Forget pumpkin spice lattes—if you want to taste actual fall, make pumpkin butter. This thick, spreadable, warmly-spiced wonder is what happens when pumpkin purée gets concentrated down with apple cider and all the right spices until it becomes something almost magical.
It’s like apple butter’s cooler, more sophisticated cousin, and once you make it, you’ll wonder why you ever bought the store-bought stuff.
AND it is great in cocktails, even though it is not a simple syrup.
Why Make Your Own?
Homemade pumpkin butter is ridiculously easy (one pot, 30 minutes, done), costs a fraction of what fancy brands charge, and tastes infinitely better.
You control the sweetness and the spice level, and there are no weird preservatives or additives. Plus, your kitchen will smell like a candle store by the time you are done, a blessing especially if you have some extra foster kittens (like me) running around your house.
How to Use It
- In cocktails: Our Pumpkin Patch Whiskey Fizz or any fall-inspired drink
- Breakfast: Spread on toast, bagels, English muffins, pancakes, or waffles
- Baking booster: Swirl into muffin batter, use as a filling for thumbprint cookies, or layer in a parfait
- Snack time: Mix into oatmeal, yogurt, or spread on apple slices
- Savory surprise: Use as a glaze for roasted chicken or pork
Pro Tips
- Watch it like a hawk: Seriously, this burns easily. Keep that wooden spoon handy and stir every couple of minutes
- Consistency check: It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still pourable when hot. It will thicken more as it cools
- Sweetener swaps: Maple syrup gives a deeper, more complex sweetness; honey adds floral notes. If using liquid sweeteners, you might need to simmer a bit longer to get the right consistency
- Spice it your way: Like more cinnamon? Add it. Want a kick of allspice or cardamom? Go for it. This is your pumpkin butter and you can have whatever spice combo you want.
- Use apple cider if you can: It adds more depth than apple juice, but both work fine. I just prefer what apple cider brings to the flavor.
- Storage matters: Always use a clean spoon when scooping to prevent contamination and extend the shelf life of your butter, and avoid mold from developing.
What if things go wrong?
Thickness adjustment
If your pumpkin butter gets too thick during cooking, add a splash more apple juice or cider. If it’s too thin after the full simmer time, keep cooking for another 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly.
If Your Butter Burns…
If it does start to burn (it happens), immediately transfer to a clean pot—don’t scrape the bottom—and continue cooking. You might save it before the burnt flavor permeates everything.
Give It As A Gift
This makes an excellent homemade gift. Pour into cute jars, add a fabric cover and ribbon, and you have a cheap gift that everyone will love.
Well… except my mom, who I recently found out hates pumpkin. She’s been making pumpkin pie for decades, and I had no idea!
Super Easy Pumpkin Butter Recipe
Yields: About 2 cups
Shelf life: Up to 2 weeks refrigerated
Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin purée (NOT pumpkin pie filling—just pure pumpkin)
- ⅓ cup apple juice or apple cider
- ¾ cup white sugar (or substitute maple syrup or honey for deeper flavor)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Combine everything: Dump all ingredients into a large saucepan. Whisk until everything is well combined and smooth.
- Bring to a boil: Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Simmer and stir: Reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 25 minutes.
- Stir frequently. This stuff will burn if you walk away, and burnt pumpkin butter is a waste of good ingredients. You’re looking for a thick, spreadable consistency, but not paste-like.
- Cool and store: Let it cool completely, then transfer to a clean glass jar (Ball jam jars are perfect). Store in the fridge for a couple of weeks or in the freezer for months.
Homemade Pumpkin Butter Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 15 oz Pumpkin purée
- ⅓ cup apple juice or apple cider
- ¾ cup white sugar or substitute maple syrup or honey for deeper flavor
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Combine everything: Dump all ingredients into a large saucepan. Whisk until everything is well combined and smooth.
- Bring to a boil: Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Simmer and stir: Reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 25 minutes.
- Stir frequently. This stuff will burn if you walk away, and burnt pumpkin butter is a waste of good ingredients. You’re looking for a thick, spreadable consistency, but not paste-like.
- Cool and store: Let it cool completely, then transfer to a clean glass jar (Ball jam jars are perfect). Store in the fridge for a couple of weeks or in the freezer for months.
