Pumpkin Seed Butter

Lots of us are allergic to nuts so use butters made from seeds instead. I know sunflower butter is very popular along with tahini but I prefer pumpkin seed butter. I find, however, the cost to be almost prohibitive – over $20 for 8 ounces or less. Ridiculous price to pay. So I purchased two pounds of raw pepitas at the store, brought them home and roasted them (place on a large cookie sheet and stick in the oven, set it to 425 degrees and when it comes to temperature, turn off the oven and let the seeds sit in there for about 10 minutes) and then proceeded to make my own pumpkin seed butter which came out quite delicious and creamy, with a little bit of crunch. It’s very simple but it does take awhile because the food processor gets too hot so one has to wait about 10 minutes for it to cool down between each 3-5 minute of processing.

Place in a food processor bowl:

3 cups roasted (or raw if you prefer) pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Feel free to add a little sea salt if preferred. Process seeds for about 3-5 minutes or until food processor gets hot. Stop and repeat until nuts are creamy, about 6-7 times, scrapping down the sides of the food processor during every rest period. Place in sealed jars and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

FYI, the seeds will start off quite grainy, then become crumbly and clump up in one spot before they get creamy. The longer they’re processed, the creamer and smoother the butter becomes.