pumpkin butter

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I picked up a toast + Biscoff spread breakfast habit a little while ago, and when I noticed I'd gone through a whole jar, by myself, in less than a month, I realized it was time to find a healthier alternative. Have you seen the ingredients in Biscoff spread? It's basically cookies and oil. Which is fine, for a treat, but kind of a shameful way to start my day.

I'd seen a few recipes for pumpkin butter floating around online, and when I realized I had all the ingredients on hand, I decided to give it a go. It looked ridiculously easy--could it really just be a matter of reducing everything in a pot, and pouring it into a jar? Well, yes. Seriously, open a can of pumpkin, throw in some juice & sugar and a few spices, stir, and about 20 minutes later, you have a sweet/spicy, creamy alternative to cookies and oil for breakfast. There's no reason not to try it.

This recipe's not that different from most of the other popular ones you'll find online, which I think are all subtle permutations of Martha Stewart's original, but I figured I'd save you the math of cutting everything in half, if you just want one jar.

Pumpkin Butter
(makes one 6-8 ounce jar)

1 15-oz can pumpkin
1/2 c. brown sugar
3/8 c. apple juice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
(adjust spices to taste)

Stir everything together in a saucepan, bring to a boil on medium heat. Cover halfway (to minimize splatter but still allow the steam to escape), reduce heat to medium-low, simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring often, until reduced to desired thickness. Pour into sterilized jar. Serve immediately or refrigerate.