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Think making your own peanut butter alternative may be too much trouble? Think again! This Cinnamon Pumpkin Seed Butter Recipe is super easy, and the perfect thing to send in your child’s lunchbox.
What does it taste like?
Pumpkin Seed Butter has a very unique flavor which makes it perfect for a special Fall treat. If you’ve ever eaten pumpkin seeds, then I’m sure you can guess what this one tastes like.
I love adding a touch of cinnamon to the butter to give it more of a flavor that kids are more familiar with while still keeping the delicious taste of a pumpkin spread.
The touch of maple syrup that this recipe calls for also calms down the savory notes to make it sweeter and even more delicious! If you are a raving pumpkin fan, simply leave off the sweetner and enjoy the savory goodness of the pumpkin butter on it’s own.
Ingredients
Just three ingredients and you can make this homemade pumpkin seed butter. It couldn’t be any easier! Here’s what you need:
- Pumpkin seeds: raw and shelled.
- Cinnamon: a delicious kid-friendly taste.
- Maple syrup: adds natural sweetness.
You’ll find the measurements in the recipe card below.
How to make Pumpkin Seed Butter
It’s actually surprisingly easy to make your own, creamy pumpkin seed butter!
Check the step-by-step:
- Toss
Toss cinnamon and pumpkin seeds together in a bowl until seeds are evenly coated with cinnamon. - Bake
Bake the pumpkin seeds on 350 F for 15 minutes or until they reach the perfect golden color. - Blend
Allow the pumpkin seeds to cool before placing in a food processor and blending into butter. After the first couple of minutes of blending, your pumpkin seeds will probably look like a giant ball. YIKES! Don’t worry, this is a normal part of the process, keep blending! - Add syrup
Add the maple syrup and continue blending. - Check consistency
If the butter is too dry, SLOWLY add a teaspoon of oil at a time until it reaches the consistency you prefer for your butters. - Store
Remove from the food processor and store in an airtight container for up to two months.
Tips for Creamy Pumpkin Seed Butter Creamy
No one likes dry, crumbling, no-where-near-creamy spread. If your batches keep turning out dry, here are a couple of tips that can make all the difference in achieving a creamy, homemade pumpkin butter.
Once you start…just let it go.
This was the advice of a good friend that ultimately was the most helpful. All food processors are different and, it turns out, mine was taking longer than expected to take the nuts from a dry, crumbling mixture to the point where the nut oils are released and the creamy butter begins to form. Be patient!
Don’t be afraid to add oil.
If, after waiting on that magical moment for your creamy nut butter to evolve, you still think it’s a little dry, it’s okay to add a bit of oil. A little goes a long way, so add about a teaspoon at a time, slowly and sparingly. Coconut oil can be used if you don’t mind a coconut-ty flavor to your butter, otherwise select a neutral tasting oil.
Now, it’s time for you to give this recipe a try! You can use this homemade pumpkin seed butter on sandwiches, toast, or with sliced fruit, it’s that good!
And if you aren’t quite ready to make a batch of your own today, you can check out my comparison of the top peanut butter alternatives you can get in stores and online.
Cinnamon Pumpkin Seed Butter
Ingredients
- 3 cups pumpkin seeds, raw and shelled
- ¼ teaspoon cinamon
- 1 ½ Tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In a bowl, toss cinnamon and pumpkin seeds to evenly coat.
- Place the pumpkin seeds on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool down to room temperature.
- Place the seeds in a food processor and process into butter for several minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides with a spatula.
- After the first minute or two, it will look like a giant ball, keep going.
- Add the pure maple syrup (optional) and continue pureeing until it becomes smooth.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Notes
- The cinnamon and maple syrup are optional.
Alex says
Great recipe – thank you for sharing :)
I went crazy with pumpkin seeds today! Savory: a pesto with basil, lemon juice, cilantro, and then this recipe, which I had to add a little pb to because I ran out of coconut oil, also, I didn’t have either maple syrup or honey on hand, so I used a vanilla protein powder and vanilla extract. Immediately enjoyed warm with a few banana chips – ooooh it was good! :)
I think maybe I will never buy pumpkin seed butter at the store again because this was much much better :-D
MOMables - Laura says
Wow! so much seed prep. Great recipes. Enjoy!
