Easy Pumpkin Apple Butter (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Creamy Pumpkin Apple Butter

If you love the flavors or pumpkin and apple distilled into one rich and absolutely creamy spread, then this apple pumpkin butter is the perfect fall spread to make at home.

A mix between pumpkin butter and apple butter (for those who want the best of both worlds!), this is made with pumpkin, apples, warm spices and maple syrup, it cooks low and slow into a thick, velvety spread packed with autumn flavor.

It’s absolutely delicious spread on gluten-free homemade bread, tender buttermilk biscuits, drizzled over oatmeal or yogurt, or served with our favorite fluffy pancakes, crispy waffles or your favorite fall baked goods.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe:

• Simple Ingredients: All the ingredients required for making this apple and pumpkin butter recipe are easily accessible at the local grocery store (nothing fancy required!).
• Very Easy to Make: The best part is that you can make this easy fall spread in the slow cooker. Just combine all the ingredients, cook, and blend!
• Rich, Creamy & Tasty: This homemade pumpkin apple butter is cooked until the liquid is reduced, and then blended until you get a thick and velvety spread that is filled with glorious fall flavors. It’s absolutely amazing spread on toast, waffles, pancakes or even drizzled over oatmeal and yogurt.
• Totally Gluten-Free & Vegan: The best part is that this pumpkin and apple butter is 100% gluten-free and vegan, which means that even those with Celiac disease or gluten or lactose intolerances, or those simply on a vegan diet can enjoy it without issues!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Here’s a visual overview of the ingredients required for making this easy pumpkin apple butter recipe.

(For exact measurements and quantities, please scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.)

Recipe Notes + Substitutions:

• Apples: I used green Granny Smith apples for a brighter flavor, but you can also use red apples if you prefer.
• Pumpkin: Since this is a recipe for pumpkin apple butter, pumpkin is a key ingredient here.
• Sugar: I used a mix of both light brown sugar as well as muscovado sugar (a dark brown, unrefined cane sugar that retains its natural molasses) as the darker sugar gives the apple butter a deeper, more caramelized flavor than regular brown sugar alone. However, if you don’t have access to muscovado sugar, you can use regular dark brown sugar instead.
• Lemon Juice & Apple Cider Vinegar: Adding both lemon juice and apple cider vinegar adds a tartness that balances out the sweetness and prevents this homemade spread from tasting flat.
• Spices: I used warm spices that bring out the characteristic fall flavors (ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground allspice and ground nutmeg), so definitely don’t skip that. Alternatively, you can replace the individual spices with 2 1/4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice directly.
• Maple Syrup: Adding the maple syrup at the end once the homemade apple butter is done cooking preserves the flavor of the maple syrup as opposed to cooking it from the start.

How to Make Pumpkin Apple Butter:

Combine Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Place apples and pumpkin in a 4-quart slow cooker. Add brown sugar, muscovado sugar, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, allspice, ground nutmeg and salt.

Cook: Stir to combine. Cook on high for 4 hours. Stir, then continue cooking for another 1 hour, until excess liquid has evaporated.

Dish by Dish Tips:

• Apples: I used green Granny Smith apples for a more tart flavor, but if you prefer you can use a mix of both green and red apples.
• Pumpkin: I used raw cubed pumpkin, but you may also use canned pumpkin puree for convenience (just make sure it’s pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling).
• Blend Well: For a really creamy texture, make sure you blend the cooked pumpkin and apple mixture. If you prefer a chunkier texture for the pumpkin apple butter, you can also blend it a little less. I used an immersion blender for ease, but you can also use an electric blender or a food processor instead.
• No Slow Cooker? If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can still use a heavy-bottomed saucepan or a Dutch oven and cook on low heat for between 60 to 90 minutes, making sure to stir is often to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Other Gluten-Free Pumpkin Desserts You’ll Enjoy:

• Crustless Pumpkin Pie (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
• Pumpkin Cobbler (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Pumpkin Pancakes (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Creamy Pumpkin Pudding (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Gluten-Free Fall Recipes to Make this Season:

P.S. If you try this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating below, and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to check out my entire Recipe Index for all the recipes on the blog. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram! Sign up for my Email List to get fresh recipes in your inbox each week!

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Easy Pumpkin Apple Butter (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

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• Author: Felicia Lim
• Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 5 8oz jars 1x
• Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Description

This pumpkin apple butter is a cozy homemade fall spread that combines the natural sweetness of apples and pumpkin with maple syrup and warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Naturally gluten-free and vegan, it’s an easy way to enjoy classic apple-pumpkin flavors on toast, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, muffins, and other fall favorites.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 cups chopped green apples (I used Granny Smith for brighter flavor)
• 3 cups peeled and cubed pumpkin
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup dark muscovado sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

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Instructions

1. Combine Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Place apples and pumpkin in a 4-quart slow cooker. Add brown sugar, muscovado sugar, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, allspice, ground nutmeg and salt.
2. Cook: Stir to combine. Cook on high for 4 hours.
3. Stir and Cook Some More: Stir, then continue cooking for another 1 hour, until excess liquid has evaporated.
4. Blend Until Smooth: Once the mixture has reduced and thickened (minimum 5 hours total), blend until smooth using an immersion blender. Make sure to let the steam escape while blending, and that you don’t seal the blender lid completely right away.
5. Stir in Maple Syrup & Let Cool: Stir in the maple syrup after blending. Let cool.
6. Transfer to Jars: Divide the pumpkin apple butter into jars, and store or freeze as preferred.

Notes

Apples: I used green Granny Smith apples for a brighter flavor, but you can also use red apples if you prefer.

Pumpkin: Since this is a recipe for pumpkin apple butter, pumpkin is a key ingredient here.

Sugar: I used a mix of both light brown sugar as well as muscovado sugar (a dark brown, unrefined cane sugar that retains its natural molasses) as the darker sugar gives the apple butter a deeper, more caramelized flavor than regular brown sugar alone. However, if you don’t have access to muscovado sugar, you can use regular dark brown sugar instead.

Lemon Juice & Apple Cider Vinegar: Adding both lemon juice and apple cider vinegar adds a tartness that balances out the sweetness and prevents this homemade spread from tasting flat.

Spices: I used warm spices that bring out the characteristic fall flavors (ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground allspice and ground nutmeg), so definitely don’t skip that. Alternatively, you can replace the individual spices with 2 1/4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice directly.

Maple Syrup: Adding the maple syrup at the end once the apple and pumpkin butter is done cooking preserves the flavor of pumpkin apple butter as opposed to cooking it from the start.

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 5 hours
• Category: Jams
• Method: Slow Cooker