This easy Pumpkin Butter recipe is a fall staple. A sweet, creamy, thick spread that's full of autumnal spices, ready in 30 minutes, and tastes like pumpkin pie in a jar!
It's perfect for your breakfast toast or muffin, as a topping for oatmeal, yogurt, or ice cream, and a great addition to baked goods. If you're into pumpkin, this is for you!
If you're anything like me, one of the best parts of fall is all the yummy goodies flavored with pumpkin. Delicious baked goods like Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Dump Cake, and Pumpkin Pie as well as drinks like Pumpkin Lattes and Pumpkin Spice White Russians.
But the first I heard of Pumpkin Butter was when I bought a jar of Trader Joes' Pumpkin Butter and fell head over heels in love with it. That's when I knew I had to try making it myself. And it turned out homemade pumpkin butter was as easy as pie and even more delicious.
Table of contents
It's just a matter of mixing all the simple ingredients together in a saucepan and boiling it down so that it thickens and becomes spreadable. The entire process takes only 20-30 minutes and the aromas wafting through the kitchen are an added bonus.
What is Pumpkin Butter
It's a condiment made from pumpkin puree, fall spices, and a sweetener. It has a creamy, thick consistency and is a pumpkin's version of apple butter. The spread is great on toast or muffins as well as a topping for oatmeal or yogurt. Oh heck, you can even eat it by the spoonful right from the jar!
Homemade Pumpkin Butter Uses
Imagine a spread that tastes like fall in a jar. Now think about all the things this pumpkin spice butter would taste great on.
Think breakfast with toast, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, and French Toast. Not to mention pumpkin lattes, as a topping for ice cream or a filling for cakes. You can even mix it with mascarpone or cream cheese to use as a dip for apples and pears. I even have a new love - Pumpkin Sauce for pasta! Yep, it's even for dinner!
Frequently Asked Questions
Pumpkin Butter is not a dairy product. It primarily consists of pumpkin puree, warm autumnal spices, and a sweetener such as sugar or maple syrup.
Use it as a spread on toast, muffins, pancakes, waffles, and French Toast. Use as a topping for ice cream, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and yogurt. Bake with it as a swirl or filling or turn it into a pasta sauce.
Homemade Pumpkin Butter will keep 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator.
Yes, you can. If you are going to keep it longer than a few weeks, put it into an airtight container (with some room left for expansion) or even a resealable plastic bag and freeze. It will keep for up to a year.
This totally dairy-free butter has a lot to offer. It is high in fiber and rich in beta-carotene which converts to Vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is good for eye, skin, and immune health. Lessening the sugar content will up the health quotient as well.
It is not recommended to can pumpkin butter due to its low acidity level. Store it in the refrigerator or freeze it.
Variations
This pumpkin butter recipe is easily adaptable to your family's tastes. Just look at what the addition of a few different ingredients can do.
Maple Pumpkin Butter - increase the maple syrup to ⅓ cup and omit the apple cider
Apple Pumpkin Butter - add 1-2 lbs of apples to pumpkin puree along with spices and apple cider and cook in a crockpot for 6 hours on low.
Spicy Pumpkin Butter - just ups the nutmeg or ground cloves in the mixture. Try adding ⅛ teaspoon of either and adjust seasoning at the end. It will actually make the butter sweeter and give it a slight bite. Use these spices sparingly.
Nutty Pumpkin Butter - for a little crunch add chopped toasted pecans or almonds.
Ingredients
- Pumpkin Puree - is the base of this pumpkin butter. Make sure to use pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. However, you can make it with fresh pumpkin but why bother as the puree is easier to use and tastes even better.
- Brown Sugar & Maple Syrup - are the sweeteners for the butter. The brown sugar imparts a molasses-y flavor while the syrup rounds it out with maple undertones.
- Apple Cider - adds more depth of flavor as well as bringing some added sweetness.
- Lemon Juice - brightens up all the flavors
- Pumpkin Pie Spice - brings the warm autumnal flavors most associated with pumpkin pie. I like to add extra cinnamon for added sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract - helps blend all the flavors together for a smoother taste.
- Salt - just a pinch will take this pumpkin butter from bland to grand!
How to Make
- Place a can of pumpkin puree a large saucepan.
- Add reamining ingredients - brown sugar, apple cider, maple syrup, lemon juice, pumpkin pie spice, salt and vanilla extract.
- Stir together, bring to boil and cook for about 20 minutes.
- Notice how thick the butter is at the end of cooking. You should be able to make a path with it. It will also continue to thicken as it cools so no need to overcook it.
Wait until you taste the deliciousness with your first bite. You'll wonder why you waited so long to make this homemade pumpkin butter recipe a part of your fall routine.
This spread will not only be a new family favorite but makes great gifts for the holidays too. It's both gluten-free and vegan and, by omitting the brown sugar and upping the maple syrup, is also paleo-friendly. Don't wait any longer, power walk to the kitchen and dive into this sweet treat. Enjoy!
More Pumpkin Recipes
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins are moist, delicious muffins, full of pumpkin flavor, stuffed with chocolate chips and topped with loads of crumbs.
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal is a healthy, easy to prepare breakfast, full of pumpkin flavor, fall spices, and plenty of protein and fiber,
Turkey Pumpkin Chili from Everyday Delicious is a stew packed with pumpkin and fall flavors.
No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake is a light and fluffy dessert with a delicious spiced pumpkin cheesecake filling set on a chocolate cookie crust.
Find more fall recipes on 2CM!
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Pumpkin Butter
Ingredients
- 1 can pumpkin puree, 15-ounces
- ¼-⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- ⅜ cup apple cider
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.
- Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently. It will start to thicken as it simmers.
- Let cool then store in covered jar.
- Makes approximately 2 cups.
Notes
Nutrition
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