The essence of fall comes together in this easy to make creamy spread. Slather it on toast, biscuits, waffles or top Creamy Oatmeal. This Pumpkin Butter recipe is freezer-friendly and makes a generous gift. This recipe is vegetarian, vegan + gluten free.
Pumpkin Butter; a Must Make for Fall
A quick recipe to whip up and so delicious to have on hand for slathering on all the things, homemade pumpkin butter is easy to make and freezer friendly! It has the consistency of apple butter, is naturally dairy free and tastes like pumpkin pie filling. Ummmmm… are you with me?
Use it as a condiment like you would jam, sauce or chutney. Here are some ways to enjoy it:
- Slather it on Sourdough Biscuits
- Swirl it into Creamy Oatmeal
- Dollop on top of Oatmeal Sourdough Pancakes, Sourdough Vegan Pancakes or Gluten Free Sourdough Pancakes
- Spread it on English muffins
- Spread it on Banana Pecan Oat Waffles
- Dip fresh sliced apples into it
- Swirl it into oatmeal or Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
- Stir it into your French toast custard
- Swirl it into Greek yogurt or ice cream.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The simplest ingredients! Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe (see recipe card for details):
• Fresh Pumpkin puree – make with homemade pumpkin purree or canned
• Brown Sugar – I like dark brown for maximum flavor
• Apple Juice or Apple Cider – unsweetened
• Maple Syrup – pure maple syrup for best flavor
• Pumpkin Pie Spice or Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, and Ginger
• Vanilla Extract
• Lemon Juice
Quick Guide: How to Make Pumpkin Butter
Stocking the freezer ensures year-long slathering of this Fall treat. In summary, here’s how to make it (see recipe card for details):
- First, whisk together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, apple juice, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and sea salt. Set heat to medium, bring to a low simmer and stir frequently.
- Next, reduce the heat to low, lid the pot and cook stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes or until thickened.
- Last, remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and spoon into jars. Refrigerate until ready to use. Pumpkin butter will thicken as it cools.
If you’re passing the fridge and need a quick treat, I won’t judge (wink).
Pumpkin Butter Recipe FAQs
How long does it last?
I’ve stored pumpkin butter up to one week in the fridge with good results, up to a year in the freezer!
Does pumpkin butter need to be refrigerated?
Yes! Because it’s perishable, refrigerate or freeze your pumpkin butter.
Can you can pumpkin butter?
I was curious about canning this sweet Fall treat, so I referenced my great grandmother’s 1935 Ball Blue Book of Canning. It recommended canning pureed pumpkin in a water bath for three hours. However, times have changed and we now know more about food safety. Upon checking further, the USDA does not recommend canning pumpkin puree.
So make room in the freezer; pumpkin butter freezes in individual lidded jars beautifully. And it makes a gift your friends and family will wrangle each other for.
A Few Recipe Notes
- Note cooking time may need to be adjusted due to variation in moisture content in pumpkin puree. The more moisture, the longer the cook time. I find homemade pumpkin puree to have more moisture than canned.
- Rather use coconut sugar? Use the same recipe subbing coconut sugar for brown sugar. It’s not as sweet as brown sugar, so I suggest increasing the coconut sugar to taste.
- Looking to can this recipe? The National Center for Home Food Preservation does not recommend canning pumpkin butter.
- Freezer friendly? Yes please! Freeze in lidded containers for up to six months!
More Pumpkin Recipes to Love
- Pumpkin Pecan Bundt Cake with Chocolate Maple Drizzle
- Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
- Pumpkin Porridge
- Pumpkin Chili
- Pumpkin Scones with Maple Drizzle
- Homemade Pumpkin Seeds
Related: Make Roasted Pumpkin Puree to use in this recipe and learn how to make homemade seasoned Roasted Pumpkin Seeds!
Easy Pumpkin Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 C (565g) Pumpkin Puree * homemade or canned, not pumpkin pie
- 1/4 C (52g) Dark Brown Sugar**
- 1/2 C (130g) Apple Juice unsweetened
- 1/4 C (75g) Maple Syrup
- 1 tsp Cinnamon ground***
- 1/4 tsp Cloves ground
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg ground
- 1/4 tsp Ginger ground
- 2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract
- 1/8 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pot with lid, whisk together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, apple juice, maple syrup, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla and sea salt. Set heat to medium and stir occasionally.
- When the pumpkin butter begins to sputter and spit, put the lid on the pot, turn the burner to low and cook for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. The pumpkin butter will turn a darker color and begin to thicken the longer it cooks. I find canned pumpkin puree to be dryer than homemade pumpkin pure. The more moisture the puree has the longer it will need to cook.
- Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Place in covered container or jars. Refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze for up to six months. The pumpkin butter will continue to thicken as it cools.
