The Glory of Pumpkin Butter

To say that I’m a big Trader Joe’s fan would be an enormous understatement.

I shop there about twice a week, talk to friends and family about the wonders of their stores even more often and eat something procured from their shelves just about every day.

Of all the wonderful items they stock, there is one that I sing the praises of more often and more loudly than any other. That item is pumpkin butter.

Per Trader Joe’s flyer, “Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter doesn’t actually contain butter, but it does have a distinctively rich, butter-like consistency – partially attributable to its fruit pulp to sugar ratio, which is higher than that of jam or preserves.”

In other words, its creamy and rich, yet only contains 40 calories per serving (along with no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium, low sugar and a 1/5th of your daily vitamin A).

Besides consuming it straight out of the jar (which I do on occasion), I use pumpkin butter in a variety of conventional and unconventional ways to spruce up otherwise staid staples.

Just try to resist...

Some of the basic ways that pumpkin butter can be used include typical applications such as spread on toast, waffles or biscuits. The fruit flavor and thick texture elevate these everyday edibles into memorable breakfasts and snacks.

While I enjoy these standard uses immensely, what gets me really excited about this product is its versatility. Here are my three favorite ways I’ve used pumpkin butter to add something extraordinary to various dishes.

Pumpkin-Ginger Glazed Grilled Mahi-Mahi

A little bit of salt, pepper, and ground ginger rubbed on the mahi-mahi filet, a few minutes on the grill (or in a grill pan) and a dollop of pumpkin butter added on for the last 3 minutes of grilling to serve as a glaze, and you’ve got yourself a delicious and inventive sounding entrée with minimal effort. This combination also works great on grilled chicken breasts.

Right about now would be a good time to slather on some pumpkin butter

Pumpkin French Toast

As you made your mixture (eggs, vanilla, milk, salt, sugar) that you normally used to soak your bread in, toss in a tablespoon of pumpkin butter to add a little zing to the dish. A light spreading of pumpkin butter on the finished product also does that trick; double up if you dare…

Add it right to the batter

Pumpkin Sauce

After 30 seconds or so in the microwave, a pumpkin butter of lower viscosity will emerge and makes a great topping for vanilla ice cream, cheesecake, or your fingers.
Stir that microwaved pumpkin butter in with an equal volume of cream, and you’ve got yourself a pumpkin cream sauce that will marry wonderfully with the noodle of your choosing.

A photo of my pantry

I'm certain that there are many more ways to enjoy this fantastic product, and if you know of any, I'd love to hear about them.  

In the meantime, give these applications a shot.  I think you'll be quite happy with the results.