If you’ve been reading this blog for a year or longer, you may know that I’m head over heels for Homemade Pumpkin Butter. Not only is it one of the most popular recipes on the blog, but it’s also a personal favourite. I eagerly make several batches every fall and winter (umm, and apparently during the summer now…). No two batches are ever the same; I love changing it up with different sweeteners and spices depending on my mood. You all seem to love pumpkin butter too – I get so many comments and emails about the recipe!
The original recipe uses canned pumpkin which is great for convenience, but I’ve always wanted to try out the recipe using freshly roasted pumpkin. I just knew it was going to rock my world.
Oh, did it ever.
If you saw my pumpkin roasting tutorial Monday, you may recall this photo of the roasted pumpkin after blending in my Vitamix:
Well, after that photo I had a lightbulb moment. Why not just throw all of the pumpkin butter ingredients straight into the blender and blend it all up?
It turned out to be a great idea to use the blender – no need to whisk in any ingredients. Plus, the blender got it super smooth and silky. I also reduced the amount of juice so it only took 10 minutes to cook down on the stove top as compared to 35-45 minutes in the original recipe. I certainly wasn’t complaining!
My Tip:
The best tip I can give you when making pumpkin butter on the stove-top is to cover the pot with a lid and prop it open with a wooden spoon. The mixture splatters everywhere while simmering and you definitely need a lid to cover it while still allowing steam to escape. You can also make it in a slow cooker if that floats your boat.
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All Natural Pumpkin Butter From Scratch
Yield
3 to 3.5 cups
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Adapted from Homemade Pumpkin Butter.
Ingredients
- 4 – 4.5 cups fresh pumpkin puree (made from ~3.8 pounds sugar pumpkin)
- 1/4 cup sweet apple cider or apple juice, more if needed
- 1 cup Sucanat (or brown sugar, unpacked)
- 3-4 tbsp pure maple syrup, to taste
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice (enhances flavour and helps preserve)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch of fine grain sea salt
Directions
- Roast your sugar pumpkins (see this tutorial). Cool for 10 minutes on pan before handling.
- Add pumpkin flesh (without the skin) in a blender. Add juice and blend until smooth, stopping to push down the pumpkin when necessary. It may take a bit to get it going.
- Add the Sucanat (or brown sugar), maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. Process again until super smooth and no clumps remain.
- Spoon mixture into a medium-sized pot. Cover with lid and prop lid ajar with a wooden spoon. Over medium-high heat, bring mixture to a low boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and cook for about 10 minutes, or until it’s as thick as you want it. Keep the lid ajar throughout the cooking process – you will find it splatters everywhere so be careful! I like to keep the lid propped up on an angle while I stir the mixture so I don’t get splattered. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Cool completely, stir in lemon juice and a pinch of salt, and then store in a sealed jar in the fridge. Should keep for 2-4 weeks.
No matter which version you make, one thing is for sure; your house will smell absolutely wonderful throughout the process.
Looking for ways to enjoy pumpkin butter? There are many…
- Swirled into vegan overnight oats or hot oatmeal
- Smoothies (try it in my Pumpkin Pie Smoothie for two!)
- Pumpkin Butter Oat Squares with Candied Pecans
- Spread it on toast for breakfast
- Stacked Pumpkin Butter Pancakes for One
- Swirl it into yogurt or make parfaits
- muffins & quick loaves
- try this Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding Parfait
- Pumpkin butter latte, anyone?
- Use it as a dip for fresh sliced up apples
- With a spoon!
- Wouldn’t it be great in a pie filling? I’ll have to try this…
- Add it to banana soft serve (or vegan ice cream) for a seasonal twist
Have I convinced you yet?
I love the idea of making a seasonal banana soft-serve treat! Oooo, this makes me want to host a dinner party, asap! : )
I was JUST thinking I wanted to make my own pumpkin butter after reading an all-too-long ingredient list on a store-bought variety. Can’t wait to try this out!
I’m going to slather this all over my bread the next time I make an egg panini! Errrr… and for something vegan maybe I’ll make a sauce to bake tofu in?
this, along with our cool (ish) weather tonight on the after dinner walk, just totally got me in the mood for fall. can’t wait to try this recipe. i know what you mean when you say that no 2 batches are the same. that’s the fun part!
