The time has come for cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Molasses and brown sugar. Pumpkin, butternut squash and sweet potatoes... Oh yes, it’s definitely fall.

But while the first glimpse of ruby and golden leaves may make you want to bake up your first pumpkin pie of the season, it’s hardly practical for the day-to-day – or for our waistlines! – to bake a custard pie on a weeknight. But never fear! You can easily have all of the flavors you associate with this Thanksgiving specialty in your fridge whenever you want them… with your very own homemade pumpkin butter.

This sweet and spicy spread is perfect as a substitute for jam on toast in the morning, but there are dozens of ways to use it. Sandwich it between two shortbread cookies. Stir it into your morning oatmeal or yogurt. Use it as a decadent spread on pound cake or quick bread. Or – let’s be honest here – you could even eat it right off a spoon.

Pumpkin Butter Recipe

Ingredients

1 15 oz. can organic pumpkin purée (you can also make your own by cooking down two pounds of pumpkin)
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup cane or coconut sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt

Method

Combine all of the ingredients in a wide, shallow pan with a heavy bottom over low heat. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir.

Cook the butter between 30 minutes and one hour, until the butter has thickened. A dollop on a cold plate from the freezer should be thick. It won’t drip or run if you tilt the plate. Store in the fridge (1-2 weeks), or can in glass jars.

Image: Christine592