This Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter recipe is a must-make for fall, great on toast or even ice cream. Transform canned pumpkin puree into decadent fruit butter with ease.
Whether you make apple butter or this pumpkin butter, you are in for a treat! We love to give as gifts to friends and neighbors.
Why this recipe works
This slow cooker pumpkin butter recipe tastes like heaven. I can not hold myself back from eating it at all times of the day on buttered toast. It tastes like pumpkin pie, but I think it tastes even better.
I put a few jars in the freezer for use throughout fall and winter. The ingredients in this recipe are naturally gluten-free, which is excellent if you have gluten intolerant loved ones.
Canned vs Fresh Pumpkin
Canned pumpkin – Buying canned pumpkin is a convenient way to make recipes in a snap. Canned pumpkin has vibrant color and a constant flavor from can to can.
Fresh Pumpkin – Will take more time to make but can be gratifying to make! Fresh pumpkin puree can have a lighter color but still tastes great. You will need a food processer to make pumpkin puree from scratch. You can use my guide on how to cook pumpkin in the slow cooker.
Whether you choose canned or fresh pumpkin puree, you will have great results with this recipe. The end game is pumpkin butter, and either pumpkin puree you select, you will get perfect pumpkin butter.
How to make Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter:
Ingredients
- Canned 100% pumpkin – be sure not to buy pumpkin pie mix for it is sweetened and spiced already, we want plain pumpkin.
- Brown sugar – pumpkin puree has no sweetness so plenty of brown sugar is needed in this recipe.
- Apple juice – This is the liquid for the recipe. You can use apple cider, that works great!
- Spices – ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground ginger and salt.
Step by Step Directions
Step 1 – Add the canned pumpkin to the slow cooker, add the brown sugar, apple juice, and spices. Stir—cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours.
Step 2 – Let cool for an hour before spooning into jars. Leave an inch of room at the top of jars if you will freeze—place in the fridge or freeze.
Tips for Making the Best Pumpkin Butter in the Slow Cooker
- Don’t over cook! The recipe needs just 4 hours on LOW or 2 hours on HIGH. Don’t forget about it.
- Measure your ingredients – This pumpkin butter recipe has been tested over and over; stick to the recipe. Don’t add less apple juice than it calls for or it will burn around the edges.
- Share with friends – Be sure to give a jar to a friend or neighbor since there is plenty of it. Make sure to tell them to store it in the fridge or freezer.
Things to do with pumpkin butter:
- Serve warm over ice-cream.
- Chill and serve on buttered toast, crossaints or on our favorite 2 ingredient biscuits.
- Use the pumpkin butter in recipes such as pumpkin bars,
pumpkin butter loaf or a rum pumpkin cocktail.
Recipe FAQs and Variations
If you don’t have a variety of spices, you can use two tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice. I’ve tested it both ways, and it is always great.
Pumpkin butter will last two weeks in the fridge or six months in the freezer. Please do not leave it out on the counter; it needs to be refrigerated or placed in the freezer.
Pumpkin and squash are low in acid and too thick to safely can at home; even adding lemon juice isn’t enough to fix the issue. This recipe is not a canning recipe. We prefer to freeze the extra jars.
Yes! This pumpkin butter recipe is perfect to use a slow cooker liner with. Great for easy clean-up. I even cool my pumpkin butter in the fridge in the liner! After I’ve let the pumpkin butter cool on the counter for an hour, I place the liner full of warm pumpkin butter in a large bowl and slip it into the fridge. When the pumpkin butter is cool, it is much easier to put into jars.
Pumpkin Pecan Pumpkin Butter – Add 1/4 cup ground pecans at the start of the recipe.
Cardamom Spiced Pumpkin Butter – Add one teaspoon of cardamom to the recipe along with the other spices.
I hope you make this homemade pumpkin butter recipe. We make this every year without fail; nothing better!
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Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter
Equipment Needed:
Ingredients:
- 45 oz. canned 100% pumpkin puree (three 15-oz. cans OR a 29-oz. can and a 15 oz. can)
- 2 1/2 cups brown sugar packed
- 2 cups apple juice (cider works well too)
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 dash salt
Instructions:
- Add the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, apple juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and salt. Stir until combined. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours.
- Stir once the pumpkin butter is done cooking. Cool on the counter for an hour before spooning into jars.
- Refrigerate for up to two weeks or place in the freezer for up to 6 months. If freezing, leave an inch of room at the top of the jars.
Stove Top Instructions:
- If you do not have a slow cooker or are low on time you can prepare this pumpkin butter on the stove-top. Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan.
