35 min
Prep Time
2 hr 5 min
Cook Time
Easy
Level
8
Servings

In the fall, when squash and pumpkins are in their prime, make this pumpkin butter your go-to spread and recipe addition.

Ingredients

  • 1 (3-pound) sugar pumpkin, stemmed, halved lengthwise, and seeded

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1/4 cup apple cider

  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar

  • 3 tablespoons honey

  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg

  • Pinch of ground cloves

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush cut sides of pumpkin halves with oil. Arrange pumpkin halves, cut side down, on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in preheated oven until very tender when pierced with a fork, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

  2. Scoop flesh from cooled pumpkin; transfer to bowl of a food processor. Discard pumpkin shell. Add apple cider; process until smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add brown sugar, honey, vinegar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, and cloves; process until smooth, about 20 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.

  3. Transfer pumpkin mixture to a saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula to ensure bottom of saucepan does not scorch and sides of saucepan stay clean, until mixture is reduced by one-third and turns slightly darker in color, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.