This homemade spiced pumpkin butter is velvety, rich, and tastes like a spread-able version of pumpkin pie! Made with canned pumpkin for convenience, it’s great on breads, pastries, used in baking, or just eaten with a spoon!
This is one of my Homemade Condiment recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
Pumpkin butter is a homemade spread that isn’t super popular, but absolutely should be!
Very similar to it’s cousin, apple butter, it’s a fruit spread that’s made by combining canned pumpkin, apple cider, honey, lemon juice, sugar, and plenty of warm fall spices.
The mixture is cooked down until it becomes darker in color, more concentrated, thick, and glossy.
And you don’t need any fancy equipment to make pumpkin butter; just a saucepan and wooden spoon!
It’s perfect on top of a homemade biscuit or roll, a slice of toast, or even by the spoonful, and you’ll love the spiced pumpkin flavor, with just enough sweetness to keep you coming back for more.
When you’re craving a taste of Fall, pick up a can of pumpkin from the grocery store and whip up a batch of this easy homemade pumpkin butter!
How to make pumpkin butter?
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Combine all ingredients. I definitely recommend a saucepan with higher sides, to prevent any spatters.
- Bring to a bubble. Once it’s stirred together, keep heating until the mixture starts to bubble.
- Simmer. Stir occasionally and simmer until it’s thickened and darker in color.
- Let cool and store.
Helpful Tip!
When shopping for this recipe, make sure you pick up a can of pumpkin puree (also labeled pure pumpkin). Another type of canned pumpkin is “pumpkin pie mix”, which you don’t want for this recipe. Pumpkin pie mix contains sugar and spices, so if you use that instead of the pumpkin puree called for, it would be overly sweet and spiced, and may not cook down as it should.
Variations of this recipe
- Pumpkin – I haven’t tested making this recipe with cooked fresh pumpkin, but if you’d like to experiment and give it a go, I’d love to know how it turns out! You may have to simmer it longer, since fresh pumpkin typically has more water content than canned.
- Apple juice – in place of the apple cider, you can use apple juice, it just might not have quite as much flavor.
- Sugar – please feel free to adjust the amount of sugar to your tastes.
- Honey – I definitely recommend using real honey (raw and local is what we use), but please use the honey you like best.
- Spices – everyone has different preferences with regards to spices and seasoning amounts, so please feel free to adjust the amount of spices to your tastes.
FAQ’s
Honestly my favorite thing to do with pumpkin butter is grab a spoon and dig in! However, spreading some on a fluffy dinner roll (hellllloooo Thanksgiving!), slice of toast or a freshly baked biscuit is a VERY close second. It’s also great as a topping for pancakes or waffles, used in the batter for french toast, added to milkshakes, used in baking, etc.
Despite the name, there is no butter or dairy in pumpkin butter. It’s a fruit spread, very similar to apple butter. The butter part of the name comes from how easily the fruit spread, well, spreads… like butter 🙂
Making pumpkin butter ahead of time
This is one of those recipes that gets better as it sits, which makes it great for making ahead of time!
Once you’ve made the butter, let it cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and add it to the refrigerator.
Storage
Leftover pumpkin butter should be refrigerated in an airtight container and should last for about 2 weeks.
Freezing
For longer storage, add the pumpkin butter to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 6 months.
Thaw fully before using.
More Homemade Condiment/Sauce Recipes:
My Favorite Saucepan!
I know this is an expensive brand, but I want to be honest with you about the pan I use, and this All-Clad pan is it. You can certainly use any brand of saucepan you’d like, just make sure it has a heavy bottom (look for reviews mentioning even heat distribution) and high sides.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 15 oz can pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie filling
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed is best
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
Prepare
- Gather all ingredients and a deep-sided saucepan.
Combine
- Heat saucepan over MED heat. To the saucepan, add all ingredients, and stir well to combine.
Simmer
- Once bubbling, reduce heat to LOW and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally to help prevent spattering, for 25-35 minutes, or until thickened to a spreadable consistency and darker in color.
Cool
- Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature and use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- This recipe makes approximately 2 cups of pumpkin butter, which I’ve estimated should be about 8 (1/4 cup each) servings. Feel free to divide this recipe up into as many servings as you’d like.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Gjylije says
I love pumpkinn.Sure i.am going to try this pumpkin butter .I am going to try your cookies with chai latte .
THANK YOU🥂
katerina says
That looks and sounds incredibly delicious! A must make!
Allyson Zea says
This was tasty on a pillsbury biscuit! Yum!
Erin says
Looks so good! Can’t wait to make this at home!
Carla Sobotka says
Can I can this? If so, is there one over the other that I should use (pressure canner or hot water bath?
The Chunky Chef says
Unfortunately at this time I don’t have the canning expertise to advise you on if it could be canned or on the specifics. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Beth says
Ooh. This looks so good! I love pumpkin everything, and fruit butters have always been a favorite of mine. Yummo!
Mary says
Howdy!! This is more of a question. I would love to make this for my family. After making it, how long is it good for in the fridge?
The Chunky Chef says
All the storage and shelf life information for this recipe is located right above the recipe in the “storage” and “freezing” sections. Hope you love it!