Pumpkin Butter
I know I hinted at some amazing pumpkin breakfast rolls coming up next, and I promise we will get there, but, we can’t make the breakfast rolls without pumpkin butter. A deeply flavorful, thick and spreadable pumpkin butter forms the foundation of my pumpkin breakfast roll filling, providing a huge punch of condensed pumpkin flavor with all the warm, cozy spices we usually associate with fall.
Unfortunately, I never seem to be able to find pumpkin butter in my local grocery store when I need (or want) it. I can understand it being a seasonal item, but that should mean that, at least once a year, I have the option to stock up on pumpkin butter, but that is decidedly not the case. Even when I can find pumpkin butter, I’m never certain what the flavor or consistency of the product will be.
I’ve seen (and purchased) some very loose pumpkin butters in my time. I’m talking pourable consistency. That much liquid is not a good idea for a breakfast roll filling (or for anything else you might use pumpkin butter for, really). Yes, I could take the runny store bought pumpkin butter and cook it down to a spreadable consistency, but if I’m going to invest the time to do that, why not just make my own, allowing me 100% control over both the flavor and the consistency?
If you already have pumpkin butter on hand, or have your own favorite recipe for making pumpkin butter, please feel free to use what you have! However, if, like me, you’ve found that pumpkin butter is not readily available in your local grocery stores – even during the “pumpkin spice” season when you should reasonably expect to find all things pumpkin – perhaps you’ll find that this recipe is your new favorite.
Pumpkin butter (or truly any fruit butter) is super easy to make. Toss all the ingredients into a heavy bottomed saucepan and cook until the mixture reaches the desired consistency. In this case, thick, glossy and perfectly spreadable. I like to use a combination of maple sugar and brown sugar, but you could use all one or the other, or substitute an entirely different sweetener (granulated sugar, toasted sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc.). You can also play with the spices – change up the ratios or substitute in spices that you prefer (a chai blend could be fun here). The one thing I will strongly recommend is making sure you use juice for the liquid component in this recipe. While water will work, I always prefer to opt for something that adds more flavor. I like to reserve some of the pumpkin juices when I strain my pumpkin puree for this purpose, but I’ve also used apple juice or cider.
When I make pumpkin butter, I always make (significantly) more than I need for the pumpkin breakfast rolls. My kids, especially my daughter, love to slather this on pretty much any bread product. This recipe scales up well (or down, but why would you want to?), so I suggest you make a little extra to enjoy on your morning toast or bagel.
Equipment
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk all the ingredients together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and place over medium-high heat.2 cups (425 g) pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup (55 g) brown sugar, 1/4 cup (50 g) maple sugar, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp (½ tsp) nutmeg, 1/8 tsp (⅛ tsp) allspice, 1/8 tsp (⅛ tsp) cloves, 1/4 cup (60 ml) juice
- Bring the mixture just to a boil and reduce to medium-low or low heat – just enough to keep it at a simmer.
- Cook the mixture, stirring often, until the is thickened with a dark brown, shiny, caramelized appearance (about 20-30 minutes).
- Transfer the pumpkin butter to a two cup glass jar (or 2 one cup glass jars) and allow to cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.
Notes
Private Notes
Nutrition
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