• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Good Hearted Woman logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Bread
    • Comfort Food
    • Cooking Basics
    • Condiments
    • German Recipes
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Seafood
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
    • Sourdough
    • Snacks
    • Sweets
    • 30-Minute Meals
  • Cozy Living
    • Arts & Crafts
    • For Music Lovers
    • Food Holidays
  • US Travel
    • One Day in...
    • Pacific
    • Rocky Mountains
    • Southwest
    • The South
    • Hikes Near & Far
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cozy Living
  • Road Trips
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cozy Living
    • Road Trips
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Condiments & Dips

    Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter

    October 2, 2022 • Updated: October 4, 2022 • by Renée B. • This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe

    Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter, made with either fresh or canned pumpkin puree, is easy to make and packed with warm fall flavors. Enjoy it on toast, waffles, oatmeal; even ice cream! Makes a wonderful holiday hostess gift, too.

    small ramakin of pumpkin butter, with fall decor and jars of pumpkin butter in the background.
    Jump to:
    • What's the Story on this Recipe?
    • What Goes into this Recipe
    • How to Make Pumpkin Butter in a Slow Cooker
    • FAQs & Expert Tips
    • More Pumpkin Recipes
    • Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter

    What's the Story on this Recipe?

    Years ago, I started making pumpkin butter when I figured out how easy and inexpensive it is to make. Nearly everyone loves homemade fruit butter, and it makes a wonderful holiday hostess or neighbor gift.

    This pumpkin butter recipe can be made with either fresh pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin. There are subtle differences in the texture and flavor of the butter, depending on which you use.

    Canned pumpkin is clearly more convenient; it's ready to go as soon as you take off the can lid. It has that familiar, vibrant orange color that we all know and love, and the flavor is constant from one can to another.

    Fresh pumpkin, on the other hand, takes more time, but I just love the end results! The color of the puree varies somewhat depending on the squashes used, but it generally has a lighter color, and a sweeter, more delicate flavor.

    Fresh or canned, this easy to make recipe yields a thick, rich, silky pumpkin butter that is absolutely decadent. It's delicious with so many things: oatmeal, biscuits, toast, waffles, smoothies, and ice cream, just to name a few!

    Note that the flavor of this pumpkin butter may be somewhat citrus-forward immediately after it comes out of the slow cooker, but in a day or two, it will mellow as the pumpkin, citrus, and spice flavors have time to fully meld and marry. 

    What Goes into this Recipe

    Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

    Pumpkin butter ingredients, labeled: pureed pumpkin, apples, orange juice, brown sugar, zest, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg.
    For the batch pictured here, I used one medium sugar pie pumpkin and about a cup of canned pumpkin.

    ★ Pumpkin: Use 2 pounds (fresh-roasted or canned pumpkin.

    Fresh Pumpkin Puree: Use 2 pounds/4-5 cups (~1 liter) of prepared fresh pumpkin puree.

    • A 5-pound fresh pumpkin will make 4 to 4½ cups of cooked puree or mashed pulp.
    • Suggested squash varieties that make good "pumpkin" butter include: sugar pumpkins, butternut squash, Red Kuri squash, and Ambercup squash.

    Canned Pumpkin: For a single batch of pumpkin butter, you will need about 2 pounds (~1 kilo) of canned pumpkin.

    Do not use pumpkin pie filling!

    ★ Orange: Many butter recipes use apple juice as a liquid; however, we prefer using oranges in the pumpkin butter. The citrusy addition gives the butter a fresh taste, and the flavors blend together beautifully.

    ★ Lemon: Use fresh lemon juice. Bottled juice can be substituted.

    ★ Apple: Suggest varieties include McIntosh, Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Granny Smith, Cortland, or Fuji.

    How to Make Pumpkin Butter in a Slow Cooker

    Homemade pumpkin butter can be made with either fresh or canned pumpkin puree. If you are using canned pumpkin, skip down to the Slow Cooker instructions.