Chris King says
Made it about 10 minutes ago. I’m eating it right now on two slices of toast and gosh it is heavenly! Finally, a nut butter that is actually organic and healthy. Almond and peanut butter break me out and despite that, they’re not even healthy. I added a little bit more maple syrup and cinnamon, though, because I like it sweet and cinnamony :D
Anne @ Money Propeller says
Thanks for posting this. I’ve recently been told to avoid peanuts and almonds, so I bought a jar of organic pumpkin seed butter. The tiny little thing was $9!! Now that I’ve tried it and determined I like it, I’m going to have to make my own, that’s for sure.
It has fantastic protein and fat profiles, too!
Lauren says
My daughter is iron deficient, so I have been giving her as many foods with iron as possible. I thought this would be a good addition. I followed the recipe and added oil and extra maple syrup, but it is still quite dry and unspreadable. Roughly how long do you process it for. I kept going, but there was no improvement. Tastes great, but I’m wondering if they were in the oven too long and got too dried out. My oven runs a little on the warm side-is that possible. It seems like I ran the processor for at least 15 minutes-is that not long enough? Thanks.
MOMables says
Lauren, next time, try roasting the seeds on a pan on the stove for just a couple of minutes. I usually process it for 10ish minutes no longer.
Stephanie says
Wowwie, this is a good one! Sunbutter is too bitter for sandwiches for my kids, no matter how much I add to alter the flavor. Thank you for this one! My 3 yr old, a peanut butter fan, thought it was peanut butter. My 7 yr old who is allergic to all nuts thought it was yummy and asked for it for lunch. My husband, also a peanut butter fan loved it.
The challenge I have, at this time I only have a Bullet as a food processor, I seem to be only creating a yummy paste, even with grapeseed and coconut oil. If I get a legit food processor, will I get more of a cream?
Thank you for this PBJ solution!!
MOMables says
you are welcome Stephanie! Yes, a real food processor will make it a lot smoother than a bullet. A LOT!. :)
Rachel says
This seed butter looks interesting to try…thanks for posting! I have a question about the bread. My homemade bread recipes tend to be quite a bit more dense than the store bought sandwich breads. I was just curious if you have noticed that too for homemade vs store bought? Or perhaps you have a great sandwich bread recipe that turns out lighter in texture than mine. I always do wheat blend homemade versions never all white. Is the bread in this photo a homemade version? It looks really good and I was wondering also if you have a trick for slicing homemade so thin? Because of the denser texture of my homemade breads it would help if I could slice them thin but I find that difficult to do.
Thanks!
MOMables says
the only way to get exact slices is using a slicer. This is how i slice my homemade bread.
is the bread recipe I use. You can even make bread in the crockpot.
Rachel says
Thank you so much for getting back to me! I think this is the answer to my homemade bread cutting problems! I LOVE that it can also be used for cheese and meats too! I am putting this on my wish list.
rebekah says
Really wish I’d read the comments before making this, lol. Instead, I jumped right in with the pumpkin seeds (still in their hulls) from our jack o’ lantern and let my food processor run for 15 minutes before thinking something wasn’t right. The good news? If you add enough oil and some salt and maple syrup it STILL makes a tasty nut butter! Can’t wait to try this the right way!
MOMables says
I am sorry to admit you had me laughing pretty hard! Yes, please try it without the shells next time. lol
Larisa says
Hi! I just made this raw (roasted) pumpkin seeds butter. It is amazing! Oh, my God, I cannot believe how tasty can be!! It is my first home-made butter ever, but is absolutely awesome!
Thank you so much for the recipe!
MOMables says
So glad you liked it Larisa! it’s a home run for us too!
IndianaAnna says
It’s going to be time to carve pumpkins soon. Can I make this with the seeds we dig out of the pumpkins? How would that work?
Kendra Peterson says
You’d want to get the pepitas out of the hard white shells first.
Anna says
I made this today, without first roasting the seeds, and it was a hit with my 2.5-year-old daughter and my husband. I did add a tablespoon of coconut oil, though, because I couldn’t keep parts from being crumbly. Perhaps it was just my processor. Thanks for the idea on how to use the pounds of pepitas I had! And, it’s perfect for but-free classes!
amanda says
I would love to try this! I am a bit ignorant about using pumpkin seeds. I was wondering if I need to hull/ shell the seeds before putting them in the oven?
MOMables says
Amanda, you buy the seeds shelled and ready to eat.
Laura says
I was looking at your website ans love it.just one question do you have a carb count on the food ? please write me i have a type 1 daughter and this would be a great meal plan thank you Laura
Amanda says
Sounds great! How long does it keep?