Pumpkin Seed Butter

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Delicious homemade pumpkin seed butter is sure to become one of your favorite spreads! Fragrant, roasted pumpkin seeds are blended in a food processor until they form a smooth, nutty paste. Dip crisp apple slices into it or slather it on toast for a healthy recipe even the kids will love! With only two ingredients, it’s so simple to make too!

If you’ve ever made homemade almond butter before, then you know how much better it is than store-bought! I’ve found this to be true with any homemade butter and this pumpkin seed spread is no different! It’s a delicious, creamy spread that tastes good on anything. Pumpkin seeds contain heart-healthy and natural oils. These oils are what make it so easy to make pepitas into a smooth and creamy butter.

I like to buy my nuts and seeds in bulk. You can usually get them at a better price per pound this way. This is a great and affordable option if you love to make homemade nut or seed butters. If you have nut allergies then this nut-free butter is a great way to be able to enjoy a spread with a nutty taste. Add it to toast, drizzle with honey or sprinkle with cinnamon, and you will quickly forget all about peanut butter.

This creamy pumpkin seed butter recipe tastes amazing slathered on a freshly baked muffin, a piece of toast, or even on a cookie! You can throw it into your smoothie to make it more filling, or you can add it to your oatmeal for a hearty breakfast. Spread it onto a homemade granola bar (or use it to make them!) or simply lick it straight from the spoon. The opportunities are endless for this delicious pepita butter!

👩🏽‍🍳 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Tree Nut Allergy Friendly: This is a great almond or peanut butter alternative!
• Heart-Healthy: This recipe is packed full of nutrients that are good for your heart. 
• Unique Flavor: It’s a new way to add flavor to your favorite foods.
• Easy To Make: With just a couple of ingredients, and a few steps, this recipe is incredibly simple.
• Naturally Vegan and Gluten-Free: You don’t have to worry about making any substitutions or seeking out alternative ingredients.
• Kid-Friendly: Kiddos love this smooth, creamy seed butter.
• Versatile: This pumpkin nut butter is great for smoothies, oatmeal, toast, or even ice cream.
• Only Two Ingredients: Does it get any easier than that?
• More Affordable Than Store-Bought: Especially if you buy in bulk, this will be a big-time money-saver.

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🥘 Ingredients

I love a recipe that only has a few ingredients, and this is one of the best! 

You only need two ingredients for this homemade pumpkin butter that can easily be found at most grocery stores! Some recipes may call for the addition of little oil, but this isn’t necessary. The oils in the pumpkin seeds will result in a creamy spread.

• Pumpkin Seeds: You can find organic raw pumpkin seeds at your local health food store or on Amazon. Technically you can use fresh pumpkin seeds, but you have to remove the white shell which takes forever.
• Sea Salt: Only a pinch of salt will do the trick. We don’t want this smooth butter to be too salty. We just want to bring out its nutty flavor with a small amount of salt.

🍲 Ingredient Substitutions

• Cinnamon: A bit of cinnamon adds dimension and warmth to any nut or seed butter.
• Maple Syrup Or Coconut Sugar: If you’d like to add some sweetness, you can add a small amount of maple syrup or coconut sugar when processing. Just remember, you can’t take it out, but you can always add more. You can also add a teaspoon of vanilla extract for a sweet, vanilla flavor if you like.
• Other Spices: Make your own variation of this using any spices you like from cloves or allspice for warm flavors to spicy options like cayenne for a savory, hot version of this seed butter.

🔪 How To Make Pumpkin Seed Butter

Here’s how to make your own pumpkin seed butter at home in just a few simple steps! For more detailed instructions and nutrition facts, see the recipe card below.

Prep Pumpkin Seeds: Preheat your oven to 340 degrees F / 170 C and spread your pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Roast Pumpkin Seeds: Cook the pumpkin seeds for 10 to 15 minutes or lightly golden. Toasting seeds improves their taste and texture. Just be careful not to burn them.

Process Roasted Pepitas: Let the pumpkin seeds cool and then pour them into a high-speed food processor or a high-speed blender like a Vitamix. Pulse several times and then set the speed to high for five minutes.

Scrape & Repeat: Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat the process for a total of fifteen minutes or until the mixture has turned into a smooth pumpkin seed paste.

Season: Add a pinch of salt to the paste and blend for another minute to incorporate.

Store: Scoop the spread into a glass jar for storing.

💭 Expert Tips

• Roast: Roasting the seeds intensifies their flavor — don’t skip this step!
• Avoid Overusing Salt: If you buy roasted and salted pumpkin seeds, then omit the salt from this recipe.
• Remove Shells: Don’t use fresh pumpkin seeds unless you remove the white shells first.
• Save Money: Buy your seeds in bulk for a better price per ounce.
• Blend Thoroughly: If your spread isn’t smooth, then continue processing until it is
• Use a High-Quality Blender: The texture of the seeds requires a high-speed food processor or blender to get a smooth spread; a lower-quality food processor won’t be able to pulverize the seeds and may get damaged if you try!

📖 Variations

There are only a few ingredients, but there are still some ways to adjust this easy recipe.

• Cashew Butter: Use cashews in place of (or in addition to) pumpkin seeds. Follow the recipe as directed and process until smooth. You can add a couple of teaspoons of coconut oil if desired to help the cashews blend into a creamy spread.
• Roasted Pumpkin Seed Butter: Roasted pumpkin seeds have the best flavor! You can use pre-roasted seeds to make this recipe, just omit the salt if your seeds have been roasted with salt already.
• Sunflower Seed Butter: Follow the recipe as directed but only cook the raw seeds for eight minutes. Process until smooth, and you’ll have homemade sunflower butter ready to go! Feel free to combine sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds for an even more nutritious spread.
• Add More Protein: Add in 1-2 tablespoons of ground chia seeds or flax seeds to amp up the protein of this delicious butter!

🍽 Serving Suggestions

There’s no shortage of ways to use this pumpkin seed spread. If you do it with nut butter, you can do it with homemade seed butter too! Here are some of our favorite ways to serve it:

• On Bread: My favorite way to eat it is on a hearty slice of whole grain toast with fresh fruit. 
• Smoothies: Add a dollop of this smooth spread before blending to pack a punch of nutrients into any healthy smoothie recipe.
• Oatmeal: Stir this into any healthy oatmeal recipe to add amazing flavor, healthy fats, and protein.
• Granola Bars: Use this as a binder when making granola bars.
• Spread: Spoon a generous amount of this onto muffins and quick breads or use it as a condiment on sandwiches instead of nut butter! It also tastes great drizzled onto my loaded apple nachos!

🙌 Dietary Adaptations

This recipe is already vegan, vegetarian, low carb, low sugar, and gluten free! If you need to reduce the salt, read on:

• Low-Sodium: While this recipe doesn’t call for a lot of salt, if you’re being strict about your sodium intake, either completely omit the salt or reduce it. If you want to add extra flavor in the absence of salt, try adding your favorite dried herbs or spices.

🫙 Storage Directions

This recipe for healthy pumpkin seed butter is good for a few months in the fridge! Here’s how best to store it:

In The Refrigerator: This spread has a shelf life of up to three months in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Don’t store it at room temperature, and if it begins to smell rancid, it is no longer good and should be thrown out.

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