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My homemade spiced pumpkin butter is everything you love about pumpkin, but in concentrated, spreadable form. My easy recipe uses fresh or canned pumpkin, and it will have your house smelling amazing!
Odds are, you’ve had pumpkin butter before. But have you had homemade pumpkin butter? Well, my friend, you are in luck! Today I’m sharing my go-to recipe and it’s a freaking treat. (No tricks.)
The photos show this recipe being made with fresh pumpkin, but check out the notes in the printable recipe card for using canned pumpkin!
For this recipe, you’re definitely going to want a heavy-bottomed saucepan to keep everything cooking evenly. This is my go-to Dutch oven for these kinds of recipe.
I know you know me as a total canning nerd, but this recipe is not safe for canning. Best to freeze any extras if you’re not able to use it up within two weeks of being in the fridge.
Sarah’s Cheat Codes
- Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar and spices to suit your taste. I recommend making these adjustments towards the end of the cooking time so you’re closer to the finished product—you don’t want to add more sugar and spices before the pumpkin butter has had a chance to cook down.
- Get ready to have your mind blown: you can make pumpkin butter with any winter squash. Butternut, kabocha—just make sure you’re using an equivalent amount and you’re good.
- If you’re using a countertop blender to puree the squash butter,
Spiced Pumpkin Butter With Fresh or Canned Pumpkin
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pie pumpkin {about ~1 sugar pie pumpkin}{see notes for using canned pumpkin}
- 3 cups water, divided {+ more as needed}
- 1/3 cup brown sugar {optional – see notes}
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- Wash and dry the pumpkin and then cut it in half, slightly on one side of the stem. Remove the stem from the section that has it.2 pounds pie pumpkin
- Remove the innards using a spoon or ice cream scoop.
- Slice each half of the pumpkin into four pieces.
- Place the pumpkin slices onto a plate and microwave for 5 minutes, checking on them in 90 second increments.
- Allow the pumpkin slices to cool for a few minutes.
- Remove the softened pumpkin from the rind using a spoon or paring knife.
- Place softened pumpkin pies into a heavy-bottomed saucepan along with 1 1/3 cups water.
- Add the sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, and cloves to the saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil for 1 minute.1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 2 tbsp maple syrup
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Mash the pumpkin with a pastry cutter or a potato masher until the pumpkin has been broken down.
- Blend the pumpkin and an additional 1 & 2/3 cup of water with an immersion blender until smooth, or transfer it in batches to a blender or food processor.
- Continue to cook the blended pumpkin on medium-low, stirring occasionally until the mixture has thickened.
Notes
- Use 32 oz of canned pumpkin and thin with water bit by bit during the cooking process.
- Makes 3-4 cups, depending on how much you cook it down.
- Nutrition values are an estimate only.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks amazing, but I need a shortcut as I know I’ll never make this from a fresh pumpkin.
I know it isn’t ideal, but have you tried using canned pumpkin?
Any guess as to how much you would use?
Hi Monica, I’d use probably 1-2 of the 16oz cans and thin with water bit by bit during the cooking process. Pumpkin puree freezes very well, so start with 1.5 cans and set the other half aside.
Do you have any tips for an alternative to using a microwave to soften the pumpkin? We don’t own one. Thanks!
Hi Belinda, I’d stick it in the oven on a tray at low heat (~300˚F) for 10ish minutes. Check on it after that and see if things have softened enough.