    Roast Fresh Pumpkin (Optional)

    Preheat oven to 350°F | 175°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

    Cut squashes in half and clean out the seeds. (You can leave the halves intact, or cut them in smaller chunks.) Brush the exposed surfaces of the pumpkins with olive oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.

    Place the pumpkin halves or pieces flesh side down on the parchment-covered baking sheet.

    2-panel collage: 1 - Raw pumpkin on parchment, 2 - roasted pumpkin

    Bake squashes until tender. How long this step takes is totally dependent on how big the squashes are. (For example, a 3-pound sugar pumpkin will take about an hour.)

    Check for doneness by piercing the skin with a fork: it should give easily, and the flesh should be very tender.

    Puree Roasted Pumpkin

    (Totally optional) I like to puree the pumpkin in a food processor or blender before putting it into the slow cooker. You don't have to do this, but I think it results in a silkier butter in the end.

    To do this, add just enough water to the cooked pumpkin to allow the blades to work it down.

    If you feel that your puree is too watery after pureeing, you can strain it through a cheesecloth-lined sieve before proceeding, but in this case, it probably isn't necessary. Because you are making a butter, a little extra water in the mixture doesn't affect the final outcome. The butter may have to simmer uncovered an extra hour to evaporate the additional water, but that's the only real impact.

    Collage illustrating pureeing process in blender.
    A food processor really is the better way to go, but mine wasn't working at the time, so I did this batch in the blender.

    If you don't want to use a food processor, just put the pumpkin directly in the slow cooker, add a little water, and use an immersion blender to break it down. The pumpkin will break down further as it cooks.

    Slow Cook Pumpkin Butter

    Pour the pureed pumpkin and remaining pumpkin butter ingredients into a slow cooker.

    Slow cooker filled with pumpkin butter ingredients.

    Use an immersion blender to blend until relatively smooth, adding a little water if necessary to get things moving. The mixture's consistency should be like very thick baby food.

    Set the slow cooker on Low and cook 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

    After 4 hours, remove the slow cooker lid and use the immersion blender again to smooth out any remaining lumps.

    Half-cooked pumpkin butter in a slow cooker, with an immersion blender working out apple chunks.

    Continue to cook uncovered in the slow cooker, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 more hours, or until the puree reaches the desired thickness.

    Use the immersion blender one more time to smooth out the mixture.

    Fully cooked pumpkin butter in slow cooker.

    How to Store Pumpkin Butter

    Refrigerate

    Pour prepared pumpkin butter into canning jars or food-safe plastic containers. Refrigerate for up to a month.

    Freeze

    Pour in canning jars or plastic freezer containers, leaving ½-inch headspace. Allow the pumpkin butter to cool completely on the counter.

    Pumpkin butter can be frozen for up to a year.

    FAQs & Expert Tips

    The flavor of the pumpkin butter will be very citrus-forward immediately after it comes out of the slow cooker, but it will mellow in a day or two as the pumpkin, citrus, and spice flavors have time to fully meld and marry.

    Ways to Use Pumpkin Butter

    Pumpkin butter isn't just for spreading on toast! It's delicious with oatmeal, biscuits, toast, waffles, pancakes, and smoothies, just to name a few! (One of Mr B's favorite ways to enjoy it is on ice cream!)

    Pumpkin butter over vanilla ice cream. Fall decor in background,
    Is it safe to can pumpkin butter?

    USDA now recommends against canning pumpkin butter because, due to the density of the butter, the heat may not properly reach the center of the pumpkin butter in the jar.

    small ramakin of pumpkin butter, with fall decor and jars of pumpkin butter in the background.

