Pressure Cooker Spiced Pumpkin Apple Butter
Spiced Pumpkin Apple Butter is a tasty seasonal treat to slather on fresh bread, pancakes, or even as a topping for ice cream. This pressure cooker spiced pumpkin apple butter recipe makes your house smell fabulous too!
Hi there, it’s Jessie from Kitschen Cat! I’m so glad to be with you again. It’s that time of the year where everything is pumpkin flavored, the smells of apple cider and cinnamon are begging to permeate your home, and fleece blankets are in high demand.
Growing up, my dad and and I worked at an apple orchard owned by some friends of ours, and I would get so excited for the apple and pumpkin butter to be stocked on the shelves come September. Something about the thick, fruity flesh of pumpkin and apples combined with all the best fall spices makes a treat that’s just impossible to pass up.
Making Spiced Pumpkin Apple Butter in an Instant Pot
An Instant Pot is one of the most popular brands of electric pressure cookers. They are easy to use and your Instant Pot can help you create this delicious Spiced Pumpkin Apple Butter recipe!
NOTE: I want to be transparent in the recipe and let you know that some pressure cookers don’t recommend making spreads such as this because it bubbles and froths and there is a chance that it could clog your valve. However, I’ve never had this problem.
There is enough liquid in this recipe between the apples and hard cider that by the time you allow the butter to cook and follow with a natural release, you shouldn’t have a problem. Barbara wrote about a similar situation in this Pressure Cooker Pear Applesauce recipe if you want further clarification.
For this recipe, I start with a fruit base of pumpkin puree and peeled apples. Then, I added to the flavor with some pumpkin pie spice, sugar, honey, a pinch of salt, and a bottle of hard apple cider. If you want to leave that part out, you can just use apple juice or non-alcoholic apple cider! I like the bit of tang that it gives the butter.
It makes a fairly large batch – about 3 mason jars full. I love to use it as a spread on warm bread or biscuits in the morning. It also makes a tasty topping for pancakes or waffles or even warmed up as a topping for vanilla ice cream! Since it’s not recommended to can pumpkin butter, it has a finite refrigerator life – you should make sure to eat it in 2-3 weeks.
Happy Fall — I can’t wait to hear about your pumpkin butter adventures!
Spiced Pumpkin Apple Butter Recipe
Pressure Cooker Spiced Pumpkin Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 2 cans (15oz each) pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 3 peeled and cored apples, cut into small bite size pieces
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 12oz bottle hard apple cider
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in pressure cooker, stir, and set to high pressure for 10 minutes.
When time is up, do a natural release for 15 minutes and then a quick release for any remaining pressure.
Ladle butter into mason jars or other airtight containers and let cool completely before refrigerating.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
**Eat within 2-3 weeks
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How about a recipe for plain apple butter not pumpkin apple butter?
Thanks.
Hi Sigrid – you’d just cook our applesauce3 https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-applesauce/ and then saute it stirring constantly until it’s smooth and thick.
Has anyone tried using less sugar? We are trying to keep our sugar consumption low. Thanks,
Hi Shelley – I haven’t tried it, but assume it would work well. Let us know if you do.
Hi! I have a couple of questions, I only have apple cider vinegar, would that be a good substitute? And if so, what would would be the ratio?
If I use apple juice, should I add lemon juice or ground citric acid? If so, how much would you suggest? Thank you!
Hi Cristy – no, I would not use apple cider vinegar. Apple juice would work well without any other substitutions.
I don’t have a pressure cooker. Do you think cooking in a crock pot would work as well?
Hi Cynthia – yes, you make it in a slow cooker, but I would follow a slow cooker recipe instead https://butterwithasideofbread.com/pumpkin-apple-butter/
I made this yesterday and had some this morning on a toasted chibatta roll. Delicious! When I made it I followed the directions exactly and used braeburn apples. My Instant Pot never pressure sealed in the 10 minute cook time, but I just went with what it was doing and did the 15 natural pressure release. I took the pot out and set it on a pot holder to cool for a bit, then scooped it up using a glass 1 cup measure and put into 8 oz canning jars. I was concerned with the comments that it was too runny, but I thought I’d see how it was the next morning. It thickened up nicely in the refrigerator overnight. I spooned it on my buttered roll and thoroughly enjoyed it with my coffee. I did not use a blender because I liked the texture of the cooked apple mixed with the smoothness of the pumpkin. This was my test run and I will be giving this as gifts this year. Thanks for an easy and delicious recipe!
Great – thanks for sharing Debbie! A perfect gift.
This was very good! Mine came out a little watery so I cooked it down in IP for 30 minutes on low Sauté. I think the watery consistency was due to the pumpkin being a little watery and nor solid.
