Pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin soup, pumpkin mocha ice cream…if you’ve been to Trader Joe’s in the last month, you’ll see that they’ve had a total pumpkin takeover. From sweet to savory to spicy, pumpkin is in almost every aisle of the store. The season is far from over, but it won’t be here forever. That’s why now is the time to stock up on Pumpkin Butter.
Pumpkin Butter has a super-charged pumpkin taste and none of the fat that regular butter has, but the two do share the same consistency. Out of all the pumpkin items available, this is a tool you can use to turn a non-fall dish into one that embodies the sweet and spicy flavors of the season.
Here are four things you can do with Pumpkin Butter:
1. PB & PB Sandwich
Take two slices of your favorite bread, toasted, spread Peanut Butter on one side and Pumpkin Butter on the other. Done. Add sliced bananas next time, if you want.
2. Pumpkin Bread w/ Pumpkin Cream Cheese
Mix 4 oz of Pumpkin Butter with 6 oz of cream cheese in a food processor or blender.
Spread on prepared bread from the Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Bread & Muffin Mix. Top with Craisins.
I made this snack this weekend and let me tell you, the smell of anything pumpkin baking in the oven makes watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix all the more relaxing on a Saturday afternoon in October. I’ve also read that you can replace the vegetable oil in the bread with the actual pumpkin butter in the recipe for a low-fat version. I didn’t try it because I was already adding the pumpkin cream cheese and wasn’t looking for an overkill.
3. Ice Cream Drizzle
Drizzle on ice cream. Yup, it’s that simple. Warm it up, pour it over vanilla, chocolate, or even pumpkin ice cream. I’d probably add hot fudge, nuts (or toasted pumpkin seeds), and whipped cream with a cherry on top for a pumpkin hot fudge sundae.
4. Layered Pumpkin Dip
The recipe below from Tastebook.com uses the Williams-Sonoma Pumpkin Butter, but for a $2.29 alternative, you can sub the Trader Joe’s version. You could also make a mini version with crackers for yourself using the pumpkin cream cheese you already made (noted above).
Ingredients
- 8 oz Cream Cheese at Room Temp
- 1/2 Jar Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter (sold at William Sonoma) – or TJ’s version
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
- 3 Slices Bacon Crisp and Crumbled
- 2 Tablespoons Chopped Green Onion
Directions
Spread cream cheese in a small baking dish or gratin. Top with pumpkin butter then bacon, pecans and green onion. Serve with crackers.
Use Pumpkin Butter on anything that could warrant a taste of pumpkin pie when you don’t want the guilt (but who feels guilty after eating pumpkin pie?) You can go to town with it on bagels, pancakes, crackers and brie, in cookie recipes, layered over cake, and much more. Enjoy!
In midst of all this, a girl has gotta eat, right? Alisa is loves chatting with chefs behind the scenes and exploring the rich food culture of the Central Valley.
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