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This Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup recipe is super quick and easy to make in the pressure cooker, it’s naturally gluten-free and vegan, and it’s full of the best fall flavors that everyone will love! (This post contains affiliate links.)
This one goes out to all of my Instant Pot fans out there!
We’ve had loads of requests ever since this magical pressure cooker hit the market for tips on how to adapt my favorite Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup recipe for the Instant Pot. And with good reason — why wait 4-8 hours for this cozy soup to cook when it could be ready from start to finish in about 30 minutes instead?!
Like I said…magic. ✨✨✨
Seriously, this continues to be one of my all-time favorite soup recipes, and thousands of readers have made it over the years and agreed as well. So grab your pressure cookers and let’s make a batch…in an “instant”!
This butternut squash soup recipe actually hails from my mom, who first made it for our family when everyone was back home in Wichita a few Thanksgivings ago. It’s loaded up with lots of fall favorites — hearty butternut squash, tart Granny smith apples, a (surprise!) carrot, and some extra garlic and sage for seasonings. It’s also made extra creamy with coconut milk, although you’re welcome to sub in heavy cream or any other kind of milk that you prefer.
To make the soup in the Instant Pot (<– this is the model I own), just pop the beginning ingredients in there together and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Then, there’s no need to wait for the natural release. Just (very carefully) turn the valve to “venting” for a quick release. Then remove the sage, add in the coconut milk, puree with a blender (or immersion blender) until smooth and creamy, taste, season…
…and if you feel like adding an extra touch, drizzle some extra coconut milk on top and sprinkle with some fresh herbs or pumpkin seeds or a sprinkle of seasoning (smoked paprika, cinnamon, cayenne, you pick).
And within about 30 minutes, this gorgeous meal will be yours to enjoy. It’s so warm and hearty and comforting, it’s full of ingredients you can feel great about, and it is just SO amazingly good. Every time.
This delicious Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup recipe is quick and easy to make in the pressure cooker, it’s naturally gluten-free and vegan, and it’s SO comforting and delicious! Feel free to add in more cayenne if you would like an extra kick.
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, or more to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg
1/2 cup canned (unsweetened) coconut milk
optional garnishes: extra coconut milk and a sprinkle of smoked paprika (or cayenne pepper)
Instructions
Add vegetable stock, garlic, carrot, apple, butternut squash, sage, onion, salt, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg to an Instant Pot pressure cooker. Toss to combine. Close lid securely and set vent to “Sealing”.
Press “Manual”, then press “Pressure” until the light on “High Pressure” lights up, then adjust the +/- buttons until time reads 8 minutes. Cook. Then very carefully, turn the vent to “Venting” for quick release, and wait until all of the steam has released and the valve has dropped. Remove the lid.
Remove and discard the sage. Stir in the coconut milk.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. (Or you can transfer the soup in two batches into a traditional blender, and puree until smooth, being very careful when working with the hot liquid.) Taste, and season with additional salt, pepper and cayenne if needed.
Serve warm, with optional garnishes if desired.
Notes
*A medium-sized butternut squash should weigh around 3-4 pounds.
Wow. Yum! and so easy! I didn’t have an apple so I used some apple juice. Used coconut milk powder instead of the milk (that’s what I had on hand) Omitted cayenne. Added curry powder to individual bowl to taste (my daughter won’t touch curry). Omg.
I threw everything in the pot at my lunchtime break, set it to go on at 4:45. Easy, quick dinner!
The soup is still cooling, I’ve not even blended it yet, but had to tell you how impressed I am by this recipe! Wow, wow, wow! It’s the best I’ve made by far, thank you so much for sharing it!!! Once cooled and blended I plan to try it a few different ways: plain, with some sweet smoked paprika, and with some roasted pumpkin seeds.
Wow!
Sonny —
Great recipe! Thank you so much. My wife recently bought an Instant Pot and this was my first time making butternut squash. I found your recipe online and gave it a try. It was a big success and easy to follow. I’m making it again for a big belated family Thanksgiving party. Can’t wait to hear the reactions.
I need to make this for weekend getaway in advance, wondering if I could freeze it in bricks right after
I puree the vegetables and not add the cream/coconut milk until I heat it up later on ? never frozen squash ?
MG —
Another recipe recommended freezing it flat in your freezer to take up less room and when needed, defrost in frig overnight
This Butternut squash soup is DELICIOUS!!! I made it in my InstantPot, it was quick, easy and really tasty! I will definitely be making this again and again.
