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Recipe: Pecan Pumpkin Butter
Why should apple butter have all the fun?
Every fall, apple butter seems to steal the spotlight, but for a spread that tastes so much like autumn, pumpkin butter doesn’t get nearly the recognition it deserves.
Seasonally, the two slow-cooked spreads are similar, warming us when the weather turns chilly. Their spices bring out their star ingredient’s inherent sweetness. Where apple is bright and tart, pumpkin is mellow and earthy, wrapping each bite in the kind of comfort that feels made for crisp fall days.
In our pumpkin butter recipe, sweetness and spice mingle, with extra depth from a distinctly Texas addition: pecans. Blitzed in a food processor, they provide a gentle nuttiness that makes the spread feel a little more substantial and special.
Mornings, you’ll find it wonderful spread thickly on toast, layered over yogurt with granola, or spooned over oatmeal with a drizzle of maple syrup and toasted pecans. It also moonlights as dessert. A dollop on top of vanilla ice cream is hard to resist, especially when paired with caramelized pecans. Either way, you’re reveling in pumpkin and spice — just turned up a notch.
Pecan pumpkin butter will always be an autumnal essential — reminiscent of pumpkin pie filling but far more versatile. And unlike pumpkin pie, it doesn’t require waiting for a holiday to indulge.
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 lemon, juice and zest (roughly 1 tablespoon)
- 1/2 orange, juice and zest (roughly 1–2 tablespoons)
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar or 2–3 tablespoons maple syrup, to taste
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) or homemade pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- Pinch of cloves
Method
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread pecans on a baking sheet and roast for 5–10 minutes, until browned and fragrant.
Step 2
Pulse the pecans in a food processor until finely ground. They will begin to take on the consistency of a nut butter.
Step 3
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the citrus juices, zests, and sweetener. Stir until warmed.
Step 4
Add pumpkin, nut paste, spices, and salt. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, until thickened and darker in color. Stir and taste for spices and sweetness and continue cooking for another 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 5
Remove from heat and cool before transferring to a glass jar. Keep refrigerated for 1–2 weeks.
Add a little extra pumpkin spice to your mornings with this pumpkin spice latte recipe.
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