- Set the saucepan on the stove-top over low heat. Slowly simmer the pumpkin butter ingredients for 30 minutes, stirring often.
How to Video:
Recipe Notes:
- Pumpkin Pecan Pumpkin Butter – Add 1/4 cup ground pecans at the start of the recipe.
- Cardamom Spiced Pumpkin Butter – Add one teaspoon of cardamom to the recipe along with the other spices.
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Love pumpkin anything but other than toast or ice cream, what can you do with this?
Here is a great article, great ideas like on peanut butter and jelly and on yogurt! https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pumpkin-butter-recipes_n_5951632
I have friends who put their pumpkin butter on salmon. That said, be daring and go beyond the breakfast or dessert options! Might be good on pork chops!
I make a pumpkin spice latte with it. It is amazing! Just 1 or 2tbs of the puree ( depending on your coffee size) and 1/4 cup of your milk of choice blended and poured over brewed espresso and spronkle with cinnamon. Delicious!
Mix it with softened cream cheese and form into ball, roll in chopped toastec pecans. Serve with graham crackers, nilla wafers and apple slices
from the USDA and the National Center for Home Food Preservation… The reasons why homemade pumpkin butter isn’t recommended are several. When cooked down into a butter, pumpkin flesh becomes quite dense, making it difficult for the heat produced in a canner to penetrate fully through the contents of the jar. This means that even in a pressure canner, the interior of the jar may not reach the 240 degrees needed to kill those pesky botulism spores.
Thank you Madge! I always wondered what the exact reason was.
Is this recipe ok to water bath seal?
I’m not sure Sue, I’m not an avid canner. I apologize. Maybe someone else will comment who knows.
I’m also wondering if placed in mason jar “hot” and left 12hours…my jars should self seal.
Self seal is not safe canning
Sorry to say, this is not safe for canning. Freeze of fridge safe only.
Only tomatoes or similar acidic foods can be canned using water bath.
No
I made this yesterday with fresh pumpkin puree, and it came out very thin, is there a way to thicken it up?
Otherwise the taste is delicious!
You can try leaving the lid off the crock pot for a while. OR put it in a sauce pan on the stove and let some of the liquid evaporate off
What if i. Didn’t put in enough apples. In my batch is there a quick way to add more apples after it is done.
Hi! This recipe doesn’t have apples in it. Are you thinking of my pumpkin applesauce recipes? I don’t think there is a quick fix unless you add premade applesauce to it.
Put 2 wooden spoons or chopsticks under the lid across the top surface of the crockpot to leave room for steam to escape. Stir occasionally til desired thickness.
Thank you for the tip!
I use a splatter screen over my crock pot its worked great
I made this last weekend because I wanted to try some recipes that would be good to give as holiday gifts..I am so glad I did because it is AMAZING. I didn’t have to do anything but cook it, as the texture was perfect. So good and so easy. My friends can’t wait for more!
Can you use pumpkin spice mix?
Yes! I’m unsure how much. You can always add more at the end if needed.
Add together the amount of the other spices and put that much pumpkin pie spice.
Making this now & it smells great. I have less than an hour to go. It tastes fantastic too. I may hit it with my immersion blender, but I really like the texture of cooked pumpkin, so I may leave as is.
I need to invest in a immersion blender! I’m sure it will be great however you decide to eat it.
Is there any reason you can’t or shouldn’t serve it warm when you initially make it?
You can serve it warm! I prefer it cold on something warm.
do you think using a hand mixer while still in the crock pot would work just as well?
It would be worth a try. Just be careful not to knock the mixer blades on the side of the slow cooker, it scratches very easy.
thanks!
How long will it say good in the Fridge/freezer?
Hi Cassie! I personally would only leave in the fridge for 10 days, and the freezer 3 months. But I know most freezer jams can do much longer than that, it would probably be fine in the freezer for a year.
Can you can it. Wouldn’t it hold longer?
I don’t can much lately. I would check with canning guides to see if this recipe is safe for canning 🙂
I have made slow cooker apple butter & pear butter before, but never pumpkin butter! 🙂 I am going to have to give this a good soon.
Hi Carrie!
Can you recommend a good apple and pear butter recipe, please?
I made pumpkin butter in the slow cooker a long time ago and I remember it was amazing! Thanks for the reminder! Putting this on my list to try this weekend!
wow this looks so easy and so versatile – I’m definitely going to give this a try. Thanks for the recipe!
I love the idea of having this in my freezer! YUM!
I tried making pumpkin butter from an actual pumpkin once and it was a huge failure. Your recipe is inspiring me to try it. This looks like a no chance of failing recipe.