The essence of fall comes together in this easy to make creamy spread. Slather it on toast, biscuits, waffles or top oatmeal. You can make this stovetop condiment with Homemade Pumpkin Puree or store-bought. This Pumpkin Butter recipe is freezer-friendly and makes a generous gift. This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and easily 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?
It’s so good slathered on Sourdough Biscuits, swirled into Creamy Oatmeal or topped on pancakes!
This Recipe Is
- no *too* sweet
- creamy and silky
- tastes like Fall!
If you enjoy making homemade condiment recipes, and love pumpkin, you’ll enjoy this simple recipe.
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How to Make Pumpkin Butter
Step by Step
About the Key Ingredients
- Fresh Pumpkin puree – make with homemade or canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie).
- Brown Sugar – I like dark brown for maximum flavor. It has richer molasses flavor than light brown, but either can be used.
- Unsweetened Apple Juice or Apple Cider – aids in flavor and assists in loosening the pumpkin puree for cooking.
- Maple Syrup – adds naturally sweet earthy flavor. Use pure maple syrup for best flavor.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – if you keep PPS on hand, you can use it, or try my homemade mix of Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, and Ginger (on the recipe card).
Make Roasted Pumpkin Puree to use in this recipe and learn how to make homemade seasoned Roasted Pumpkin Seeds!
Traci’s Tips
- Moisture Content: Note cooking time may need to be adjusted due to variations in moisture content in pumpkin puree. The more moisture, the longer the cooking 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.
Easy Pumpkin Butter Recipe
Servings:3 Cups
Calories:248kcal
The essence of fall comes together in the creamy spread. Slather it on toast, biscuits, waffles or top oatmeal. Pumpkin butter is freezer-friendly and makes a generous gift. This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.*See blog post for the many ways to enjoy Pumpkin Butter!
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.
Notes
*I use fresh puree in this recipe, but canned pumpkin works well too. Use about two cans. Note cooking time may need to be adjusted due to variation in moisture content.
**I’ve made this recipe with coconut sugar before, in the same quantity and it’s good, but not as sweet as with brown sugar. If subbing coconut sugar, I suggest increasing the coconut sugar to taste.
***All the spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger can be subbed for 1 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice!
Recipe adapted from All Recipes.
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 117mg | Potassium: 547mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 31774IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 3mg
Made It? Leave a comment below! The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications and/or helping other commenters. On Instagram? Take a snap of your make and share, tagging @VanillaAndBean #VanillaAndBean!
My kiddos and I simply adore this creamy pumpkin butter! I especially like that it’s vegan and gluten free. Plus, the recipe is really easy to follow. We prefer to spread it on toasts and biscuits or sometimes add this to our oatmeal. Tastes like heaven. I believe even those who hate pumpkin spice wouldn’t resist this butter. Btw, thank you so much for suggesting some other delicious ways to use this recipe. I love your ideas to dollop this on top of pancakes and dip sliced apples into it.
Thank you for such an informative post and all of the useful tips Traci! I’m your big fan!
Hiii Ann! Thank you for your note, rating and review! SO happy to hear y’all are enjoying the pumpkin butter. Isn’t it sooo nice in oatmeal? And of course biscuits! One of my favorite ways too! :D
Hello! What else should we use instead of maple syrup?
Hey there! You can use more brown sugar to taste or agave nectar. The recipe is pretty flexible. I hope this helps. ☺️
Hiii!
Quick pumpkin butter question ~ I’d love to make this for gifts. Some will be shipped out and take 4-7 days to reach their destination. Too long to be out of the fridge/freezer, you think?? And just how long do you think it could safely last without being in the fridge or freezer (maybe I could expedite shipping ;) )!! Thank you so much for sharing with us all :)
Hi Arvie! What a generous and delicious gift! However, I don’t recommend shipping this pumpkin butter as it is not shelf stable. It needs to stay refrigerated or frozen for food safety purposes. Perishable food should not be left unrefrigerated for more than two hours per FDA. I hope this helps!
Yeah, I was pretty sure I knew that! But was secretly hoping! Haha!!! Thank you tons :)
Have you thought about shipping it with dry ice? I know I’ve received things needing to be frozen ir refrigerated and they used dry ice.
I love pumpkin butter. Thank you for the recipe. I can’t wait to try it. It’s always delicious on toast or english muffins
Your welcome Amy! I love it too… on english muffins?! Oh my!! Yessss!! :D
I was about to swear off from making anymore pumpkin-flavored things this year as I went a little overboard the past few weeks.. but this recipe looks so delicious that I think I’m going to have to accept the fact that pumpkins will be a part of my daily food pyramid all throughout fall (and maybe winter, depending on how long the pumpkin butter lasts!)
I love your comparisons between lessons learned in yoga & eating this pumpkin butter– I can’t wait to practice all of my restraint in not consuming multiple spoonfuls of the butter right after I make it! I’ve been dabbling in yoga for the past few years, but I would love to make it a more consistent part of my life.
Thank you for sharing this with the rest of the world!
Oh I hear ya, Lauren! I feel like I’ve been eating pumpkin in some form every day since it’s come into season this year. I just love it! Hahaa!! Daily food pyramid!! :D Me too! No doubt, it’s a goal of mine too to make sure yoga is a more consistent part of my life. It’s so good for us! You welcome and thank YOU for sharing! :D
Can’t wait to try this!! ???
This pumpkin butter looks amazing! Seems like the perfect thing to add to a slice of toast for dessert! Definitely can relate on the yoga front as well, but you have inspired me to give it another go!
What a great recipe to find in my inbox this morning! My mouth is watering. Beautiful photos – you’ve really captured that lovely, deep pumpkin color – I can almost smell Autumn coming out of my laptop! Thanks Traci, looking forward to trying this over the weekend!
STEF
Traci – I love pumpkin butter, it’s like spreading pumpkin pie on my toast. I was given a yoga mat for Christmas last year and have yet to take it out of the original packaging! I believe it’s time. Life is prompting me because it’s the fourth time this week the subject has come up. I thank you.
Sue Blando
Oh yes! Pumpkin pie on toast! Excellent, Sue! I love how subtle hints from the Universe seem to nudge us.. sounds like it IS time to take that yoga mat out of it’s packaging! :D