Instant Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is an easy one pot recipe ready in 10 minutes or less! Creamy and delicious, this pumpkin pasta is an easy Thanksgiving side dish or add cubed ham for a quick and simple weeknight meal. Instant pot macaroni and cheese with creamy pumpkin is the perfect comfort food for fall that your family will be begging for all season long!

Instant Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Creamy, cheesy macaroni and cheese.

Easily my FAVORITE food ever. And that hasn’t changed since I was a little kid. 

There was this cafeteria restaurant in Dallas back in the day called McKay’s. As a kid, I would request to eat at McKay’s on my birthday every year because of their ooey gooey delicious mac and cheese. I couldn’t get enough! 

Once I became an adult I started trying my own recipe for the best homemade mac and cheese. But homemade macaroni and cheese isn’t the quickest meal and with three kids who love Kraft mac and cheese, I don’t get around to making the homemade mac and cheese version very often.

That was until I met the Instant Pot.

Like its name says, the instant pot has magical powers that cook your food way faster and with the same quality of taste. 

Naturally I had to make my favorite food, macaroni and cheese in the instant pot. And I gave it a touch of fall flair: adding creamy pumpkin!

This pumpkin macaroni and cheese recipe is SO incredibly delicious, and it’s ready in under 10 minutes!

You can scroll to the bottom of the page for the printable recipe card, or follow along my step by step instructions on how to make the BEST creamy and delicious macaroni and cheese recipe.

More Fall Comfort Food Recipes You'll Love:

The Best Instant Pot Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Instant pot pumpkin macaroni and cheese ingredients:

• 16 ounce uncooked pasta (elbow, shell, or cavatappi noodles)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1/2 tsp paprika (sprinkle more on top at the end)
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1 cup canned pumkin puree
• 1/2 – 1 cup 2% or whole milk (add 1/2 cup first, than can add more if want more creamy)
• 2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup freshly shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
• garnish with fresh parsley, grated parmesan cheese, and paprika (optional)

How to Make Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

First, you will empty 4 cups of unsalted chicken broth to your Instant Pot. If you don’t have chicken broth you can use water, but chicken broth adds a little more flavor. Then add 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter.

Add in 16 ounces of your favorite pasta. My favorite pasta for macaroni and cheese is elbow, shell, or cavatappi. Spread out the pasta so that it is entirely covered under the chicken broth. 

Next you will add in 2 Tbsp butter and the spices. I use 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons pepper, 1 teaspoon ground mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. I also add in 1 teaspoon of hot sauce and 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard. The seasonings and condiments add zesty flavoring to the mac and cheese, and are not at all spicy. You can alter these options to your families preferred taste.

Close the lid to the Instant Pot. You will switch on the Seal valve, and turn it on Pressure Cooker >> Set timer to 4 minutes >> Press Start.

Right after the timer goes off, switch the Seal tab >> to Vent. BE CAREFUL with the steam coming out of the vent, it is hot!

Open up your Instant Pot and stir the pasta. Add in 1 cup of canned pumpkin, 1 cup of 2% or whole milk (you can add in 1/2 a cup first, then add more for added creaminess). Next add in freshly shredded orange and white sharp cheddar cheese. Make sure to use FRESHLY shredded cheese, as it will mix in a lot easier.

Stir all ingredients until well combined. Make sure to stir immediately after adding ingredients for easy mixing. You want the pasta to still be steaming hot when mixing all the ingredients together.

Transfer to a plate and garnish with freshly chopped parsley, grated parmesan cheese and paprika. These are optional, but add tasty flavors to the mac and cheese!

Tips and Tricks for Making Homemade Mac and Cheese

• Shred your own cheese Use freshly shredded cheese instead of cheese from a package. Freshly shredded cheese will mix and melt easier. 
• Mix different cheeses – Add a variety of cheeses for a more creamy cheesy macaroni. I like mixing medium cheddar and sharp white cheddar, or adding in gouda cheese.
• Add spices and condiments – For added zesty flavor, add in hot sauce, dijon mustard, and paprika to the mac and cheese
• Use chicken broth instead of water when cooking the pasta. Use low sodium for less salt.
• Make it a main course meal by adding cubed ham or ground beef to the macaroni and cheese. 

Easy One Pot Recipe: Pumpkin Pasta

 

Cooking delicious mac and cheese from home doesn’t get any easier than this! I am hooked on making homemade macaroni and cheese in the Instant Pot now. What’s your favorite recipe to cook in the Instant Pot? I hope you will try our pumpkin mac and cheese recipe! 

Happy instant pot cooking!