Pumpkin Apple Butter combines the flavors of two popular fall spreads – pumpkin butter and apple butter. Both are typically made with lots of added sugar – this version slow cooks the pumpkin and apple to bring out the natural sweetness and uses just a little coconut sugar to bring it together with the spices.
Contents
The Perfect Fall Spread
Nothing says fall like pumpkin. And apples. And copious amounts of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Soul soothing flavors. This Pumpkin Apple Butter is sure to be a seasonal tradition for me.
I have never made pumpkin butter before. I figured without the cup + of sugar it calls for, it probably wouldn’t really work. Although it’s a sweet vegetable, it’s not sweet like fruit. This year, I decided a few apples would probably add a good tang, and allow me to cut back the amount of sugar required. It turned out amazing!
I’ve been enjoying it lots of different ways– swirled into oats (with pecans), with apple slices (and pecans), and my favorite so far- topping my morning yogurt (with a nice crunchy spattering of — pecans!). See a pattern here? Pumpkin butter goes REALLY well with pecans.
What You’ll Need
- Sugar Pumpkins (also called pie pumpkins)
- Apples (a tart variety, similar to what you would use for Homemade Chunky Applesauce)
- Coconut Sugar (honey, maple syrup, or date syrup also work)
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Ground Cinnamon (or sub spices for your favorite pumpkin pie spice!)
- Ground Ginger
- Nutmeg (I recommend whole nutmeg, freshly grated)
- Vanilla Extract
- Sea Salt
Kitchen Tools:
- Slow Cooker (Crockpot)
- -or- a cast iron dutch oven (if you do not want to slow cook)
How to Make Pumpkin Apple Butter
Step 1: Slice, peel, and core the apples.
Step 2: Add the apples, water, and cinnamon sticks to a crock pot, and cook on high for 1½ hours.
Step 3: Preheat oven to 400º F. Line a 1/2 sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 4: Cut the pumpkins in half. Scoop the seeds and pith out. Place the pumpkins flesh-side down in a baking dish, and add ¼ cup of water. Cover tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Allow the pumpkin to cool.
Step 5: Once the apples are well cooked, add to a blender, and blend until very smooth.
Step 6: With a spoon, scoop out the roasted pumpkin, and add to blender with some of the apple. The pumpkin will be very thick, so mixing it with some of the apple mixture is necessary. Add water as needed to keep the blender running.
Step 7: Add the apple-pumpkin mixture back to the crock pot. Add the coconut sugar, whole cinnamon sticks, ground spices, and salt. Continue to cook on low for another 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally, until it is very thick.
Step 8: Turn off heat, and stir in vanilla. Allow to cool prior to removing the whole cinnamon sticks and storing the pumpkin apple butter in glass jars or storage containers.
How to Store Pumpkin Apple Butter
Once the pumpkin apple butter has fully cooled, store it in glass jars or glass airtight containers. It will stay fresh refrigerated for up to 10 days.
To freeze, add the pumpkin apple butter to a freezer safe storage container and freeze up to 5 months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
Jars of pumpkin apple butter make great gifts too!
How to Use Pumpkin Apple Butter
On Toast: Spread this warmly spiced butter on your morning toast.
In Yogurt: Add this to some plain unsweetened greek yogurt for a fun fall treat. Add pecans for a crunchy contrast from the creamy flavors!
On Oatmeal Bowls: Swirl a couple spoonfuls of this creamy pumpkin pie apple butter into your morning oats.
Over Vanilla Ice Cream: Make a fall inspired sundae by adding pumpkin butter and some chopped pecans to ice cream or frozen yogurt!
In a black tea latte: Make a delicious fall drink by swirling in a spoonful of apple pumpkin butter, and then topping it off with warmed milk – almond milk, regular milk, or coconut milk will all work!
Other Fall Pumpkin and Apple Recipes
- Pumpkin Spice Latte Smoothie Bowl
- Gluten Free Apple Pie
- Pumpkin Spice Chia Pudding
- Applesauce Crisp (individual sized apple crisps!)
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Velvety Pumpkin Apple Butter
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 pounds pumpkin (I used 1 1/2 pumpkins)
- 2 1/2 pounds apples (I used 10 small pink lady apples)
- 1/2 cup water
- 5 cinnamon sticks
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar sub honey, maple syrup, or date syrup (or even allulose)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- fresh ground nutmeg to taste
- 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Slice, peel, and core the apples.
- Add the apples, water, and cinnamon sticks to a crock pot, and cook on high for 1½ hours.
- Preheat oven to 400º F. Line a 1/2 sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cut the pumpkins in half. Scoop the seeds and pith out. Place the pumpkins flesh-side down in a baking dish, and add ¼ cup of water. Cover tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Allow the pumpkin to cool.
- Once the apples are well cooked, add to a blender, and blend until very smooth.
- With a spoon, scoop out the roasted pumpkin, and add to blender with some of the apple. The pumpkin will be very thick, so mixing it with some of the apple mixture is necessary. Add water as needed to keep the blender running.
- With a spoon, scoop out the roasted pumpkin, and add to blender with some of the apple. The pumpkin will be very thick, so mixing it with some of the apple mixture is necessary. Add water as needed to keep the blender running.
- Turn off heat, and stir in vanilla. Allow to cool prior to storing the pumpkin apple butter in glass jars or storage containers.
I was thinking the exact same thing! What a wonderful gift, especially a hostess gift for Thanksgiving (I mean, that person always draws the short straw, ya know, all the work). I love this even as a fall shower gift, who wouldn’t love it? Will have to make sure I’m following your Pinterest board! Double checking now =)
This will be such a perfect gift!! Love that first pic!
My mouth is watering! I want some of this. I want some of this now. I kinda have an obsession to apple butter, so the addition of the apples to the pumpkin sounds heavenly. Pinning!
Thanks Rachel! I haven’t had apple butter since I was a kid- and I’ve never had pumpkin butter, but I knew it would be something I fell in love with — and it is! I am already thinking of variations. 6 cups is almost gone!
Thank you Arpita! I plan on giving this away to several friends at work for different things this fall– it’s so delicious I want to share it!
This looks wonderful! My son has been wanting to cook something with real pumpkins (not canned) ever since his school had a lesson on growing and harvesting pumpkins-this will be perfect! Will pin it too 🙂
So glad I stopped by from SITS sharefest!
Yes! Kids love seeing a whole pumpkin turned in to something delicious! I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for pinning!
Can’t waitvto try it. SITS love, C
Too good not to share! I can’t believe how quickly ours disappeared. I have a variation I might post in a few weeks, because I am already wanting to make it again!
Since everything is coming up pumpkin, I had to comment on this post. Very nice to see and read a pumpkin recipe that is apart from most of the others. Love it & thank you. I’m going to give this a whirl.
It’s delicious– I love how versatile pumpkin is. Thanks for letting me know!
Making it as I type this. But I need some clarification. Your last instruction is “Turn off heat, and stir in vanilla”. But there is no vanilla in the ingredients LIST. So, should I add vanilla.? And if so, how much? I want to get this right because, like others above, I have never had Pumpkin/Apple Butter. THANKS!