Ah, the sweet, sweet essence of Fall. Pumpkins are everywhere and what a better way to incorporate this seasonal goodie than in a probiotic rich pumpkin butter?! I found my pie pumpkin and apples at the farmer’s market, so they’re organic, local and a great price, woop woop! However, if you aren’t able to locate these at your farmer’s market, you can still find these ingredients at the store.
This recipe is adapted from a fermented pumpkin butter recipe that I found on Oh,Lardy!’s blog, which you can find here. I have adapted this recipe by subbing a freeze-dried veggie culture starter with sea salt for a few reasons. First, the veggie culture costs around $25 and is not necessary for this kind of fermentation. According to the Culture’s for Health site, “Salt can promote the fermenting process by inhibiting the growth of undesirable microorganisms, favoring the growth of desired Lactobacilli.” Starter cultures, such as the freeze-dried form, can add bacteria to the culturing process to get the fermentation moving. However, these salt-free ferments can be more susceptible to mold and definitely increase the cost of production.
Feel free to go that route, but I think you will be very happy with the outcome and cost of my adapted version. Not only does this pumpkin butter have the perfect amount of tart and sweet, but this type of fermentation produces an array of lacto bacteria. Lactobacillus is one of the extremely gut beneficial bacteria that we really want to incorporate in our diet. Yay for local, seasonal ingredients transformed into probiotic rich, delicious goodness!
- 3½ cup fresh pie pumpkin (or 2 15oz cans of pure pumpkin)
- ¼ cup apple juice (I juiced 2 medium apples)
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove)
- 1 tsp grated ginger root
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1½ tbsp coconut oil
- ¼ cup coconut/almond milk (I used califia farms toasted coconut almond milk)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp fresh lemon juice
- If using fresh pie pumpkin, preheat oven to 380 F.
- Scoop out seeds and set them aside in a collendeer (see the roasted pumpkin seed recipes below!) and cut into sections.
- Roast for approximately 40 minutes, or until a fork can easily be inserted.
- Remove skin and scoop out all the pumpkin.
- Place into food processor until pumpkin reaches a creamy consistency.
- Place all ingredients except for the lemon juice and salt into a large pot and mix.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot, and lower heat to low.
- Allow mixture to simmer for 35 minutes.
- Let pumpkin butter cool to room temperature.
- Add the lemon juice and salt and mix well.
- Distribute evenly into 2 pint sized mason jars, or a few smaller ones.
- Put the lids on and allow pumpkin butter to ferment for 24+ hours (I did mine for around 48 hours!)
- Move the jar(s) to the fridge and enjoy on gluten free toast, apple slices topped with hempseed,
- mixed into yogurt, or right out of the jar!
Pumpkin Seeds 2 Ways:
I played around with a few ways of roasting the seeds this year and here’s my top two choices. The first is a savory, booster-food rich choice, and the second a slightly sweet treat.
- 2c soaked/well-rinsed pumpkin seeds
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
- 2 tsp virgin coconut oil
- Preheat oven to 375
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl
- Place on cookie sheet or large glass baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden
- 2c soaked/well-rinsed pumpkin seeds
- 2 T nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp Celtic sea salt
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 3 tsp virgin coconut oil
- Preheat oven to 375
- Thoroughly coat seeds with all the ingredients in a large bowl.
- Place on cookie sheet or large glass baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden
Blair is a Nutrition Consultant and Natural Chef with a passion for helping others achieve optimal health through a holistic approach that focuses on body, mind, and spirit. 
