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.
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
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?
If I wanted to can this (mason jars), would I need to add anything for it to be shelf stable for a while?
Hey Tasha, See my link at the bottom of the recipe – pumpkin butter isn’t recommended for canning. I do find it lasts for up to 3-4 wks in the fridge though.
Where’s the butter in the pumpkin butter?
i have a dilemma i am trying to pick out a pumpkin butter to make and i cant chose between Happy Thanksgiving Homemade Butter or the All-Natural Pumpkin Butter- From Scratch. can you tell me which one tastes the best and also i only have 2 1/2 cups of pumpkin puree left can you help with the pumpkin butter measurements for the best tasting recipe. thanks
Made this today and it turned out beautifully. Thank you.
Pumpkin butter sounds so good! I have never made it before, but i can already imagine everything I would put it on!
Having made a different recipe of pumpkin butter in the past, I must say this one was spot on. The right amount of sweetness and the perfect texture. Thanks for sharing!!!!
If I want to can the pumpkin butter to preserve do I follow the basic canning process of boiling empty cans, adding pumpkin butter, then boiling filled cans to vacuum seal?
Pumpkin cocktails!!
Can you can this stuff? Any tips on how?
Can this recipe be canned?
Apple butter was my favourite when I was a kid, but I haven’t had pumpkin butter! It sounds like an ideal fall treat!
I am pretty sure I have pumpkin butter recipes that CAN be CANNED–mine I think call for PECTIN but I am not sure if this is needed for canning or just for thickening. For ANY canning info either call BALL Canning Jars–I think they have an 800 number—or call your County Extension Office.
IT might take a long process time to get the thick butter up to the proper temp throughout. But you can probably also look this up on-line; my recipes are older but I am sure the basic ingredients etc have not changed.
If you decide to go with a pectin recipe stock up NOW as this is hard to find other times of the year. It does keep.
We like ours on pumpkin muffins and with cream cheese and on crackers and over vanilla or other ice cream and –well–pretty much on anything!
The USDA does not recommend home canning for pumpkin butter or pumpkin puree, due to the risk of botulism.
What kind of muffins/bread do you think this would go well with? Thanks
Made this pumpkin butter today with Poe pumpkins. First time for me to roast a pumpkin and then make this. I used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and homemade pumpkin pie spice. Cooked it with the rest of ingredients in my mini crockpot. Can this be frozen? I don’t think I would use all of this in 4 months let alone weeks. Thanks
I really like your blog. Have stopped by many times for tid bits. Which have always been great and i thank you for you time and dedication. As far as the reply dissing you about only blogging 3 times a week imstead of 5. Seriously! Wow I am also doing a cook book/home health/cleaning book just for my family so old family recipes amd remedys don’t get lost. Well let me say you are AMAZING!!!! I know how challenging it is and you still manage to blog 3 times a week. Gosh you could have closed her down completely until you completed your cook book. Some people….. I said it before you are amazing and if you didn’t truly care about your followers it could have played out very different. So THANK YOU!!!!
Also one thing you didn’t mention in all things heavenly and oh so tempting with pumpkins…. one of my personal favorites —
Thank you Pamela, I greatly appreciate your kind words. Good luck with your own book! Im sure it will be great.
Fantastic recipe! Made this a few weeks ago and loved it! Making more tomorrow! I’ve never made anything using pumpkin before (other than the seeds). So good!
could you make pumpkin butter out of canned pumpkin? tyvm
I just made this today. Didn’t change a thing, followed your directions to a T. WOW! The best pumpkin butter I have ever tasted, and it’s not full of sugar. Yummmm. Thank you :)
I just made this today for my teenage daughter who loves all things pumpkin. I made it in the slow cooker. One hour on high with the lid on so everything heats up and then another hour on high with a chopstick propped under the lid so it could reduce. I stirred it 2-3 times in the second hour. Seems to work.
Have you ever made or thought of creating recipes without toxic sugar?
Guess I should have added that I’m on a health restricted diet and can’t have any starches, sugar, artificial sweeteners, grains, etc… I’m always on the lookout for great tasting recipes since I have to make everything I eat. No processed foods. I also like to grow my own produce if at all possible, because then I know it’s free of pesticides and the like.