I added the entire can of coconut milk just because. OMG is right. I filled 3 quart jars and a good size bowl for lunch tomorrow. I shouldn’t have canned though- these won’t last the week. I am going to share with my family asap. Didn’t have the cayenne on hand but put in a pinch pf red pepper flakes. Yum + a kick! Love it! Thanks SO much for the recipe!
I made this, with a few changes, and it came out FANTASTIC.
I had no veggie broth, so I used chicken. When I went to get my onions, well, they weren’t usable, so, no onions either ! I also used sage powder instead. I added 1/2 of a cream cheese brick and the coconut milk cause my boys don’t like it thick. and finally, I used grated ginger
This was delicious. I didn’t have any fresh or dried sage so I omitted that. I also used chicken stock instead of vegetable. I also swapped coconut milk with heavy cream. So quick and easy!!
We bought farm fresh vegetables and apples this morning and turned it into this soup this evening. It was a hit. Easy to make, beautiful colour and delicious flavours. I will definitely be making this recipe a regular part of my fall recipe collection.
So good! I put in a few shakes of dried sage instead of the sprig since I didn’t have it. The spice and the tangy apple go together wonderfully! Fantastic with smoked paprika on it. This is my new go-to recipe m.
This is the best butternut squash soup I have made. Absolutely delicious! I don’t have an immersion blender, so I ran three batches through my vitamix Also, I used a whole can of unsweetened coconut milk. I will take this to Thanksgiving dinner to share with my family :-)
I made this last night. It was super easy and delicious. The texture of the soup was nice and velvety. The flavor was great. As I’m writing this, I realize I left out the carrot. I didn’t have a granny Smith so I used a golden delicious. Thanks for sharing. I’m thinking about making the broccoli cheese soup next.
I usually roast my butternut squash prior to making soup, but gave this instant pot recipe a try just the way it was written and I was blown away with how good it was. A tasty rich soup. This recipe is a keeper!
Absolutely delightful!! However, whoever put in prep time is not being honest. This took me roughly an hour and a half to two hours to prepare. You have to first peel and cut the squash. Then you have to peel and chop the apple which is fairly quick to do and then you have to peel and chop the carrot which once again is Fairly quick to do but between cutting the squash which is not quick to do and then puréeing it at the end of cooking time in the Insta pot, you’re looking at 90 minutes to 2 hours
Just made this recipe and I am amazed and how delicious this is! It’s truly the best butternut squash soup that I’ve ever had and the ingredients are so simple and cheap :) can’t go wrong here, I’ll be eating this all winter season!
This is my son’s favorite soup. This recipe makes it so easy to make.
Corinne —
Wow I never review but feel so strongly about how good this turned out. First of all the instant pot makes this so much easier than stirring and watching the soup. I didn’t have all the Ingredients but made it work with what I had. I added two small sweet potatoes and 4 carrots. I didn’t have onion or coconut milk so I just used half and half. I added a little curry powder at the end. It is somehow so sweet and delicious without any added sweetener. Like another reviewer I love the Panera squash soup but this one is so much healthier. And love that it was an easy clean up! Thanks for this winner!
I used this recipe for my 1st use of my Instant Pot and new Immersion Blender. It blew me away! I have to be honest I bought pre-cut butternut squash, 2 bags 1 pound each. Then once I made it I noticed the notation at the end of the recipe a medium squash equals 3-4 pounds. So I had to go back to the store to pick up 2 more 1 pound bags. Cooked that and mixed it in with the batch I previously made. It turned out great! I barely had enough to share with friends but everyone loved it. 4 days later I’m making another batch!
Unfortunately I was distracted during the final moments of getting this into the pressure cooker that I added the coconut/half and half before pressurizing.
Would that have ruined the soup? Altered the taste?
Should I toss it?
Melissa —
I just did the same thing. I hope it turns out ok!
Meredith —
I did the same thing! Waiting to see how it turns out.
I have made this over and over again. I use the instant pot version because it is so quick and easy. Tastes amazing! Everyone loves it! Thanks so much for the delicious and healthy recipe!! I’ll never need another butternut squash soup recipe.
Had a freshly picked butternut squash from a local pumpkin farm just waiting to be used. So instead of my usual butternut squash risotto, I made this soup recipe and wow, wow, wow, it’s delicious and super easy to make. Thankfully I have wonderful kitchen knives so I used a Sanduko knife to peel and cube the squash which worked out effortlessly and quickly. I didn’t have an onion so added chopped dry McCormick – I will caramelize and add one next time. I also added sweet paprika, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon all at a 1/4 tsp and the flavor of this soup is outstanding, thank you very much for creating and sharing!!
