A spread for the season: Almond butter with the addition of pumpkin and fall spices.
You may have noticed that I am on an absolute pumpkin kick these days.
Well, I do have an excuse. Soft of. First of all, it is the season for all things fall and that means pumpkin in my books.
Fall Is Putting on An Unforgettable Season!
Secondly, this is what it currently looks like around these parts (Calgary, Canada). With this kind of surrounding, can you blame me for being in love with fall right now? Do you see the different-colored leaves? I note that of course every part of the world doesn't have the luxury of enjoying fall/autumn. In some places, it's hot for ten months and rainy for two. In other parts, it's always cold. As such, I count ourselves lucky to be in a place with all four seasons. Although, don't quote me on that, becuase sometimes I feel otherwise when it gets particularly gross outside...
Anyway, back to pumpkin. My pumpkin obsession might also have to do with the fact that it is so easily available! I mean really - can it get any simpler than buying ready-made cans of pumpkin puree?
When I made this easy pumpkin cake last fall while we were in Bali, I had to make my own pumpkin puree from scratch. It's not that hard, it's just time consuming. No wonder that cake ended up being the only pumpkin dessert I made last year... 😀
Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Pumpkin
After a few full-on dessert treats (pumpkin fudge and cookies), I've started to turn the corner to more health-conscious pumpkin treats with last week's Pumpkin Hummus.
Today's recipe can definitely be classified as healthy as well - few ingredients, no refined sugar, plus, it's vegan, gluten-free, and even paleo.
Can you believe I put PUMPKIN in my homemade almond butter?
The Recipe
Oh yes I did - and its my favorite spread these days.
I like the pumpkin butter as is - just pumpkin puree, almonds, and a few fall spices. If you prefer sweeter spreads, you can definitely sweeten it up with a little maple syrup.
If you are at all into making your own nut butters, you should definitely try a pumpkin version this season (or even beyond that).
Pumpkin Almond Butter
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or a mix of cinnamon, cloves, ginger and allspice
- maple syrup to taste - start with 1 tablespoon; optional
Instructions
- Process the almonds in your food processor to a creamy consistency of almond butter.
- Add pumpkin puree, coconut oil and spice and blend to combine, scraping down sides from time to time.
- Taste and add optional maple syrup to desired sweetness (1-3 tablespoons).
Recipe adapted from Civilized Caveman
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jodye @ whole pure recipes
I've been doing something similar with sunflower seed butter lately, and I go heavy on the ginger to make a sort of pumpkin gingerbread sunflower butter. Such a wonderful idea! I'll have to try adding some coconut oil next time - I'll bet that makes it extra creamy! Lovely photos, too!
Regina
Thank you so much Jodye. Pumpkin gingerbread sunbutter sounds amazing too!
Cheryl
Do you have to add the oil? I've done almond butter plain with no oil before and love it but I wasn't sure if it was a must with the pumpkin purée?
Regina
Hey Cheryl, I don't think the oil is a must, only makes it creamier I think, but I have never tried it without. Let me know if you do 🙂
Jacquee @ I Sugar Coat It!
Yum! This reminds me of the pecan pumpkin butter I used to make SMBC last year around this time! Unlike yours, mine came ready-made in a jar. I may need to try homemade, now... Sounds delightful!
Regina
Just checked it out. I didn't even know you could buy pumpkin nut butters. Pecan sounds like a wonderful alternative as well.
Jacquee
Yeah, I've seen a couple other flavours. I bought mine at Williams Sonoma, but home-made sounds so much better!
Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner
I just made homemade almond butter and this is an awesome version for this time of year! Looks so creamy and yummy. 🙂
The view in Calgary is goregous!
Regina
Thank you very much Tina. I really love fall in Canada, hence probably my love for all things pumpkin this year 🙂