Fall is in the air and that means pumpkin everything! This recipe for pumpkin butter is a great way to enjoy the taste of pumpkin spice season all year long. It's perfect for spreading on toast, pancakes, or using in recipes.
If you're looking for a delicious and easy way to get your pumpkin spice fix, try it on top of our Pumpkin Pecan Waffles or Air Fryer Frozen Waffles for a real treat!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Pumpkin butter is a condiment made from pumpkin puree, sugar, spice, and apple juice. It has a spreadable consistency and a flavors that are reminiscent of pumpkin pie, or pumpkin spice.
Pumpkin butter can be used in place of normal apple butter, or just eaten plain as a dip for apples or pears. It also makes a great addition to your morning oatmeal or yogurt.
Plus, it's super easy to make at home! All you need is a pumpkin, some sugar, and some spices.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- What is Pumpkin Butter?
- Ingredients
- How to Make Pumpkin Butter
- Serving Suggestions
- Variations
- Equipment
- Storage
- Tips for Success
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Food Safety
- Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
- Connect with Smells Like Delish!
- 📖 Recipe
- Pumpkin Butter Video
What is Pumpkin Butter?
Pumpkin Butter is pretty much the same thing as Apple butter, or Pear butter. It's a fall fruit or vegetable that is pureed and stewed with spices and sugar until it is a thick, spreadable 'jam' condiment.
I use Pumpkin Butter for the filling in my copycat Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights. You can use it to make cookie bars, or just simply use it on pancakes, or toast.
Pumpkin butter is just perfect in the autumn when that cozy pre holiday atmosphere has use looking for everything pumpkin spice.
Ingredients
You probably already have everything on hand to make this recipe sitting in your pantry for this pumpkin butter recipe! Regular canned pumpkin puree, individual spices or a jar of pumpkin pie blend, sugar, and apple juice.
- Pumpkin puree
- Sugar (white, brown, or a mixture of the two)
- Apple juice
- Ginger, ground
- Cloves, ground
- Cinnamon, ground
- Nutmeg, ground
- Pinch of salt
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Pumpkin Butter
Just like when making a pumpkin pie, you can adjust the seasoning in this pumpkin spice flavored pumpkin butter recipe. Adjust the levels of cinnamon, clove, and ginger according to your taste. Keep in mind that the spices do make the pumpkin butter darker the more you add.
Be sure to see in the variation section of this post, our instructions for Crock Pot Pumpkin Butter also!
Pumpkin Puree, Apple Juice, & Spices
- Open the can of pumpkin puree, apple juice, pinch of salt, and spices into a dutch oven pot or a heavy bottomed saucepan. Stir to blend.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Add the Sugar
- You can use regular white sugar, brown sugar, or a combination of the two for the total amount of sugar in the recipe.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Boil and then Simmer
- Bring all the ingredients to a quick boil, stirring constantly. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer, on low. Use a whisk to stir it constantly until the pot stops boiling and settles down to a low simmer. Stir periodically until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Serving Suggestions
Pour the Pumpkin butter into Ball canning jars, and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. You can also use the Ball Hot Water Canning method to process your jars of pumpkin spice Pumpkin butter. The Water Canning method will seal the jars and let you store them in your pantry for up to 18 months.
If you like making your own jams and condiments, be sure to see our Blackberry Preserves and Fig Preserves recipes.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
About Cinnamon
Ceylon cinnamon is best for baking and sweet dishes. It has a more pronounced cinnamon flavor and less heat.
When baking cinnamon buns like our Tik Tok Cinnamon Rolls, or this Cinnamon Rugelach recipe, Ceylon cinnamon is the sweeter, more flavorful choice.
Variations
If you are too busy to stand and stir the boiling and simmering pot, you can also make a Crock Pot Pumpkin Butter. Just put everything into the crockpot, stir well. Then, set the crock pot on high for 3 hours. Check to see that the pumpkin butter has thickened. If it is too thick, just add a small amount of liquid (apple juice or water) to thin it down to that nice spreadable texture.
