Naturally Sweet Pumpkin Butter on the Stove Top
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Now that you’ve roasted up and puréed all those wonderful decorative pumpkins from Halloween, you (like me) probably have something like 4 quarts of pumpkin that need to be used. So, today, we’re making pumpkin butter.
Naturally Sweet Pumpkin Butter
Here’s the beauty of this recipe. It’s naturally sweetened – no added brown sugar or anything weird. We’re using unsweetened apple juice, our perfect pumpkin purée, and good old maple syrup (the real stuff).
Of course, you want to add some spice, but we’re keeping it simple; just use pumpkin pie spice and salt.
So, altogether, that is 5 ingredients. All you’re going to do is stir them together in a pot and let it simmer for an hour. Stir it occasionally to check the texture and make sure it’s not burning to the bottom.
Really, it’s just that easy!
At the end of the hour, you’ll be looking at this dark, caramelly, thick pumpkin butter that smells like heaven! It tastes even better.
How to Eat Pumpkin Butter
You’ve likely seen a number of recipes for pumpkin butter, and they all come with the same warning that you can’t “can” your butter. That means you can store it in jars, but you can’t seal it up like you can preserves.
That means you’re going to need to find uses for your pumpkin butter. The good news is I have a few options for you, right here.
Make up a batch of my favorite flaky biscuits and spread it on thick. This is a great breakfast or just as a side with dinner.
Similarly, this spread is great slathered thick on a slice of my pumpkin loaf cake, you know, if you want some extra serious pumpkin flavor. Just go nuts, and have a pumpkin spice latte while you’re at it!
Finally, I’ve been dipping apple slices in mine every day for a week, and I’m still not sick of that delightfully healthy little snack. 10/10 would recommend!
If all else fails, start giving it away in cute little jars to your neighbors. It makes for a great Christmas gift.
The Pumpkin Butter Toolkit
Here’s everything you need to make a good batch of pumpkin butter:
Comment below if you have questions, concerns, or opinions. And tag me @ellejayathome on Instagram or Twitter if you share pictures from any of my recipes. I love to hear from you!
Stove Top Pumpkin Butter
Equipment
- Large pot
- Jars for storing
Ingredients
- 3½ cups pumpkin purée
- 1 cup apple juice unsweetened
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp pink himalayan sea salt
Instructions
- Set your large pot on the stove. In it, mix together all the ingredients.
- Turn the heat on to medium until it comes to a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer, and cover the pot with the lid slightly askew.
- Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Cool before storing in jars.
- NOTE: It's not advisable to "can" your pumpkin butter. So, keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze it for a year.
