Maple Pumpkin Butter, A small batch vegan-friendly seasonal spread bursting with the rich flavors of maple syrup, canned pumpkin puree, and a hint of bourbon whiskey. Sweetened with brown sugar, spiced with cinnamon, and kissed with vanilla extract, it’s a warm, aromatic, thick and creamy fruit butter that embodies the essence of autumn. Perfect for spreading on biscuits or stirring into your favorite fall recipes.
I love making small-batch jam and fruit butter. Blueberry chia seed jam and peach butter with pineapple and amaretto capture the essence of summer while pear butter made in the slow cooker and this easy stove-top pumpkin butter are perfect for the cooler seasons.
Ah, the fall season, a magical time when the days get shorter, leaves crunch underfoot, and the cool crisp promise of pumpkin spice and everything nice is in the air. It's the season of pumpkin recipes, both savory and sweet!
Every year my family looks forward to creations like velvety Pumpkin Chia Seed Pudding, infused with the essence of autumn. A morning ritual becomes magical with Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer, adding cozy notes to every sip. Crisp evenings call for a savory treat – Air Fryer Pumpkin Fries, baked to perfection with a hint of spice. And the indulgence doesn’t stop there; Pumpkin Spiced Baked Donuts delight our taste buds, while creamy Pumpkin Ice Cream crowns the day. Fall’s culinary treasures are a symphony of comfort and flavor, a true seasonal delight.
Ingredients needed to make maple pumpkin butter
- 15 ounces of pumpkin puree Use canned pumpkin puree, not canned “pumpkin pie filling”. If you want to make your own pumpkin puree, it tends to be a little more watery so you might need to cook this recipe a little bit longer. Fifteen ounces of pumpkin puree is almost two cups.
- brown sugar– packed
- apple cider – You can replace the apple cider with apple juice if that’s what you have on hand.
- maple syrup– Real maple syrup – not pancake syrup
- bourbon whiskey – If you are one of my vegan readers, make sure to check for vegan compliance on Barnivore.com. If you don’t want to use bourbon then substitute with more apple cider.
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract – The maple syrup used gives this recipe a rich complexity of flavor but not a super intense maple flavor. For a more intense maple flavor, substitute one of the teaspoons of vanilla extract with maple flavoring.
- pumpkin pie spice and ground cinnamon
How to make a rich and spicy pumpkin butter
The exact ingredients with measurements can be found in the recipe card below along with more concise abbreviated instructions. Read on for more details, tips, and tricks so that you will feel confident making this recipe.
Combine the ingredients
Use the right saucepan for the job. You will need a heavy-duty (heavy-bottom) saucepan – preferably one that is non-stick. It’s also best if the saucepan is deep and not shallow. The pumpkin butter will get bubbly and splatter as it cooks.
Combine all of the ingredients in a large heavy-bottomed non-stick saucepan. Add the pumpkin puree, brown sugar apple cider, real maple syrup, bourbon whiskey, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, and ground cinnamon. Stir everything together so that it is thoroughly mixed.
Cook the ingredients
Bring the ingredients to a hard boil while stirring. Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking uncovered for about 30 minutes. You will need to give it a stir every five minutes or so.
After cooking for about 30 minutes the pumpkin butter will be thick and shiny. The consistency at this point will be like super thick apple sauce. It will thicken somewhat upon cooling. You can always simmer for another 5-10 minutes if you feel it is too runny to spread on toast.
Cool and serve
Cool completely before storing in a glass jar or another airtight container in the fridge. You can store it for up to two weeks.
This is a small-batch pumpkin butter recipe. After everything has cooked down you will be left with a little over one cup. Spread it on biscuits or bagels. Cinnamon raisin bread is super delicious with pumpkin butter as is basic white homemade bread – both made in the bread machine. Stir it into yogurt. Use as a dip with crackers or fruit. You can’t go wrong!
The Printable recipe card for maple pumpkin butter
Did you love this recipe?
Want to share the love? It would be great if you could leave five ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ stars and even a comment. Did you know that this will help Google to find this recipe when others are looking for something similar? Thanks, Cindy
Maple Pumpkin Butter with Brown Sugar and Bourbon
Equipment
- large heavy-bottomed non-stick pan
Ingredients
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree canned is best but not pumpkin pie mix
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- ⅓ cup apple cider can sub apple juice
- 3 Tablespoons real maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons bourbon whiskey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract see notes
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a large heavy-bottomed non-stick saucepan. You will want the edges to be tall to prevent splattering all over your kitchen.15 ounces pumpkin puree, ¼ cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup apple cider, 3 Tablespoons real maple syrup, 2 Tablespoons bourbon whiskey, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Bring the ingredients to a hard boil while stirring. Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking uncovered for about 30 minutes. You will need to give it a stir every five minutes or so.
- After cooking for about 30 minutes the pumpkin butter will be thick and shiny. The consistency at this point will be like super thick apple sauce. It will thicken somewhat upon cooling. You can always simmer for another 5-10 minutes if you feel it is too runny to spread on toast.
- Cool completely before storing in a glass jar or another airtight container in the fridge. You can store it for up to two weeks.