I was reading this month’s issue of Southern Living and stopped at the delicious pumpkin recipes for fall! I was drooling over pumpkin soup, pumpkin brownies, and signature pumpkin pie. Reading through the recipes made me realize how adaptable they were to VEGAN! This vegan pumpkin butter inspired by my grandmother’s jars of sweet treats. It is easy to make, simple to store, and delicious on every thing from waffles to pears!
- First, you want to pick out your pumpkin! Look for pumpkins labeled “pie” for a little sweetness. Small pumpkins, weighing around 3 lbs, of this variety are ideal for taste. This little guy is from my local grocery store!
2. Find a sturdy knife with a large blade to cut through your pumpkin. The size of your slices will determine how the pumpkin cooks. Thicker, wider pieces take longer to cook in the oven while thinner, slimmer slices bake quickly.
3. Next, use a spoon to scoop out the pumpkin seeds! They glide right out with a twist and turn.
4. BONUS! Set aside the pumpkin seeds. These can be used to top a salad, add texture to trail mix, or be eaten by themselves. A little salt or spice kicks up the flavor! I sun-dried mine for a few hours, keeping them raw. Raw pumpkin seeds have been used as an anti-parasitic.
5. Bake, bake, bake! Now that the seeds are out, you can prepare your pumpkin to bake. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and keep the pumpkin in for 40 – 60 minutes. The thickness of your pumpkin pieces determines how long you cook it for. I let this small pumpkin cook for 40 minutes!
You might be wondering about the odd setup. I use a glass container rather than metal for ideal energy flow. Filling the glass pan with 1/4″ of water evenly disperses the oven heat and keeps the pumpkin deliciously tender. As a little added moisture, I drizzled olive oil over the skin!
6. Beep! How does your pumpkin look? If you are happy, carefully take out the pumpkin from the oven and smile widely. If not, do a sun salutation and let it simmer a little longer. You can use tongs–like shown above–to remove your pumpkin from the pan and let it cool!
7. Once your pumpkin has cooled, use the same spoon from before to scoop the pumpkin-meat into a food processor. Blend until smooth! Usually you can sing Happy Birthday twice through and the consistency goes creamy.
Now you can add in any sweetners or spices! Vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon complement well. Also, pecans, walnuts, and maple syrup blend well!
8. Jar and store your preserves. This mason jar is a great size for my make! A twist-off top makes the spread easy to access in any snack-emergency.
There you have it! Easy-to-make pumpkin butter in less than ten steps. In total, this recipe takes less than two hours to prepare and is great for chefs of all ages. You end up with a spreadable, enjoyable consistency. My mom is looking forward to putting this into her morning oatmeal for a seasonal favorite!
How are you going to use your pumpkin butter? Let me know in the comments below!
Suitaru 