Our evening walks have been chilly lately too. Tonight not as much but the previous two nights we needed pants and a sweater and we were still chilly.
We’re also getting chilly weather, yesterday it really felt not-summerish. Definitely time to pull out the fave soup recipes!
Ok, this fall is going to be the fall that I make pumpkin butter AND apple butter from scratch! I haven’t done either before but I know exactly where I’ll be getting my directions from (that’s you!!) :) Have a great night lady! :)
I love you and your pumpkin puree! I’ve never had pumpkin butter before and I am so excited to give this a try! Using the slow cooker is a great idea – I may have to try that and see how it goes!!!
Oh.my.gosh that looks so heavenly! The smell in your house while this simmers must be just…insanely good! As I type this comment, I have something pumpkin in the oven baking right now. Can’t get enough of it! This looks so creamy and smooth and awesome!
Great ideas for the pumpkin butter! I love fall recipes :-)
Hey girl – when is your book coming out? I miss your glo bars sooooo much!
Thank you Jolene! Should be out early 2014.
2014!!!!!!!! :( waaaah so far away
Sweetie, you-a speak-a my language! I have an amazing (vegan) pumpkin scone recipe that I do every year and I use pumpkin butter as a glaze, but hated using it from a jar — you’re a saint. Now to just hunt down those sugar pumpkins….
pumpkin butter is a great idea used as a glaze. I bet that’s fantastic.
I haven’t made pumpkin butter in eons. You have reminded me that I should have it in abundance right now so that I might cover anything that will hold still with it!
I am so glad to see pumpkin recipes popping up here :) It makes me want to wear a cozy, thick-knit scarf. Last year I finally mastered slow-cooker pumpkin butter, and as soon as sugar pumpkins start showing up at the local farms this year I’m going to be in pumpkin butter heaven! I spend all year waiting for pumpkins to pop up on my favorite blogs and at the market. I think this officially marks the beginning of the shift into Fall!
glad the slow cooker works for you – just curious, how long do you cook it for (and what heat setting)?
YES! 3 Pumpkin posts in a row!! I love it!
I was visiting my parents last weekend and found a stash of canned pumpkin in their cupboards. I stole them all and have been enjoying pumpkin everything lately!
Muahahahahaha!
There’s nothing better than raiding your parents cupboards. ;)
Yes, I’m convinced!!!! :) Thank you for some wonderful ideas!
Funny, I never thought of actually *making* pumpkin butter before. I came across some at the store & fell in love with it, but not the price (like $5 for a tiny jar). This is a much nicer alternative :)
Oh gosh this pumpkin marathon gets better and better! Hahah I’m LOVING the tutorials. Can’t wait to find some sugar pumpkins and get cracking :) Yummmm!
Angela that pumpkin butter is just beautiful and I love the gloss it has.
I wanted to say that I made your coconut whipped cream and it turned out beautifully (I actually featured and linked back to it in my post today). Mine didn’t come out quite as fluffy, but it was so delicious…way better than any other whipped topping I’ve had before.
Happy Wednesday to you.
Hey Rachel, So glad it worked for you! I will check out your post. :)
YUM! I just absolutely LOVE this time of year, the chilly air, needing a sweater, cool nights of sleeping, apple picking and pumpkin pumpkin pumpkin. Yesterday I spent a good hour thinking up a handful of different pumpkin recipes and I am so excited to start making them all. I will definitely have to add pumpkin butter to that list now :) Thanks!
Umm yes you’ve definitely convinced me! I still have a jar I bought from a farmer’s market last fall but as soon as I’m done with that I want to try to tackle this!
Pumpkin butter is one of my Fave fall treats. This looks so creamy can’t wait to try it
Hi Angela,
I was wondering if you have the nutrition info for this pumpkin butter recipe?
Thanks!! :-)
Hey Ashley, there are about 23 cals approx per tbsp.
Enjoy!
My kids and I JUSt finished up the Pumpkin butter we made last year that was in the freezer. They had apple slices with pumpkin butter every morning for the last two weeks for their breakfast fruit….mmmmmmm!! Need to get some pumpkins soon the make more of it!
I’m so happy to hear it freezes well.