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.
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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 and Cook Some More: Stir, then continue cooking for another 1 hour, until excess liquid has evaporated.
- 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.
- Stir in Maple Syrup & Let Cool: Stir in the maple syrup after blending. Let cool.
- 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
