I can’t stop making fruit butter…help!
This time, I adapted my go-to pumpkin butter recipe and added cocoa powder and pure maple syrup to create a lovely chocolate flavour.
It’s a fun change if you are getting bored of plain pumpkin butter (not that that would ever happen). ;)
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Chocolate Pumpkin Butter
Yield
3-3.5 cups
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Because we really need another reason to eat more pumpkin. I happen to think that every great recipe should have a chocolate version, don’t you? Adapted from my pumpkin butter recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin puree, approx. 3 1/2 cups or fresh
- 3/4 cup apple juice
- 1 cup Sucanat (or brown sugar)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
- 3-4 tbsp pure maple syrup, to taste
Directions
- Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large pot and stir well. Cover with lid and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Sift in cocoa powder and stir well. Cover with lid (keep ajar) and simmer for about 35-45 minutes, stirring often, until thick & buttery. Be careful as the mixture bubbles and pops!
- Remove from heat. Stir in maple syrup to taste.
- Once cool, pumpkin butter can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Makes enough to fill one large mason jar or about 3.5 cups.
Silky & smooth pumpkin butter with a hint of chocolate. Now we’re talking!
I also made another batch of Apple Butter.
This time I made “Naked” Apple Butter. No sweetener, no spices, just apples.
I also left the peel on and I added a 1/4 cup of apple juice. A few of you suggested leaving the peel on and blending, so I thought I would give that a whirl this time around. It cuts down the peeling time and also adds more nutrition.
I cooked the apples on HIGH with the lid on for 4 hours. After 4 hours, it looked like applesauce:
I cooled it slightly and transferred it to the blender. Be careful and make sure you don’t over-fill it. You might want to do this in 2-3 batches if need be.
Once blended, it turned into the silkiest, most magnificent, buttery applesauce I have ever tasted!!
I kept saying it looked and tasted like caramel. :)
Actually, it was a cross between applesauce and apple butter at this point.
Somehow I think you’ll find a way to clean the container…wink, wink.
I added it back into the crockpot and cooked for several more hours (with lid propped ajar) until it was the consistency that I wanted.
The only downside? 5lbs of apples made just 1 cup of apple butter. I think next time I will try adding more apple juice and not cooking it as long. Or I might even stop after the blender stage as it tasted incredible as it was!
I WANT TO MAKE THIS IT LOOKS SO AMAZING! I also want to make EVERYTHING you post. Oh my goodness. This year I’ve been living abroad, in China, where I do not have access to an oven or practically ANY kitchen appliances for that matter (other than a knife and a stove…and it doesn’t make sense to purchase anything else because I’m only here for 1 year!), so I’ve just been drooling over your blog and biding my time until I get home.
A question: Do you think the Vita Mix is amazing and worth the money? Was it a worthy investment?
If anyone else wants to throw in their two cents, I’m all ears!!
I love the Vitamix, but the Oster brand of blenders was rated #2 by consumer reports. At $50, it’s worth looking into I think!
Aimee- I just read your reply as i am getting ready to make this apple butter – I can completely relate to how you are feeling as I was abroad in India last year and felt the exact same way – missed my kitchen, cooking/baking and everything apples and pumpkin! But not to worry – you will appreciate it all the more when you get back home!
Yes, yes, yes. My Vita-Mix belonged to my grandfather; he bought it in 1994 I believe, and I got this model handed down to me when he bought a new one. So it’s 18 years old and going strong, and gets used at least once a day. I did have to replace the container once several years ago ($80), but the Vita Mix is something I would buy over and over without a single twinge of buyers’ remorse!
I think crabapple butter may be on the menu soon…..YUM!
–Jaclyn T
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This sure was the wrong post to read while I’m doing a 12-hour fast before a blood test!! Ha ha. Brutal, seriously. Your butters look simply amazing!!
That looks AMAZING. I’m pretty sure I would just sit down and eat it all right after I made it.
okay after all these fruit butter recipes i am thinking it is about time to dust off the old crock pot… honestly. so delicious looking.
Dear Angela,
I just wanted to tell you how much I love and appreciate your blog. I’ve been searching for something like this for a while, but other “healthful lifestyle” and cooking blogs have left me feeling cold. But yours is different: it feels so intimate and personal, and thus SO much more inspiring! There’s just something about the WAY you write and present the beautiful photos and recipes. I really feel like I can see and hear and touch the human being behind this blog with every post and every line I read. And the recipes you make are creative and down-to-earth in a way I’ve never seen before. They’ve helped me to realize that food is a FRIEND. I am so thankful that you’ve shared your story and healing process. Your blog embodies the healthy wellness I hope I can reach. This blog is TRULY special ( as are you! :) ) It is so supportive and motivating, and you really give me the hope and encouragement I need while I struggle with my relationship with eating and exercise.
Thank you so much,
Aimee
Thank you Aimee :) I appreciate your support!
OMG- pumpkin chocolate butter? What a fabulous combo! I can’t wait to try it! :) Yay! I love that it can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 weeks too! This is on my list for the week! :)
I think….just think, Im in love with this one the MOST!!! YUM!!!!!
xxoo
Wow that looks amazing. I am going o have to make that with our super juicy Japanese Apples. Ohhhh the joys of Apples and Pumpkins!
wow! I must try this next weekend!
Ooooh, that apple butter DOES look like caramel. Mmmmmmm! :-D
You can NEVER have enough fruit butters and add chocolate?! Forgeddaboutit!
The texture of the apple butter looks amazing…very caramel-like…divine! Too bad it didn’t make more..I prefer recipes like overnight oats where you only use a small amount and the original amount has multiplied overnight! :)
This looks devine! I have a ton of sugar pumpkins and don’t know what to do with them. Now I do- thank you!
Just figured out what to do with all my apples. ;)
And chocolate pumpkin butter…. hmmm. thinking that spreading it on some Ezekiel toast would be divine.
I’ve never had any sort of “fruit butter” or “vegetable butter” (as in, pumpkin butter). I don’t really get what’s the difference between purées and “butters”? Do the “butters” have nicer consistencies? Hmm… Better spreadability?
In any case, I’ve had my eye on your pumpkin butter recipe and have had it printed out and in my ‘recipe bucket list’ pile for months… Now that it’s the season, I’m finally going to give it a shot! :) Maybe apple butter after that, if the pumpkin butter is a success…
I just made a healthy chocolate pumpkin “butter”, but with chocolate peanut butter – it was amazing, but definitely making your version next!
Oh. My. GOODNESS! Chocolate pumpkin butter sounds like the BEST thing on earth. I love making chocolate chip pumpkin muffins – the two flavors go so well together :)
It looks absolutely delicious. Whether you stop at the applesauce stage, after the blending stage, or go all the way through I can imagine it’s pretty darn good any which way!
The chocolate pumpkin butter is fantastic – definitely a great fall recipe! Thanks so much for sharing – I know that this one is a keeper for me!