    More Pumpkin Recipes

    • Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Scones
    • Nana's Old-fashioned Pumpkin Gingerbread
    • Thanksgiving Roast Stuffed Pumpkin
    • Peachy Pumpkin Smoothie

    For more recipes and cozy living tips, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all of the latest updates.

    small ramakin of pumpkin butter, with fall decor and jars of pumpkin butter in the background.
    5 from 4 votes

    Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter

    Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter, made with either fresh or canned pumpkin puree, is easy to make and packed with warm fall flavors. Enjoy it on toast, waffles, oatmeal; even ice cream! Makes a wonderful hostess or neighbor gift, too.
    Makes about 5 cups.
    Print Pin Add to Shopping List Go to Shopping List
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time:1 hour
    Cook Time:7 hours
    Total Time:8 hours
    Servings: 40 servings
    Calories: 55kcal
    Author: Renee
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • 1 Slow Cooker
    • 1 Immersion Blender
    • 1 Blender optional

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Metric
    • 2 pounds pumpkin puree fresh or canned pumpkin; about 4-5 cups
    • 2 cups light brown sugar firmly packed
    • 1 large apple peeled, cored, and cubed
    • ¼ cup fresh orange juice juice from 1 large orange
    • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    • 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest zest from 1 large orange
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon fresh nutmeg

    Instructions

    Roast Fresh Pumpkin (Optional)

    • Homemade pumpkin butter can be made with either fresh or canned pumpkin puree. If you are using canned pumpkin, skip down to the Slow Cooker instructions.
      Preheat oven to 350°F | 175°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
    • Cut squashes in half and clean out the seeds. (You can leave the halves intact, or cut them in smaller chunks.)
      Brush the exposed surfaces of the pumpkins with olive oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.
      Place the pumpkin halves or pieces flesh side down on the parchment-covered baking sheet.
    • Bake squashes until fork-tender. How long this step takes is totally dependent on how big the squashes are. (For example, a 3-pound sugar pumpkin will take about an hour.)
      Check for doneness by piercing the skin with a fork: it should give easily, and the flesh should be very tender.
    • Puree Pumpkin
      [Totally optional] I like to puree the pumpkin in a food processor or blender before putting it into the slow cooker. You don't have to do this, but I think it results in a silkier butter in the end.
      To do this, add just enough water to the cooked pumpkin to allow the blades to work it down.
      If you don't want to use a food processor, just put the pumpkin directly in the slow cooker, add a little water, and use an immersion blender to break it down. The pumpkin will break down further as it cooks.

    Slow Cook Pumpkin Butter

    • Pour the pureed pumpkin and remaining pumpkin butter ingredients into a slow cooker and use an immersion blender to blend until relatively smooth.
      Add a little water if necessary: the consistency should be like very thick baby food.
    • Set the slow cooker on Low and cook 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
      After 4 hours, remove the slow cooker lid and use the immersion blender again to smooth out any remaining lumps.
    • Continue to cook uncovered in the slow cooker, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 more hours, or until the puree reaches the desired thickness.
      Use the immersion blender one more time to smooth out the mixture.

    How to Store Pumpkin Butter

    • Refrigerate
      Pour prepared pumpkin butter into canning jars or food-safe plastic containers. Refrigerate for up to a month.
      Freeze
      Pour in canning jars or plastic freezer containers, leaving ½-inch headspace. Allow the pumpkin butter to cool completely on the counter.
      Pumpkin butter can be frozen for up to a year.

    Notes

    The flavor of the pumpkin butter may be somewhat citrus-forward immediately after it comes out of the slow cooker, but it will mellow in a day or two as the pumpkin, citrus, and spice flavors have time to fully meld and marry. 
    Fresh Pumpkins: A 5-pound fresh pumpkin will make 4 to 4½ cups of cooked puree or mashed pulp. Smaller pumpkins are usually more flavorful than larger ones. 
    Suggested squash varieties that make good "pumpkin" butter include: sugar pumpkins, butternut squash, Red Kuri squash, Ambercup squash.

    Canning Pumpkin Butter
    USDA now recommends against canning pumpkin butter because, due to the density of the butter, the heat may not properly reach the center of the pumpkin butter in the jar.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 55kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.05g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 3536IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
    Have you tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details.

    Originally published November 8, 2012. Post has been updated with new content, images, and recipe instructions to improve reader experience.

    More Condiments & Dips

    • Orange Spiced Cranberry Sauce
    • 2-Ingredient Creamy Peanut Butter Dip
    • Simple Berry Compote
    • Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
    300 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Yummly
    • Flipboard

    About Renée B.

