Before we go any further in this relationship, I should probably know how you like your toast.
So you know, when we have our little sleepover and I’m up at five in the morning because I’m secretly an early riser, I can make you breakfast. And clearly our friendship is doing well since this would be our second sleepover — remember the first time I made that quinoa breakfast skillet? I do. Being up so early gives me plenty of time to remember the important things.
Toast was a surprisingly contentious topic in my childhood home. My mom likes her toast barely warmed — what my dad jokingly calls “warm bread.” Not golden, just a few faint streaks of brown on plain white bread, because my mom refuses to eat wheat. The texture stays very close to untoasted bread.
I take after my dad: we like our toast properly toasted. I’m talking super crunchy, crumbly, deep golden — sometimes bordering on dark brown, even charred — and he still eats it that way. I usually avoid the blackened extreme and will scrape off any burnt bits, but I love a dry, perfectly crisp slice. Oddly, bread isn’t my obsession, but I adore that satisfying crunch.
Toast is at its best with thick-sliced multigrain, seedy loaves, talonica, or sourdough. Thin slices are fine only if they’re topped with something truly delicious — brown butter, avocado, melted gruyère, or this roasted pecan pumpkin butter.
Despite the name, this is really pecan butter with a hint of pumpkin, not pumpkin butter with pecans. I muddled the words when naming it — it happens. And no, I’m not suddenly going overboard with pumpkin. This is just a lightly spiced, autumn-inspired nut butter to ease you gently back into the season. I love making my own nut butters, and this version is slightly spiced, rich, and spreadable.
That said, “ease back into this” is a bit of a joke — I’ll likely eat the whole jar in a few days and then happily dive headfirst into pumpkin season. But at least it starts as a subtle, flavorful spread that elevates crisp toast into something special.
Roasted Pecan Pumpkin Butter
1
1/3 cups
10
35
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Ingredients
- 1 pound (16 ounces) unsalted pecans
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin puree (or pumpkin butter)
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- 1-2 teaspoons flavorless oil (grapeseed or canola), if needed
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
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Spread pecans on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Transfer the warm pecans to a food processor and pulse, scraping the sides occasionally, until the nuts break down and begin to form a butter — about 5–6 minutes.
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Add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, and salt. Continue processing until smooth and combined, adding 1 teaspoon of flavorless oil at a time if needed to reach your desired consistency.
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Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, then transfer to a sealed jar. Store in the refrigerator if you don’t expect to finish it within a week or two.
Did you make this recipe?
I appreciate you so much!
Looks like I get the better end of the deal here — you get perfectly toasted bread, and I get to make the spread.