You can make fruit butter out of a lot of the Fall produce. We have a recipe for Cinnamon Stewed Pears that you can alternatively cook in a crockpot until soft and tender to make Pear Butter.
Just use a food processor to puree the pears after cook, then follow the recipe in this Pumpkin Butter recipe. Here are a few other ideas for this delicious, spreadable butter type of preserve:
- Vanilla Pear Butter - cook and mash 4 pears after peeling them. Use half brown sugar, half white sugar. Add one scraped vanilla bean into the mixture when simmering.
- Cinnamon Apple Butter - Keep the spices the same, but substitute 2 cups of cooked, mashed apples for the pumpkin puree.
- Maple Butternut Butter - Peel and cut up a butternut squash. Cook it until tender and then mash it. Use 2 cups of the pulp in place of the pumpkin puree in this recipe. Use 1 cup of maple syrup and ½ cup of brown sugar. Reduce spices to ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg and ½ teaspoon of ginger.
Equipment
- Pectin
- Half Pint Ball Canning Jars
- Jar filling funnel
- Ceylon Cinnamon - use with SWEET or BAKED dishes
- Saigon Cinnamon - use with SAVORY Dishes
Storage
Store your Pumpkin Butter in your refrigerator for up to 3 months, covered. If you want to store outside of the refrigerator, use the Ball Water Bath Canning Method to process your jars of blackberry preserves.
Tips for Success
- You can use a canned pumpkin pie mix, but you will not need any sugar or spices, as the pumpkin pie mix has that in it already. Instead, just simmer it in a pot until it reduces and becomes thick. You can add more spices also, if you like it to be more pumpkin pie tasting.
- Stir constantly during the boiling stage, so the preserves do not stick or scald.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, just put it in a freezer safe container.
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Butter
Ingredients
- 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup apple juice
- 2 teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon use Ceylon, it is sweeter than Saigon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1½ cup sugar white or brown, or a combination
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a medium heavy bottomed sauce pan add the pumpkin puree, apple juice, pinch of salt, and spices. Stir to mix.15 oz can of pumpkin puree, ¾ cup apple juice, 2 teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon cloves, 2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, pinch of salt
- Add the sugar, any combination of all white, all brown, or a mixture. Stir to mix in.1½ cup sugar
- Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat.
- Allow to simmer for 20 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened.
- Place in Ball canning jars, and store in the refrigerator.
- You can use the Ball Water Process canning method or a Pressure Canning method to store long term in your pantry also.
Crock Pot Pumpkin Butter
- Put all the ingredients into the crock pot or slow cooker, stir well. Then, set the crock pot on high for 3 hours. Check to see that the pumpkin butter has thickened. If it is too thick, just add a small amount of liquid (apple juice or water) to thin it down to that nice spreadable texture.
- Ladle into mason jars and store in the refrigerator.
Video
Pumpkin Butter Video
If you're like me, you love pumpkin butter. It's the perfect combination of sweet and savory, and it goes great on just about everything. I always stock up when it's in season, but I never seem to use...Notes
- Try to find Ceylon cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon is a little more expensive, but is actually 'true' cinnamon. The other cinnamon commonly sold is Saigon cinnamon, which is actually Cassia, a relative of cinnamon. Most of the cinnamon sold in the spice jars in our grocery stores is NOT Ceylon cinnamon, but instead the less expensive Cassia (Saigon).
- Ceylon cinnamon (true cinnamon) is best for baking and sweet dishes. It has a more pronounced cinnamon flavor.
- Cassia cinnamon (Saigon cinnamon) is best for savory dishes, like biryani, stews, rice pilaf, ect. Cassia requires more to get that great cinnamon flavor, but it also has a slightly bitter after taste the more you add. Cassia also has higher levels of Coumadin, a blood thinner, naturally in it.
Nutrition
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