Pumpkin spice butter is the perfect fall treat! Made in minutes from simple ingredients, this pumpkin compound butter recipe includes honey, pumpkin puree, and warm spices for a delicious whipped spread.
Since first making Italian compound butter years ago, I've added several variations of compound butter to my future recipe list. It's simple to make, uses few ingredients, and is endlessly versatile.
So where are they?
That recipe list in question is about a mile long, so it's taken me some time to circle back to the compound butter section. But here I am, just in time to welcome fall with pumpkin spice butter.
With real pumpkin in the mix, this is an easy, seasonal sweet-but-a-little-salty treat to make that the whole family will love.
P.S. Here's another! Roasted garlic butter is one of my favorite things to make after roasting heads of garlic.
Reasons To Love This Recipe
- Making a pumpkin compound butter is a great way to use up just a little bit of extra pumpkin puree. A batch calls for one-quarter cup (four tablespoons) of pumpkin.
- Using coarse sea salt (instead of smaller kosher or table salt) adds larger, flaky pockets of salty flavor that complement pumpkin honey butter sweetness so well.
- A flavored butter, especially one with pumpkin and cozy fall spices, is a great way to add seasonal flair to toast and baked goods.
- Compound butter freezes very well.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter: I like to use unsalted butter when making compound butter so you can control the total amount of salt. That said, salted can also work. If going that route, take a taste before adding any salt as you'll likely need less than the amount listed in the recipe card.
- Pumpkin: Use pure pumpkin puree here and not canned pumpkin pie filling (which is already sweetened and spiced). The cans can be tricky to differentiate sometimes.
- Honey: Pumpkin puree needs sweetness to balance its almost savory tomato-y flavor (just me?). Honey in sweet compound butters is a classic, so using it here turns this recipe into a pumpkin honey butter. That said, maple syrup can also work in a 1:1 ratio if you prefer.
- Pumpkin pie spice: A pre-made spice blend is just fine, but you can make your own pumpkin pie spice if you have a reasonably well-stocked pantry. I use my homemade version, which includes ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
- Coarse sea salt: Larger flakes of sea salt are what often provide the "salty" in sweet and salty desserts. You get pockets of saltiness without overwhelming the whole recipe with an underlying salty flavor that you'd get from using much finer table salt. That concept works well in pumpkin compound butter. Start with one-eighth teaspoon and add more to taste.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Add the softened butter and dry spices/seasonings (cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt) to a mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, or until the butter is whipped and creamy.
- Whisk together the pumpkin puree and honey in another bowl.
- Gradually add the pumpkin puree mixture to the butter in several increments, beating well after each addition. The texture might not look all there right when all of the pumpkin and honey are added, but keep mixing on medium speed for 2-3 more minutes or until everything is whipped nicely. This pumpkin compound butter is ready once it's creamy, smooth, and has lightened slightly in color.
Recipe Tips
- I have not tried making this pumpkin spice butter by hand (not using an electric mixer of some sort). While the ingredients will certainly combine, we really want that whipped texture that comes from integrating air into the softened butter, and that's a lot easier to do with an electric appliance.
- While soft and pipe-able right when it's done, this flavored butter firms right back up once refrigerated, making it a great candidate for forming into logs.
Recipe FAQs
While I haven't tested any dairy-free butters myself, as long as the butter is able to soften to room temperature for whipping and then firm back up in the fridge it should be fine. I believe doing this and substituting in maple syrup for honey would make this recipe vegan.
When refrigerated wrapped in parchment paper/plastic wrap or stored in a covered jar or container, this compound butter should last for a week or so.
Yes. Compound butters freeze well. I recommend shaping butter into logs if you'd like to freeze it. Better yet, shape it into multiple smaller logs so it's easier to take out a little to thaw and use as needed. Wrap each butter log snugly in parchment paper, then wrap that in plastic wrap and freeze. It should stay for several months in the freezer.
Related Recipes
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating in the recipe card and/or a comment review below!
Pumpkin Spice Butter
Ingredients
- ½ cup (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter softened
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ⅛ teaspoon coarse sea salt up to ¼ teaspoon, to taste
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 ½ Tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Add softened butter, ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and ⅛ teaspoon coarse sea salt to a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until everything is smooth, creamy, and well combined. You can also use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Whisk together the pumpkin puree and honey in a separate small bowl.
- Add the combined pumpkin/honey to the whipped butter bowl in several increments, beating well after each addition. Once all of the pumpkin/honey has been added, continue to beat the pumpkin spice butter on medium speed for several minutes, or until the butter is well whipped and creamy. Adjust salt and spices to taste.
- Pipe butter into a jar (or simply spoon it) or form a log or several mini logs by rolling the butter into a cylinder within a sheet(s) of parchment paper. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for several months.
Notes
- While these ingredients can be combined by hand, the creamy, whipped texture produced by a mixer really adds to the appeal of a compound butter like this. Using a stand or electric hand mixer is highly recommended.
- Freezing Instructions: Shape whipped butter in a rough cylinder on a sheet of parchment paper (or portion it out into several pieces for smaller logs). Roll the parchment paper up over the butter and use it to shape and gently roll the butter into a log. Wrap the log (or logs) snugly with the parchment paper and then wrap with plastic wrap. Freeze for several months, transferring to the fridge to thaw when ready to use.
Inspired by Food Network's pumpkin butter.
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