My sister introduced me to this recipe two years ago and I look forward to eating it dry fall. Last year we both brought it to the same dinner. I love cayenne so we add more. So delicious
Delicious! I make this soup often because it’s so good! It freezes well too. I make it in my instant pot just as the recipe says. It turns out great every time. I wish the nutritional info was included.
We love this recipe! We make it once every couple of months and always do a double batch and throw some in the freezer. We love adding a bit of cumin to go with the apple. Lovely!
Very delicious! I used some delicata squash found at Trader Joe’s instead of butternut (a very yummy squash).
My peeler wasn’t up to the task, so it took quite a bit longer to prep than the 12 minutes advertised. (Luckily, the rest of the veggies and apple took much less time to prepare) but the instant pot did its magic, and our nutri bullet made the soup nice and smooth.
Very good!I
I used a 2 lb. bag of cubed butternut squash from the grocery store and a 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce because I didn’t have an apple. Also added a red bell pepper I had in my fridge. Used about a half teaspoon of rubbed safe instead of a sprig, and used 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes because I didn’t have cayenne. Didn’t have coconut milk so I used heavy cream (a little more than 1/2 a cup) and then everything else called for in the recipe. First time making it and it was delicious. Next time I will try the true recipe to compare.
We love this soup at our house! It’s soooo good. It’s not too sweet. Overall, I feel like it’s flavors are complex and layered! We sprinkle some pumpkin seeds on top. Yum!!! I’ve made this twice now and it’s been a hit both times.
1st recipe I made with my new instapot duo and I have to say it was fantastic! Looking forward to enjoying it for the next few days! Thank you for sharing!
Absolutely delicious! I used chicken stock and omitted sage (because I didn’t have any on hand). Sautéed the onions on 2 tablespoons of butter before adding the other ingredients. Topped with extra coconut milk, fresh cilantro and lime Yum!
I made this last night for dinner and it was really good. I didn’t have any sage, and I decided to forgo the cayenne this time, but it was great without them. I think I will add in a little curry powder next time. Excellent recipe. Super easy. I will be definitely making this again.
SUCH A DELICIOUS RECIPE. Oh man if you haven’t tried this, TRY IT!! I’m not a huge cook, but I’ve been trying to get better. I’m a newly married wife and I’m trying to make more healthy meals for my husband. I’ve made butternut squash soup before but not in an instapot and not with this recipe. It didn’t turn out that great the first time. I decided to try making it again with this recipe and I fell in love. It was my first recipe using an Insta pot and it’s so easy. I’m so grateful to the person who made this recipe. They’ve made me like cooking and making homemade meals.
Excellent soup! It smelled so delicious as soon as I opened the instant pot! I garnished it with some sesame salt and it worked perfectly with the flavors. Thanks for this delicious recipe!
Anyone know carb count per cup
I thought that this soup was fantastic. The Cayenne was strong, but I loved it. I would not change a thing.
Wow. Yum! and so easy! I didn’t have an apple so I used some apple juice. Used coconut milk powder instead of the milk (that’s what I had on hand) Omitted cayenne. Added curry powder to individual bowl to taste (my daughter won’t touch curry). Omg.
I threw everything in the pot at my lunchtime break, set it to go on at 4:45. Easy, quick dinner!
The soup is still cooling, I’ve not even blended it yet, but had to tell you how impressed I am by this recipe! Wow, wow, wow! It’s the best I’ve made by far, thank you so much for sharing it!!! Once cooled and blended I plan to try it a few different ways: plain, with some sweet smoked paprika, and with some roasted pumpkin seeds.
Wow!
Great recipe! Thank you so much. My wife recently bought an Instant Pot and this was my first time making butternut squash. I found your recipe online and gave it a try. It was a big success and easy to follow. I’m making it again for a big belated family Thanksgiving party. Can’t wait to hear the reactions.
How many servings?
The top of the recipe states 6-8 servings.
I plan to make this today because it sounds so good and simple! Looking forward to tasting it.
I made the recipe exactly except I added a red bell pepper for more depth of color. It is amazing!
This is the first recipe I made in my new Instant Pot and it was fantastic!
I need to make this for weekend getaway in advance, wondering if I could freeze it in bricks right after
I puree the vegetables and not add the cream/coconut milk until I heat it up later on ? never frozen squash ?
