Imagine the taste of pumpkin pie filling spread onto your morning toast – that is what this pumpkin butter is. Slightly less sweet than pie, with a little bit of spice and a little bit of zing, this will quickly become your favorite spread.
We love any chance to have pumpkin pie and this pumpkin butter tastes just like a bite of pumpkin pie filling. We like to spread it on your favorite biscuits because it gives us an excuse to have a nibble of pumpkin pie for breakfast.
This recipe is so easy to make and can be made with or without a slow cooker! (I like the slow cooker method because the house smells like pumpkin pie all day as it is cooking!)
Table of Contents
🥘 Ingredients Needed
- Canned Pumpkin Puree – Be sure to use plain canned pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Ground Cinnamon – I like to add a cinnamon stick as well, but this is optionall.
- Vanilla Extract
- Bourbon – I like to use Bulleit Bourbon and have also used Woodford Reserve, but you can use your favorite bourbon – whatever you have in the house. You can also use apple juice or apple cider if you do not consume alcohol, though if you choose this method, reduce the amount of honey that you use!
- Honey
- Kosher Salt
🍽 Equipment Needed
- A Slow Cooker or Large Pot
- A Mason Jar
- A Rubber Spatula
- Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons
🥣 How to Make It
Pumpkin butter is really easy to make – just add all of your ingredients to your slow cooker and mix it all together. Top with cinnamon sticks if you want. (Pictures 1 – 3)
Put the lid on and set the temperature to High. Set a timer for two hours. After two hours, give the butter a stir. It should get a little browner and thicken a little. (Picture 5)
Put the lid back on and set a timer for one more hour, then open the crockpot and stir one more time.
Finally, turn the heat off but leave the lid on the crockpot and let it sit for one more hour. The residual heat will thicken the butter up and make it so good.
After an hour has passed, stir the butter and transfer to jars. Let cool and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for about three weeks or you can freeze it for 3 to 4 months (just make sure to leave room in your jars for expansion.)
🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Of course. If you don’t want to use bourbon, replace it with apple juice or apple cider – just reduce the amount of honey that you use as these will add sugar and the butter will get very sweet.
Unfortunately, no. This recipe has not been tested for canning. There is technically not a safe recipe for canning any kind of pumpkin puree, no matter what anyone’s grandma tells you. Botulism is scary and I don’t want that. (Trusted sources: https://nchfp.uga.edu/tips/fall/pumpkins.html, https://www.thespruceeats.com/is-canning-pumpkin-butter-safe-1327453)
🍳 Serving Suggestions & Uses
I love pumpkin butter spread onto homemade drop biscuits, banana bread, or even pancakes. I even like mixing pumpkin butter INTO pancake batter.
How to Store It
Pumpkin butter will keep in the fridge for 3 weeks or in the freezer for 3 to 4 months. Remember that it is not shelf-stable, so if you give pumpkin butter as a gift, make sure that it is kept cold.
✏️ Helpful Tips
- Make pumpkin butter early in the day so that it has plenty of time to cool before you need to put it away.
- You can prepare this pumpkin butter in advance and store it in the freezer, allowing 24 hours in the refrigerator to defrost.
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Bourbon Spiced Pumpkin Butter – Slow Cooker
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large can pumpkin puree (29 ounces) or two 15 ounce cans
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup Bourbon or substitute apple cider/juice
- ½ cup honey + 2 tablespoons leave out extra two tbsp of honey if using cider/juice in place of bourbon
Optional
- 1 – 2 cinnamon sticks
Instructions
In a Slow Cooker
- Pumpkin butter is really easy to make – just add all of your ingredients to your slow cooker.1 large can pumpkin puree (29 ounces), 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅓ cup Bourbon, ½ cup honey + 2 tablespoons
- Then mix it all together. Top with cinnamon sticks if you want.1 – 2 cinnamon sticks
- Put the lid on and set the temperature to High. Set a timer for two hours.
- After two hours, give the butter a stir. It should get a little more brown and thicken a little.
- Put the lid back on and set a timer for one more hour, then open the crock pot and stir one more time.
- Finally, turn the heat off but leave the lid on the crockpot and let it sit for one more hour. The residual heat will thicken the butter up and make it so good.
- After an hour has passed, stir the butter and transfer to jars. Let cool and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for about three weeks or you can freeze it for 3 to 4 months (just make sure to leave room in your jars for expansion.)
On the Stove
- In a medium sauce pan, combine the pumpkin puree, bourbon, honey, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Cook about 20-30 minutes, stirring often until the pumpkin thickens, but is spreadable. Taste the butter and add more honey if needed to sweeten.
- Remove the pumpkin butter from heat and let it cool – it will thicken as it cools. Spoon it into jars and store it in the refrigerator. It will keep for about three weeks or you can freeze it for 3 to 4 months (just make sure to leave room in your jars for expansion.)
Video
Notes
- If you don’t want to use bourbon, replace it with apple juice or apple cider – just reduce the amount of honey that you use as these will add sugar and the butter will get very sweet.
- Make pumpkin butter early in the day so that it has plenty of time to cool before you need to put it away.
- You can prepare this pumpkin butter in advance and store it in the freezer, allowing 24 hours in the refrigerator to defrost.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
