Pumpkin Butter
Learn How to Make Pumpkin Butter using fresh or canned pumpkin. It’s such an easy fall recipe, and only takes 20 minutes to make.
Even though you can buy pumpkin butter at the store, you pay quite the premium for it, when it’s really easy and delightful to make at home.
I say delightful because it makes the kitchen smell SO good.
Simmering pumpkin, pure maple, and warm spices like cinnamon and cloves, always feels so festive and nostalgic to me.
Pumpkin butter was something I didn’t discover until about 10 years ago, when I was strolling the aisles of the grocery and noticed a special section with artisan apple butter, pumpkin butter, and more.
I was very curious about what on earth this stuff was, as I realized that there wasn’t actually any butter in it. But like peanut butter, it’s basically just pumpkin in spreadable form.
It’s wonderful spread on toast, biscuits, or stirred into plain yogurt.
How to Make Pumpkin Butter:
In a saucepan, combine pumpkin puree, dark brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, and water:
If you use canned pumpkin puree, you’ll need more water than if you’re using fresh pumpkin puree.
And if you’ve never read my Fresh vs. Canned Pumpkin post, I recommend it. I did a blind taste test of both, making two identical pies with each kind, then compared the results.
Generally speaking, I find fresh puree to taste better, but of course, it’s a lot more work. Sometimes it’s nice to have the convenience of canned pumpkin.
Stir the ingredients to combine, then bring to a boil, and immediately reduce to low heat:
Cook the pumpkin puree for 20 minutes over low heat, stirring often, until the mixture gets darker, thick, and shiny, like this:
Pumpkin Butter Uses:
The pumpkin butter can be spread on toast, biscuits, pancakes, and more. You can also stir it into yogurt and oatmeal, or swirl it into cakes.
Pumpkin Muffins and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are some of my other favorite fall treats. Enjoy!
The recipe and a video is below.
Can Pumpkin Butter be frozen? Yes, for up to 3 months.
How long does Pumpkin Butter last: In the fridge, it keeps for at least 2 weeks.
How to Make Pumpkin Butter in a Crockpot: Place all the ingredients in the crock and cook on low for 3-4 hours, until thick and shiny.
Pumpkin Butter
Ingredients
- 2 cups pumpkin puree canned or fresh (about one 15oz can)
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground allspice
- 3/4 cup water*
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low heat (otherwise the pumpkin butter will sputter).
- Cook for 20 minutes, stirring often, until the pumpkin has become caramelized and dark brown, with a thick and shiny consistency. As long as you stir every couple minutes and use a heavy-bottomed pan, it shouldn’t burn.
- Pumpkin butter can be stored in the fridge for at least two weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
Post updated in November 2018. Originally published October 2015.
39 Comments on “Pumpkin Butter”
This recipe has become a staple in our house. I do add a bit more cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg, but this is an easy recipe with ingredients I already have and saves me a trip to find commercial pumpkin butter at Central Market. Thanks!
Do you have to do a canning process with this recipe
Do you have to process this pumpkin butter when canning it
Love this! Mine took a bit more time because I had the heat too low after it came to a boil. Once I turned up the heat a bit it came together beautifully. I used a pie pumpkin I purchased at the farmers market. Definitely worth the extra time to roast and purée it. I will be making this again.
Can pumpkin butter be canned? How long can it be good oif canned?
No it can only be frozen. It is too dense to be canned.
Hi! I’m a baker who loves pumpkin butter! I occasionally get it from Trader Joe’s supermarket – though it’s seasonal. So I wanted to find a recipe that I could use for the partial time during the year it’s not in stock. I found this recipe, and I was very excited to try it because it only took 25 minutes, and didn’t require a slow cooker. I mixed all the ingredients while leaving the mixture to boil. It NEVER boiled. So I skipped that step, and left it on low for the remaining ten minutes. The taste was slightly stronger, and darkened almost not at all. Once the butter cooled down, it began to taste like the mixture before it was even cooked. This recipe was a disappointment, and unfortunately I was so excited to try it
Hi Marisa, when you say it never boiled…did you turn the heat up? I’m not sure what to suggest here. The mixture needs to come to a boil in order to cook off moisture and thicken it into actual pumpkin butter. I’m not sure if the stove you’re using doesn’t have enough power or if you didn’t try turning it higher?
Can you can the finished recipe and if yes, how long should you process it?
Could I use sugar free maple syrup in this recipe?
Could I use light brown sugar, as that’s what I have on hand.
Can you use apple cider in this recipe
If you use Apple Cider vinegar for a quarter of the water, you’ll be adding an acid which will help to preserve your Pumpkin Butter longer; Just like when you add Apple Cider vinegar to Apple Butter, or citric acid to homemade jams and jellies 🙂
Planning on gifting for Christmas. Do I have to store in mason jars?need ideas please. Thank you
Are you able to can this for longer preservation? If so, how long in a hot water bath?
I will be trying this recipe as I grow my own pumpkin and we tap trees for maple syrup as well. Love, love, LOVE pumpkin butter and this recipe sounds great.
For others looking to can their pumpkin butter, I was also looking at that. However, due to the density of pumpkin butter the canner may not get the center of the jar to the right temp. to assure no botulism. So just to make sure I’m not giving the gift of illness, I will freeze some to share.
Thank you!
This is copied from the . . . National Center for Home Food Preservation website (https://nchfp.uga.edu/tips/winter/gifts.html)
• THERE ARE NO PROPERLY TESTED HOME CANNING PROCESSES WE KNOW TO RECOMMEND FOR CANNING PESTOS, THICKENED STEWS OR SOUPS, CREAMED SOUPS, AND PUMPKIN OR OTHER VEGETABLE BUTTERS.