Another recipe recommended freezing it flat in your freezer to take up less room and when needed, defrost in frig overnight
This Butternut squash soup is DELICIOUS!!! I made it in my InstantPot, it was quick, easy and really tasty! I will definitely be making this again and again.
I added the entire can of coconut milk just because. OMG is right. I filled 3 quart jars and a good size bowl for lunch tomorrow. I shouldn’t have canned though- these won’t last the week. I am going to share with my family asap. Didn’t have the cayenne on hand but put in a pinch pf red pepper flakes. Yum + a kick! Love it! Thanks SO much for the recipe!
It …. was….. AMAZING!!!!! Thank you so much for making this available, my family loved it!
I made this, with a few changes, and it came out FANTASTIC.
I had no veggie broth, so I used chicken. When I went to get my onions, well, they weren’t usable, so, no onions either ! I also used sage powder instead. I added 1/2 of a cream cheese brick and the coconut milk cause my boys don’t like it thick. and finally, I used grated ginger
Phew! But, it was QUICK and DELICIOUS.
This was delicious. I didn’t have any fresh or dried sage so I omitted that. I also used chicken stock instead of vegetable. I also swapped coconut milk with heavy cream. So quick and easy!!
We bought farm fresh vegetables and apples this morning and turned it into this soup this evening. It was a hit. Easy to make, beautiful colour and delicious flavours. I will definitely be making this recipe a regular part of my fall recipe collection.
The entire family loved it! And sooo easy!
So good! I put in a few shakes of dried sage instead of the sprig since I didn’t have it. The spice and the tangy apple go together wonderfully! Fantastic with smoked paprika on it. This is my new go-to recipe m.
This is the best butternut squash soup I have made. Absolutely delicious! I don’t have an immersion blender, so I ran three batches through my vitamix Also, I used a whole can of unsweetened coconut milk. I will take this to Thanksgiving dinner to share with my family :-)
Made it for dinner and it’s amazing! I love Panera’s butternut squash soup and this one was better!
Wow! This was SOOO good! My husband even said that it was the best soup I’d ever made. Very filling and yummy! Thanks for the recipe!
I made this last night. It was super easy and delicious. The texture of the soup was nice and velvety. The flavor was great. As I’m writing this, I realize I left out the carrot. I didn’t have a granny Smith so I used a golden delicious. Thanks for sharing. I’m thinking about making the broccoli cheese soup next.
I usually roast my butternut squash prior to making soup, but gave this instant pot recipe a try just the way it was written and I was blown away with how good it was. A tasty rich soup. This recipe is a keeper!
Is this a sweet soup? I like my butternut soup sweet. Would using sweetened coconut milk ruin it?
Absolutely delightful!! However, whoever put in prep time is not being honest. This took me roughly an hour and a half to two hours to prepare. You have to first peel and cut the squash. Then you have to peel and chop the apple which is fairly quick to do and then you have to peel and chop the carrot which once again is Fairly quick to do but between cutting the squash which is not quick to do and then puréeing it at the end of cooking time in the Insta pot, you’re looking at 90 minutes to 2 hours
I’m ready to try this!! Sounds great; my first use of my instant pot!!!
Just made this recipe and I am amazed and how delicious this is! It’s truly the best butternut squash soup that I’ve ever had and the ingredients are so simple and cheap :) can’t go wrong here, I’ll be eating this all winter season!
This is my son’s favorite soup. This recipe makes it so easy to make.
Wow I never review but feel so strongly about how good this turned out. First of all the instant pot makes this so much easier than stirring and watching the soup. I didn’t have all the Ingredients but made it work with what I had. I added two small sweet potatoes and 4 carrots. I didn’t have onion or coconut milk so I just used half and half. I added a little curry powder at the end. It is somehow so sweet and delicious without any added sweetener. Like another reviewer I love the Panera squash soup but this one is so much healthier. And love that it was an easy clean up! Thanks for this winner!
The BEST!!! DELICIOUS and so fast and easy.
I used this recipe for my 1st use of my Instant Pot and new Immersion Blender. It blew me away! I have to be honest I bought pre-cut butternut squash, 2 bags 1 pound each. Then once I made it I noticed the notation at the end of the recipe a medium squash equals 3-4 pounds. So I had to go back to the store to pick up 2 more 1 pound bags. Cooked that and mixed it in with the batch I previously made. It turned out great! I barely had enough to share with friends but everyone loved it. 4 days later I’m making another batch!
