pulp. Even after doing all of the squeezing, I added corn starch to the recipe – extra insurance that nothing will go wrong during the special occasion for which you will be serving them.
That’s also why I went with butternut squash as the the primarily ingredient, here – it has a dense flesh that does not retain as much water compared to any ‘ol pumpkin. Plus, you already knew that canned “pumpkin pie filling” doesn’t contain any actual pumpkins, right? Save this factoid for dessert while everyone is “ooOOohing” and “hmMMming” about how delicious your pumpkin cutie pies are.
Why not a single crust-less pie?
One of the first things I tried, was pressure cooking a whole 8″ crust-less pie. The problem with doing that is that this is what Italians call a “spoon” dessert: no way to un-mould it, and even if you managed to do it, the slices can’t really hold together on their own without the support of a crust. I don’t recommend making this dessert a whole “pie” because when it comes to serving you’ll have to scoop it out with a spoon and serve it as amorphous glops in a bowl – delicious but hideous for a special occasion!
So, that’s why we make individual cutie pies, which make more sense for your guests to scoop themselves!
| Pressure Cooker | Accessories | Pr. Cook Time | Pr. Level | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5L or larger | steamer basket, heat-proof bowl(s) | 3 & 8 min. | High(2) | Normal & 10-min. Natural |
(per serving)
- Serves: 8 ramekins or 1 pie
- Serving size: ⅛th
- Calories: 143.9
- TOTAL Fat: 2.3g
- Saturated fat: 0.9g
- TOTAL Carbs: 29.1
- Sugar Carbs: 19.0g
- Sodium: 58.2mg
- Fiber Carbs: 2.1g
- Protein: 3.3g
- Cholesterol: 54.8mg
- 2 lbs (1k) butternut squash, peeled and diced (or one 2-3lb sugar pumpkin, seeded and cut into manageable chunks - see special notes)
- 1 cup (250ml) whole milk (or fresh cream, or coconut milk)
- ¾ cup maple (185ml) 100% pure maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon, powdered ginger ( or 1" piece fresh ginger, peeled & very finely chopped)
- ¼ teaspoon powdered cloves
- 1 tablespoon organic corn starch
- 2 pinches sea salt
- sweetened whipped cream
- chopped pecans
- Prepare the pressure cooker by adding 1 cup (250ml) water, or your pressure cooker's minimum liquid requirement, and add the squash cubes the steamer basket and lower into the pressure cooker.
- Close the lid and set the valve to pressure cooking position.
Electric pressure cookers: Cook for 4 minutes at high pressure (9 minutes for wedges).
Stove top pressure cookers: Lock the lid, and cook for 3 minutes at high pressure (7 minutes for wedges). - In the meantime, in a 4-cup measuring cup (1L pitcher) , or medium mixing bowl, measure out the milk, maple syrup, and then add the eggs, cinnamon, ginger, salt and corn starch. Beat, using a fork or an immersion blender, until the ingredients are well combined.
- When the pressure cooking time is up, open the cooker by releasing the pressure though the valve.
- Tumble the cooked butternut squash in a fine-mesh strainer (or peel cooked pumpkin and then strain) and once cooled (about 10 minutes) press on the squash pulp to release some liquid (save this liquid to use in place of stock in other recipes).
- Measure the strained pumpkin pulp by jamming it into a 2-cup measure (or weighing out 550g) - measure out and freeze or refrigerate the rest for future pumpkin pies or to plop into a pasta sauce or soup.
- Plop the pulp into the measuring cup with the egg mixture and blend well.
- Add 1 cup (250ml) water, or your pressure cooker's minimum liquid requirement, to the pressure cooker and steamer basket or trivet and set aside.
- Pour the mixture into heat-proof ramekins and lower into the pressure cooker un-covered - put the second layer on to of the first by balancing on the edges of the ramekins, below.
- Close the lid and set the valve to pressure cooking position.
Electric pressure cookers: Cook for 10 minutes at high pressure.
Stove top pressure cookers: Lock the lid, and cook for 8 minutes at high pressure. - When time is up, open the pressure cooker with the 10-Minute Natural release method - move the cooker off the burner and wait for the pressure to come down on its own (about 10 minutes). For electric pressure cookers, when cooking time is up count 10 minutes of natural open time. Then, release the rest of the pressure slowly using the valve.
- Lift the ramekins out of the pressure cooker using tongs and let stand 5 minutes before serving or let cool completely, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to two days.
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C
- Pour filling into a 9-inch baked pie crust and cover the edges only with a ring of foil. Bake on the center rack until center of the pie is just set (a clean toothpic comes out of the center), which will take 45 to 50 minutes.
- Serve with whipped cream and chopped pecans sprinkled on top.
To make your own pie crust, follow this super-easy adaptation of Julia Child’s pie crust using a cuisinart (using a food processor).
Looking forward to making the ‘Cuties’ but, as an PC amateur, I’m needing some clarification. As I understand it, my 6.5L Silit Sicomatic t-plus requires a minimum of 3/8 L water (375mil). Your recipe calls for 1C (250ml) water for both cooking the pumpkin and steaming the Cuties. Does the 1kg of butternut pumpkin count toward the ‘liquid’ minimum or should I start with 375ml water (plus pumpkin)? And should I increase the water when steaming the Cuties?
As you can see, I still have some residual fear of burning the base or ‘blowing up’ my lovely new PC :)
Thank you Laura. Cheers.
MoshMac, You should always heed your pressure cooker’s minimum liquid requirement – so good for you that you spotted the difference (someone’s been reading their pressure cooker manual ;). Whenever I say 1 cup, use 375ml, instead.
Have fun!!
Ciao,
L
Question. I have an Instant Pot. Because it has a lower psi, should these be cooked a couple minutes longer…then npr?
You an follow the recipe as written, and when you get to the cooking times use the longer recommended cooking time in the range.
Enjoy!
Ciao,
L
Think silicone muffin cups would work instead? I don’t have enough ramekins.
Yes, they will work.
Happy Thanksgiving!
L
I am on Vacation and need to use mason jars at this moment. They are 6oz. Will the cook time be the same? Or should I only fill to the 4oz mark?
The first time I made these they came out good. The second time it seemed like they got a ton of water in them from the inside of the pot. Would covering them aluminum foil work?
Hollu, this can happen if you use a pumpkin has a higher water content. Did you use a different pumpkin this time? Also, this can happen if when you remove the lid and the condensation from it dribbles back onto the cutie pies. Covering them would lengthen their pressure cooking time but I can’t tell you by how much as I have not tested this recipe with covered cutie pies.
I’m sorry the latest batch didn’t turn out well.
Ciao,
L
I am cooking mine in one straight sided pyrex dish (1.5 qt) as that is all I have. How long should it cook on manual?
20 minutes. : )
Ciao,
L
Hi Laura,
Could you please tell me how much canned pumpkin pie filling I should use if I decide to go that route?
Thank you!
Donna, Here is an excerpt from the recipe..
“Measure the strained pumpkin pulp by jamming it into a 2-cup measure (or weighing out 550g)”
..about that much. ; )
Ciao,
L