Easy Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter
For When Trader Joe’s Runs Out of Pumpkin Butter
I was in Trader Joe’s looking for pumpkin butter. They were completely sold out, with no more coming in. Out! On the first day of October?!
I asked around and the scoop is that they now stock it the day after Labor Day and it never makes it to October… “come and gone” were the words they used. I don’t know about you but September is way too early for me to get into pumpkin. So I had to work on my own recipe.
The good news? I figured out how to do it in the slow cooker, which to me is far preferable to standing over the stove for an hour. Plus, making it at home allows you to control how sweet it is and the spice level. Below are the proportions I used but feel free to adjust the sweetener and spices to your tastes.
Just the Recipe | 3-4 Cups of Pumpkin Butter
Ingredients
2 - 15 oz Cans of Pumpkin or 3-4 Cups of Pumpkin Puree
1/2 Cup Real Maple Syrup (not maple flavored syrup)
1/2 Lemon, juiced (about 1 TBS)
1 Cinnamon Stick
2/3 Cup Apple Juice or Cider
1 TBS Pie Spice
1/2 tsp Ground Cardamom
Steps
Add the canned pumpkin, lemon and apple juice, and spices to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Add the cinnamon stick, tucking it into the center (snap it in half if it doesn’t fit).
Cook on low for 4-5 hours, with the lid slightly off so the steam can escape. The goal is to cook the pumpkin down and reduce some of the moisture.
Stir once an hour, carefully removing the lid and wiping off any condensation (try not to let it spill back into the pumpkin mixture).
The pumpkin butter is done when it smells spicy and very pumpkiny. Turn off and remove the cinnamon stick; allow to cool. Store in jam jars.
Enjoy on toast or muffins, in Pumpkin Pecan Baked French Toast, in Spiced Pumpkin Granola, stirred into Steel Cut Oatmeal, or served on a fall cheeseboard to accompany this Crisp Apple Sangria.
Will keep for a week or two. Freezes well for 3-6 months.
#Kitchen Acumen Tips:
Syrup Grades: Remember Grade A v. Grade B syrup? The Grade B was darker, richer, somehow syrupier. Look for the Grade A “dark” - learn more here: What’s the Difference Between Grade A and Grade B Maple Syrup.
Variations & Substitutions:
Swap the pie spice for a similar quantity of any of the spices in the blend. Feel free to customize to your tastes. Perhaps add a splash of vanilla or leave out the cloves. Have fun with it and enjoy!
Skip the ground cardamom if you don’t have it. It adds a little bit of a citrusy flavor.
Instead of maple syrup use brown sugar. If you like sweet, add as much as 1 cup packed brown sugar. I like to keep this lighter since I use it in a lot of breakfast recipes or recipes that have additional sugar.