Unfortunately I was distracted during the final moments of getting this into the pressure cooker that I added the coconut/half and half before pressurizing.
Would that have ruined the soup? Altered the taste?
Should I toss it?
I just did the same thing. I hope it turns out ok!
I did the same thing! Waiting to see how it turns out.
This soup is delicious! Only thing I did was add 1 celery stick & fresh ginger. Will add this to my recipe book. Thank you!!!
I have made this over and over again. I use the instant pot version because it is so quick and easy. Tastes amazing! Everyone loves it! Thanks so much for the delicious and healthy recipe!! I’ll never need another butternut squash soup recipe.
Had a freshly picked butternut squash from a local pumpkin farm just waiting to be used. So instead of my usual butternut squash risotto, I made this soup recipe and wow, wow, wow, it’s delicious and super easy to make. Thankfully I have wonderful kitchen knives so I used a Sanduko knife to peel and cube the squash which worked out effortlessly and quickly. I didn’t have an onion so added chopped dry McCormick – I will caramelize and add one next time. I also added sweet paprika, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon all at a 1/4 tsp and the flavor of this soup is outstanding, thank you very much for creating and sharing!!
My sister introduced me to this recipe two years ago and I look forward to eating it dry fall. Last year we both brought it to the same dinner. I love cayenne so we add more. So delicious
I don’t have coconut milk will something else work?
Sure, you’re welcome to use half and half or cream instead. :)
I love this. I have made it in a crockpot numerous times!
Used cubed squash from Trader Joe’s and didn’t peel the apple. No need. Amazing.
Delicious! I make this soup often because it’s so good! It freezes well too. I make it in my instant pot just as the recipe says. It turns out great every time. I wish the nutritional info was included.
We love this recipe! We make it once every couple of months and always do a double batch and throw some in the freezer. We love adding a bit of cumin to go with the apple. Lovely!
The coconut milk makes it! Loved this recipe!
Do you think this would work with frozen squash? I bought a jumbo bag at Costco that I would love to use up!
If I use frozen squash do I just get 3lbs worth and does it change the timing?
Would this still all fit in the InstantPot if I were to double the recipe? I have a 5 L/10 cup InstantPot (not sure how many quarts).
Very delicious! I used some delicata squash found at Trader Joe’s instead of butternut (a very yummy squash).
My peeler wasn’t up to the task, so it took quite a bit longer to prep than the 12 minutes advertised. (Luckily, the rest of the veggies and apple took much less time to prepare) but the instant pot did its magic, and our nutri bullet made the soup nice and smooth.
Very good!I
I used a 2 lb. bag of cubed butternut squash from the grocery store and a 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce because I didn’t have an apple. Also added a red bell pepper I had in my fridge. Used about a half teaspoon of rubbed safe instead of a sprig, and used 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes because I didn’t have cayenne. Didn’t have coconut milk so I used heavy cream (a little more than 1/2 a cup) and then everything else called for in the recipe. First time making it and it was delicious. Next time I will try the true recipe to compare.
We love this soup at our house! It’s soooo good. It’s not too sweet. Overall, I feel like it’s flavors are complex and layered! We sprinkle some pumpkin seeds on top. Yum!!! I’ve made this twice now and it’s been a hit both times.
Loved this soup!
1st recipe I made with my new instapot duo and I have to say it was fantastic! Looking forward to enjoying it for the next few days! Thank you for sharing!
Absolutely delicious! I used chicken stock and omitted sage (because I didn’t have any on hand). Sautéed the onions on 2 tablespoons of butter before adding the other ingredients. Topped with extra coconut milk, fresh cilantro and lime Yum!
I made this last night for dinner and it was really good. I didn’t have any sage, and I decided to forgo the cayenne this time, but it was great without them. I think I will add in a little curry powder next time. Excellent recipe. Super easy. I will be definitely making this again.
SUCH A DELICIOUS RECIPE. Oh man if you haven’t tried this, TRY IT!! I’m not a huge cook, but I’ve been trying to get better. I’m a newly married wife and I’m trying to make more healthy meals for my husband. I’ve made butternut squash soup before but not in an instapot and not with this recipe. It didn’t turn out that great the first time. I decided to try making it again with this recipe and I fell in love. It was my first recipe using an Insta pot and it’s so easy. I’m so grateful to the person who made this recipe. They’ve made me like cooking and making homemade meals.
Excellent soup! It smelled so delicious as soon as I opened the instant pot! I garnished it with some sesame salt and it worked perfectly with the flavors. Thanks for this delicious recipe!