    Renée is writer, music maker, artist, and storyteller. In her spare time, you can find her writing love songs about cowboys, exploring the moss-covered nooks and crannies of the Pacific Northwest, and making music with her talented singer-husband.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. kushigalu says

      October 14, 2022 at 10:42 am

      5 stars
      Never tried pumpkin butter before. Sounds interesting. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
    2. Mirlene says

      October 14, 2022 at 10:13 am

      5 stars
      I am going to give this a try! I love the idea of having it over ice cream and some wheat toasts too.

      Reply
      • Renée B. says

        October 14, 2022 at 10:53 am

        It's surprising amazing over ice cream!

        Reply
    3. Sara Welch says

      October 14, 2022 at 10:10 am

      5 stars
      Enjoyed this as a topping on ice cream, and it couldn't have been more tasty! Looking forward to trying some of your other varieties; so delicious!

      Reply
    4. Tavo says

      October 14, 2022 at 10:10 am

      5 stars
      I am loving this pumpkin butter! The orange juice and apple addition was terrific! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Renée B. says

        October 14, 2022 at 10:53 am

        The orange really enhances the pumpkin flavors!

        Reply
    5. Tammy says

      August 10, 2020 at 8:36 pm

      Where is the link for canning this? Sounds delicious!!

      Reply
      • Renée says

        August 11, 2020 at 8:01 am

        It is delicious! Unfortunately, this is one of the oldest posts on the blog, and is desperate need of a complete overhaul. (It's on the calendar!)

        The link to the canning method previously highlighted is no longer viewable online; and due to the questionable safety related to canning, I now prefer to freeze pumpkin butter, rather than can it. (In the past, I canned it in pints in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes.)

        Reply
    6. Paula@SweetPea says

      October 26, 2013 at 1:50 pm

      This looks fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing with this week's Throwback Thursday party.

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Adorable middle-aged couple in forest setting. (i.e., Me & Mr B)

    Join me & Mr B for the best in home cooking and cozy living - from the beautiful Pacific Northwest and beyond.

    More about us →

    Follow Us

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter

    fresh recipes

    • Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries
    • Classic Hot Buttered Rum
    • Cinnamon Roll Wreath (Danish Pastry Ring)
    • Orange Tea Ring (Danish Wreath)
    • Team Colors 7 Layer Dip
    • Orange Spiced Cranberry Sauce

    game day eats

    • Team Colors 7 Layer Dip
    • Crispy Sauerkraut Fritters (Easy Air Fryer Recipe)
    • 20 Best Game Day Food Ideas
    • Sweet & Spicy Grilled Buffalo Wings
    • Cool Buffalo Blue Cheese Dip
    • Roasted Garlic Spinach Artichoke Dip

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Statement
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Statement

    Follow

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram
    • Twitter

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Meet Me & Mr B

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 The Good Hearted Woman. All rights reserved.

    300 shares
    300 shares
    We Value Your Privacy
    To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
    Functional Always active
    The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
    Preferences
    The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
    Statistics
    The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
    Marketing
    The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
    Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
    View preferences
    {title} {title} {title}
    We Value Your Privacy
    We use cookies to make this website a better place. Cookies help to provide a more personalized experience and relevant advertising for you, and web analytics for us. To learn more about the different cookies we use, check out our Cookie Policy.
    Functional Always active
    The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
    Preferences
    The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
    Statistics
    The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
    Marketing
    The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
    Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
    View preferences
    {title} {title} {title}
    We Value Your Privacy
    To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
    Functional Always active
    The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
    Preferences
    The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
    Statistics
    The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
    Marketing
    The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
    Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
    View preferences
    {title} {title} {title}
    We Value Your Privacy
    We use cookies to make this website a better place. Cookies help to provide a more personalized experience and relevant advertising for you, and web analytics for us. To learn more about the different cookies we use, check out our Cookie Policy.
    Functional Always active
    The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
    Preferences
    The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
    Statistics
    The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
    Marketing
    The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
    Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
    View preferences
    {title} {title} {title}