Roasted Pumpkin Jerk Hot Sauce Recipe
Looking for a unique, delicious, fiery hot sauce with the flavors of the Caribbean?
You will love this incredible hot sauce made with flaming Scotch bonnet peppers, a blend of Jamaican jerk spices, and a special ingredient you might not have considered for a hot sauce… Pumpkin!
Can You Use Pumpkin in Hot Sauce?
Absolutely! Pumpkin is a great ingredient to consider for making hot sauces. A bit of pumpkin adds a number of elements to your hot sauce, including a natural sweetness, robust earthy notes, as well as creaminess and body.
It also offers a wonderful base that pairs with many different seasonings and spice blends, particularly Caribbean or jerk spices, or others typically associated with autumn.
You don’t really taste pumpkin directly with this sauce, other than the sweet, roasted flavor.
Pumpkin is a stable in Caribbean cuisine, like the calabaza, often called the West Indian pumpkin. I think you’ll love it in this hot sauce.
Let’s talk about how to make roasted pumpkin jerk hot sauce, shall we?
Roasted Pumpkin Jerk Hot Sauce Ingredients
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Scotch Bonnet Peppers. Use habanero peppers as a substitute, or use a mix of them. They offer similar heat and flavor.
- Roasted Pumpkin. You can use store bought canned pureed pumpkin, though you’ll get better flavor if you roast your own. It’s easy to save and freeze extra roasted pumpkin. See the Recipe Tips & Notes section below for alternatives.
- Fresh Garlic.
- Fresh Shallot.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. This offers a nice tanginess. You can use other vinegars you enjoy.
- Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Blend. You can use other spices. See the Recipe Tips & Notes section below.
- Salt.
- Lemon Juice.
How to Make Roasted Pumpkin Jerk Hot Sauce – the Recipe Method
This is such an easy hot sauce to make! Simply add all of the ingredients – minus the lemon juice – to a small pot or saucepan.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or so, until everything gets nice and soft.
Process it up in a blender with a bit of lemon juice, then taste and adjust for salt and lemon.
Boom! Done! Your roasted pumpkin-jerk hot sauce is ready to enjoy. Splash it over everything, my friends! Have fun!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Pumpkin Alternatives. The best alternatives for pumpkin here are butternut squash or carrot. Squash offers very similar flavor and consistency. Carrot is very commonly used in hot sauces for the exact same reasons mentioned above. You’ll find carrot in many, many hot sauce recipes, as it easy to find and affordable.
- Spices. Jamaican jerk seasonings are perfect for this recipe, but feel free to pair it with any of your favorites. Try a simple Cajun blend, adobo seasoning, or sazon seasoning. It’s very nice with flavors of the fall, like clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice.
Storage
This hot sauce will last for many months due to the acidity, which is a preservative. It will last even longer in the refrigerator. See my post – Should Hot Sauce Be Refrigerated?
You can also freeze it for 3 months or longer.
That’s it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my roasted pumpkin-jerk hot sauce recipe. Let me know if you make it. I’d love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Roasted Pumpkin Jerk Hot Sauce Recipe
This Caribbean style hot sauce combines fiery Scotch Bonnet chilies with earthy roasted pumpkin and jerk spices for a flaming hot sauce with an island vibe.
Save Recipe Saved!
Servings: 16 tablespoons
Tap or hover to scale
Ingredients
- 3.5 ounces chopped Scotch bonnet peppers or use habanero peppers, seeds/innards included, stems removed (100g)
- 1 ounce roasted pumpkin 28g (use canned or home roasted – save leftovers for another use)
- 1 ounce chopped garlic 28g
- .5 ounce chopped shallot 28g
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar 240ml
- 1 teaspoon Jamaican jerk seasonings 6g
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice 15ml
Instructions
- Add the chopped Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers to a small pot or saucepan. (NOTE: Wear protective gloves when working with very hot peppers).
- Add pumpkin, garlic, shallot, Jamaican jerk seasonings, salt, and apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer on low 15-20 minutes, or until everything softens.
- Cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor or blender. Add the lemon juice and process until smooth.
- Adjust with salt to taste, and with extra vinegar or water to your desired consistency.
- Add to bottles or jars and use as desired.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 20kcal Carbohydrates: 2g Protein: 1g Fat: 1g Saturated Fat: 0.2g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g Trans Fat: 0.001g Sodium: 45mg Potassium: 58mg Fiber: 0.3g Sugar: 1g Vitamin A: 96IU Vitamin C: 10mg Calcium: 7mg Iron: 0.3mg
