This pumpkin butter is incredibly easy to make and perfect for spreading on toast every morning. It’s gently sweet with the ideal blend of warm spices to elevate toast, muffins, and other baked goods.
Christopher enjoys this pumpkin butter so much it’s become one of the staples I keep on hand. I’m happy to make it simply because it tastes so good. The other items he often requests are prune spread and pumpkin muffins—he’s a creature of habit.
What I love about this recipe is how simple it is and how perfectly balanced the flavors are: slightly sweet with just enough spice. It’s a wonderful change from ordinary jellied toast and will quickly become a favorite.
Helpful Tips
- Using canned pumpkin puree saves time and effort. If you prefer, fresh roasted and pureed pumpkin will work too.
- Use organic spices and ingredients when possible; the difference is noticeable in flavor and the cost is often minimal.
- I usually don’t can this pumpkin butter because it’s quick to make and doesn’t last long in our house—feel free to can it if you want a longer shelf life.
- Stored in the refrigerator, this pumpkin butter will keep for over two weeks.
- If you prefer a smaller batch, simply halve the ingredients. The recipe can be adjusted to your needs.
Ingredients
- Pumpkin puree – canned (or fresh pureed pumpkin) totaling about 30 ounces (two 15-ounce cans).
- Cinnamon – ground, about 1 teaspoon.
- Cloves – ground, about 1/4 teaspoon.
- Nutmeg – ground, about 1/8 teaspoon.
- Brown sugar – 1/2 cup (dark or light, to taste).
- Maple syrup – 1/4 cup, 100% pure.
- Lemon juice – 2 tablespoons, freshly squeezed.
- Apple cider – 1/4 cup, preferably fresh.
How to make pumpkin butter
Pre-step
Choose a saucepan large enough to hold two 15-ounce cans of pumpkin puree with room to stir.
Step one
Gather the pumpkin puree, spices, brown sugar, maple syrup, lemon juice, and apple cider.
Step two
Pour the pumpkin puree into the saucepan, add the spices, brown sugar, maple syrup, lemon juice, and apple cider, then stir to combine.
Step three
Heat the mixture over medium until it begins to sputter (a gentle boil). Reduce heat to a high simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.
Step four
Remove from heat, cover, and let cool. Transfer the cooled pumpkin butter to jars for storage.
This pumpkin butter is delicious spread on warm toast, bagels, pancakes, or stirred into oatmeal. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Other popular spreads
- Prune spread
- Mexican crema
- Pesto
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment to share how it turned out. I love hearing from readers and learning about your tweaks and favorite ways to serve it.
Pumpkin Butter
Ingredients
- 30 ounces pumpkin puree (2 cans)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
- 0.25 teaspoon cloves (ground)
- 0.12 teaspoon nutmeg (ground)
- 0.50 cup brown sugar
- 0.25 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 0.25 cup apple cider
Tools
- medium saucepan
Instructions
- Transfer pumpkin to the saucepan.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Heat over medium until it begins to sputter (a gentle boil).
- Lower to a high simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- Let cool, then transfer to jars for storage.
- Spread on toast and enjoy.
Notes
- Canned pumpkin is convenient, but fresh pureed pumpkin works if you prefer homemade.
- Choose organic spices when possible for the best flavor.
- If you plan to keep pumpkin butter longer, consider canning it; otherwise, it keeps well in the refrigerator for over two weeks.
- Reduce the recipe by half if you want a smaller batch.