Pumpkin Butter Recipe

Pumpkin butter is a thick, spiced fruit spread made by simmering pumpkin puree with apple juice or cider, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spices until it is dark, glossy and spoonable. This stovetop version cooks in about half an hour and makes roughly 2 cups. Despite the name it contains no dairy; the name describes the smooth, spreadable texture.

It works with plain canned pumpkin or with homemade pumpkin puree, and the four spices can be swapped for 2 teaspoons of homemade pumpkin pie spice. Low heat and frequent stirring are what matter: the mixture is thick, so it scorches on the bottom and spits if the heat is too high. A little lemon juice at the end sharpens the flavor.

Pumpkin butter is a refrigerator or freezer preserve only. It is not safe for home canning, by either a boiling water bath or a pressure canner. Keep it chilled and use it within about 2 weeks, on toast, whole wheat banana bread or slices of whole wheat potato bread.

Pumpkin Butter

A smooth stovetop spread of pumpkin puree simmered with apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Stored in the refrigerator or freezer, never canned.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Cooling time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 2 cups

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups pumpkin puree plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, or one 15-ounce can
• 1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Method

 

1. Combine the pumpkin puree, apple juice or cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Whisk until smooth.
2. Set the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring often, about 5 minutes. It will start to bubble and spit; turn the heat down to low as soon as it does.
3. Simmer on low for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes and scraping the bottom and corners of the pan with a heatproof spatula. Rest a lid loosely on the pan, leaving a wide gap for steam, or use a splatter screen to contain the spitting.
4. The pumpkin butter is ready when it has darkened, turned glossy and is thick enough that a spoon drawn across the bottom of the pan leaves a trail that stays open for a second or two. A spoonful should mound on a plate without liquid seeping out around it.
5. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste, and add a little more sugar or spice if wanted.
6. Let it cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes, then spoon it into clean glass jars, close the lids and refrigerate. It thickens further as it chills.

Notes

Do not can pumpkin butter. Pumpkin is a low-acid vegetable and the butter is too dense for heat to reach the center of the jar reliably, so there is no recommended home-canning process for it, in a water bath or in a pressure canner. This applies to all pumpkin and winter squash butters and purees. Sealing hot jars and storing them on a shelf is not a safe alternative.

Storage: refrigerate in clean, lidded jars for up to 2 weeks, and use a clean spoon each time. For longer keeping, freeze in small freezer-safe jars or containers, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace, for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and stir before using.

A 15-ounce can of pumpkin holds about 1 3/4 cups; use the whole can with the other quantities unchanged. Homemade puree is often wetter than canned, so either drain it in a cloth-lined strainer for about 30 minutes before measuring or allow 5 to 10 minutes more simmering.

The cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves can be replaced with 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. For a less sweet butter, cut the brown sugar to 1/2 cup; up to half of the sugar can be replaced with maple syrup. Because it is not canned, the sugar can be changed freely.

Besides spreading on bread, stir pumpkin butter into oatmeal or plain yogurt, swirl it into pancake batter, or use it as a filling for thumbprint cookies.