Pumpkin Butter Recipe with Apples & Maple

by Michelle Dudash, Chef and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

October 22, 2015 • 0 comments

If you love pumpkin pie, you’ll love slathering this pumpkin butter recipe on, well, everything. From toast to smoothies to bagels to muffins to lattes, just a dollop of this delicious silky smooth spread is so versatile and adds a deliciously sweet fall flavor to your favorite foods.

This version of pumpkin butter relies on sweetness naturally from apples, plus a bit of real maple syrup, without any actual butter or refined sugar. And pumpkin butter is a simple way to add nutrition to your favorite foods, with 40% of the daily value for vitamin A (as beta-carotene) and only 10 calories in each tablespoon.

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Pumpkin Butter Recipe with Apples & Maple

1 (1 1/4 pound) pumpkin, about 5 inches tall (or 1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin puree)
1 medium sweet apple, like Gala, quartered and cored
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Tiny pinch salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut 1/2 inch off the top of the stem end of the pumpkin, then cut the pumpkin into halves. Scoop out the seeds and pulp with a spoon, then cut the pumpkin into eighths. Place the pieces flesh side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silpat for easier clean up. Place the apples skin side up. Bake until fork tender, about 45 minutes, removing the apples after 20 minutes. Scrape the apple and pumpkin flesh from the skins, placing the flesh in a food processor. Add syrup, spice, vanilla and salt, and puree until smooth.

Loosely cover and simmer in a saucepan on medium-low heat, scraping the bottom and sides of pan occasionally, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer until mixture is so thick that it stands up on itself, about 5 more minutes.

Kitchen notes:
*To make your own pumpkin pie spice, combine 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger and a pinch of ground cloves.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 10 minutes (including pumpkin roasting time)
Makes 22 servings, 1 tablespoon each

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 11 calories, 0 g total fat (0 g saturated fat), 1 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g total carbohydrate (0.5 g fiber), 0 g protein, 1% DV iron, 1% DV calcium, 42% DV Vitamin A, 1% DV Vitamin C

You might also enjoy:

Cinnamon-Ginger Pumpkin Pancakes
All Natural Pumpkin Spice Latte
Apple-Cinnamon Whole-Grain Pancake Muffins

Pumpkin Butter with Apples & Maple

By Michelle Dudash, Chef and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Published: October 22, 2015

• Yield: 1 1/3 cups (22 Servings)
• Prep: 10 mins
• Cook: 1 hr 10 mins
• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins

From toast to smoothies to bagels to muffins to lattes, just a dollop of this delicious silky smooth spread is so versatile and adds a deliciously sweet fall flavor to your favorite foods.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pound sugar pie pumpkin OR
• 1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 medium sweet apple, such as Gala quartered and cored
• 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• tiny pinch salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut 1/2 inch off the top of the stem end of the pumpkin, then cut the pumpkin into halves. Scoop out the seeds and pulp with a spoon, then cut the pumpkin into eighths. Place the pieces flesh side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silpat for easier clean up. Place the apples skin side up. Bake until fork tender, about 45 minutes, removing the apples after 20 minutes. Scrape the apple and pumpkin flesh from the skins, placing the flesh in a food processor. Add syrup, spice, vanilla and salt, and puree until smooth.
   
2. Loosely cover and simmer in a saucepan on medium-low heat, scraping the bottom and sides of pan occasionally, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer until mixture is so thick that it stands up on itself, about 5 more minutes.
   

• Cuisine: American
• Course: Snack
• Skill Level: Easy