Every fall, Trader Joe’s brings out an assortment of pumpkin products, such as their Vanilla Pumpkin Scented Candles, Pumpkin Loaves, and Petite Pumpkin Spice Cookies… but something that particularly caught my eye the last time I was there was their Pumpkin Butter, which costs $2.99 for a 10 ounce jar. It advertises itself as “smooth and yet light yet decadent tasting”, offering the cozy taste of pumpkin pie but without any of the eggs, cream, and fat.
At first glance, I thought it was similar to a spreadable or more convenient version of pumpkin puree, and was pleasantly surprised to find out that there is more to it. It is certainly not a nut butter alternative – more similar to apple butter (where puree, spices, and other ingredients are cooked down), and so is runnier in that sense.
The back of the jar suggests using it as a “pastry filling, poultry glaze, ice cream topping, on toast or mixed with fat-free cream cheese for a unique spread”, and after perusing online, have also found that the Trader Joe’s cashiers suggest using pumpkin butter in place of oil for pumpkin muffins and pumpkin loaves!
Armed with this new knowledge, I spread some pumpkin butter with cream cheese on a slice of rustic bread for breakfast, hoping it would taste much like a pumpkin danish and curious to see how much the pumpkin pie flavor would shine through, but was not impressed. Even trying it by itself or on other food products gave me the same impression that it was almost “under seasoned”, and in my opinion, did not deliver the pumpkin pie taste I was looking for (which is a shame, because it certainly smells like it!).
However, the one thing I have not tried yet with the Pumpkin Butter is to use it in baking. I can see how it can improve a box of one of their pumpkin quick-baking mixes or a homemade recipe, since another alternative for oil can be applesauce, providing moist results either way.
Perhaps the lack of cream, eggs, and fat that you would see in a traditional pumpkin pie is what makes this product less than stellar for me, but I would suggest getting pumpkin butter for the sake of baking and integrating it with other ingredients and flavors.
Overall, it is not really memorable as a standalone product. On toast (even with cream cheese) or in yogurt as a breakfast item is just okay, and would advise you to skip it if you intend to use it as a topping. Thanks for reading!