Homemade Pumpkin Seed Butter Recipe

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This homemade pumpkin seed butter recipe is a creamy and festive nut-free spread. Pair this easy allergy-friendly butter with toast, fresh fruit, or anything you’d usually eat with peanut butter. Get yourself in the mood for fall by trying one of these 9 fall simmer pot recipes while you prepare this super simple spread!

pumpkin seed butter on toast with hone and coconut shavings

As someone with a sensitivity to peanuts, I’m a huge proponent of a good cashew butter or a sunflower seed butter, so since it’s the right time of year I thought this was the perfect chance to try my hand at pumpkin seed butter.

Table of Contents

🥄 Why This Recipe Works

This nut-free butter is a great alternative for anyone with a nut allergy or anyone like me who gets severe heartburn every time they eat peanut butter.
This homemade pumpkin seed butter recipe only includes 5 easy ingredients, although, in theory, the only required ingredient is the pepitas. If you wanted to take the minimalist (and keto-friendly) approach, you could still get a really creamy pumpkin seed butter without using the other ingredients.
Pumpkin seeds are a great source of protein, especially for anyone keeping a vegan diet. If you’ve been thinking about going vegan, I highly recommend trying out this 1 Month Vegan Challenge to see if it’s a good fit!

🛒 What You Need To Make This Recipe

📝 Recipe Modifications And Substitutions

Pepitas: I recommend using unsalted pepitas, as they already have a natural saltiness. You can always add salt to taste if the end result is sweeter than you want it.
Pumpkin pie spice: If you don’t have any on hand you can make your own DIY pumpkin pie spice using cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, and allspice.
Sugar: You can use any sugar or sweetener that you like.
Maple syrup: Honey also works!
Olive oil: Any olive oil is fine, but I like to use this dark chocolate olive oil. This orange olive oil and this vanilla bean olive oil are also really good (you have to try topping your ice cream with these! Trust me on this one.) You can also use coconut oil or avocado oil.
Vanilla Extract: I chose to omit this, but feel free to add some in if that’s what your heart cries out for!

🥣 What Equipment Do I Need?

Here are my recommendations:

🎃 How To Make This Recipe

Step 1: Evenly spread the pepitas over a large baking sheet and roast them in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes. The seeds should be just starting to turn from green to golden brown.

Step 2: Allow the seeds to cool for 15-30 minutes. Take a moment to enjoy the delightful little crackly sounds the seeds make. 😌

Step 3: Put the seeds in your food processor and start blending them for 3 minutes. At this stage, it should have a texture similar to sand.

Step 4: Scrape down the sides, then blend for another 4 minutes. You may have to stop after the two-minute mark to scrape down the sides again before proceeding. At this point, it should be starting to solidify and become dense like dough.

Step 5: Scrape down the sides again if necessary, and blend for 3 more minutes. By now it should be forming into a large ball of “dough”. Trust the process, and continue blending for 3 more minutes.

Step 6: By this point you should be noticing the texture changing from a dough-like consistency into more of a creamy butter-like consistency. Depending on the strength of your food processor or blender, you may need to blend for an additional 2-6 minutes if at this point the texture isn’t creamy yet.

Once the texture is smooth and buttery, add in your pumpkin pie spice, sugar, maple syrup, and olive oil and blend for one more minute. Viola! You’ve got yourself a beautiful homemade pumpkin seed butter.

🍯 How Can I Use Pumpkin Seed Butter?

Spread some on toast and top with honey, apple slices, and coconut shavings.
Use it as a substitute for peanut butter.
Make these pumpkin seed butter chocolate cups (they’re like Reese’s cups but with pumpkin seed butter instead of peanut butter.)
Top fresh fruit with it.
Add a scoop to your favorite smoothie or shake.

🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

What does pumpkin seed butter taste like?

If you’ve ever snacked on roasted pepitas, that’s essentially the flavor you can expect from your pumpkin seed butter. The pumpkin seed butter itself isn’t very sweet, so if you want it a little sweeter you can double the amount of maple syrup or add honey. Alternatively, you can drizzle some honey over whatever you’re spreading your pumpkin seed butter onto and pair it with fresh fruit for added sweetness.

Do you need to refrigerate pumpkin seed butter?

Pumpkin seed butter will last in the pantry for a few weeks, but the oils will eventually go rancid if left out too long. I recommend refrigerating your pumpkin seed butter if you don’t think you’ll finish it within a couple of weeks.

Is pumpkin seed butter the same as pumpkin butter?

Pumpkin seed butter and pumpkin butter are two completely different (but equally tasty) spreads. While pumpkin seed butter is on the savory side and obviously made from pumpkin seeds, pumpkin butter is made from the cooked flesh of the pumpkin and is sweet like apple butter.

Can I use fresh seeds from a pumpkin?

As much as we love a zero-waste queen, fresh pumpkin seeds like the ones you scoop out while making a jack-o-lantern aren’t great for pumpkin butter. The thick white part of fresh pumpkin seeds, also known as the hull, is very tough and won’t break down in a food processor as well as pepitas do. If you’re looking for ways to use those fresh pumpkin seeds I recommend making these spicy roasted pumpkin seeds.

👩🏻‍🍳 Pro Tips

I roasted my pepitas because it brings out their “nuttiness”, but you can skip that step and use raw seeds if you prefer.
If you do roast your pumpkin seeds, don’t skip the cool-off time! Your food processor is going to be running for quite a while and you don’t want to risk it overheating.
Don’t be tempted to add in your olive oil and maple syrup early. If it’s added in before the mixture is thin and buttery it can make your pumpkin seed butter clumpy and you won’t achieve the right texture.
On average, I’ve noticed it takes at least 15 minutes of blending before the butter will reach the desired consistency, but it can take up to 18 minutes depending on the strength of your food processor.
If you feel like your blender or food processor is getting overheated, take breaks between each step and allow it to cool off before running it again.
This pumpkin seed butter recipe is highly customizable as the only necessary ingredient is the seeds themselves. Get creative by adding your favorite spices and sweeteners!

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