I just made a half recipe and used cider instead of hard cider. Mine came out beautifully! I did use my immersion blender to smooth it more. But I didn’t have the runny issue others have reported. It’s very tasty. I’m hoping to serve it cold as part of a yogurt bar for make-your-own parfaits tomorrow. Thanks for the easy and FAST recipes!
That’s great – thanks for sharing Nicole!
Can you can in the electric pressure cooker
Hi Erma – right now, no electric pressure cookers have been approved for canning by the USDA.
Has anyone made this on the stove-top or the oven? Don’t have a pressure cooker and it sounds good
This recipe tastes great, but it was basically pumpkin apple soup. I had to boil it down FOREVER and it was still super thin. I also didn’t love how chunky it was, so I used an immersion blender to break down the apples
I made this today and it is a bit runny. I used 12 oz of regular apple cider rather than hard cider. The taste is good but it is definitely more liquid than I think apple butter should be. What did I do wrong?
You probably didn’t do anything wrong. Just simmer the apple butter to reduce some of the liquid.
Mine turned out very soupy. Can the size of the apples be the reason?
Hi Michelle – yes, size of the apples and how juicy they are can make a difference. To thicken it up, just simmer it a bit until it’s your desire consistency.
Has anyone doubled this recipe? I’m making for Christmas gifts in smaller Mason jars and am about try try. Let me know if you have input! Thanks!
I made this – tasted great on our waffles. It was easy to make. Made half a batch, with reg sized Granny Smith apple and one small honey crisp apple, and only used 1/3 cup sugar. One suggestion when putting on warm warm toast, waffle … – heat some up in a small cup first. Using it straight from the refrigerator cools things off too much (unless of course you like it that way :-). Thanks for the recipe. I plan to make as Christmas gifts next month.
I would love to can this – any suggestions?
Hi Lynne – canning is not recommended http://foodinjars.com/2010/10/canning-101-why-pumpkin-butter-cant-be-canned/ but you could definitely freeze it.
Hi again, Jessie-wanted to pop back in and say I made your recipe the other day….and I’m one of the ones that had a time with the pressure cooker not wanting to come up to pressure. I did everything I could think of to remedy the situation,,,from reseating the cover to changing the gasket to making sure all the vents were clear…nothing helped. The pressure cooker went from 10 minutes time right down to “keep warm” without coming up to pressure. The mixture was super thick-could be the apples I used weren’t a real juicy kind because even though they cooked through to soft, they never broke down so I had to purée the mixture with my immersion blender. That and I used my digital scale to weigh out 12 ounces of regular apple cider since I didn’t have the hard cider. Maybe I could have added a splash more of cider?
No biggie….the end result is DELICIOUS! My youngest grandson was here when I made it and he loved it so a jar went home with him to share with everyone. It’s the perfect flavors of fall all in a jar just waiting to spread on some homemade bread hot out of the toaster. 🙂
For someone else reading ….the 12oz of cider would be 12 FLUID OZ, not ounces as in weight. 12 fluid oz is the same as 1 1/2 Cups of cider. Once again, liquid measuring cup (not the same as flour etc). This might make the difference about coming to pressure. (not Barbara)
Wouldn’t you be able to freeze this? We grow pumpkins and I will can the chunks but I freeze the puree and have never had a problem with it.
Yes, freezing is a good option.
Does it freeze well?It sounds wonderful!
Thanks Marianne – yes, it does freeze well.
Hi Jessie-this looks amazing! I was telling my husband today a trip to the apple orchard is in order. What a perfect recipe to celebrate fall here in New England with this wonderful pumpkin and apple combination. I can’t wait to give this a try-hopefully this week so I can share a jar with my daughter Robin and family on Sunday.
Thanks so much! 🙂
Hi Carol – a trip to the apple orchard sounds so fun. I don’t think I’ve ever actually done that. So nice that you’ll see Robin and family on Sunday. 🙂
Can I seal these for longer storage in a water canner.
Hi Jodi – here’s an article Jessie link to about canning pumpkin butter http://foodinjars.com/2010/10/canning-101-why-pumpkin-butter-cant-be-canned/
Was wondering if you could cut the sugar in half. Sounds a little too sweet for me.
Hi Carol – f you’re not canning it, I don’t see why you couldn’t reduce the sugar to your liking.
I wonder if it would freeze well. I would love to make it, but there is no way I could eat it up before it spoiled.
I was thinking the same thing…I have froze apple butter and such with great success. I think I will try to freeze this and see how it goes.
Half the recipe!!!
Hi Jojo – the article on not canning pumpkin butter says it can be frozen http://foodinjars.com/2010/10/canning-101-why-pumpkin-butter-cant-be-canned/ Enjoy!
Thank you Barbara.