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. Use my Jamaican Jerk Seasoning recipe.
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!
Cookbook Recommendation
If you enjoy spicy cooking, I hope you'll check out my cookbook! 75 easy recipes with big, bold flavor.
- The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook, by Mike Hultquist (affiliate link, my friends!)
Amazon Affiliate links, my friends! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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
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
Elaine Moore says
I made this a few days ago for my kids who love heat and Jamaican food. It smells so good! I can't do hot sauce myself, but my son says it tastes great and the heat is perfect. One question...I bottled it in 5oz hot sauce bottles with screw tops. How long is it shelf stable? It has to go to another state for Christmas and I don't want to poison anyone! Thanks for a great recipe!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad he's liking it! It should last a good 6 months or longer out of the fridge, a year or longer in. For true shelf stable, you'd need to process the filled bottles in a water bath. Enjoy!
Paul:-) says
Mike, Patty,
Hi! I’ve been mulling this one over as I couldn’t justify buying a whole Pumpkin for an ounce, or a Butternut Squash come to think of it. I don’t usually like sweet vegetables.
Fear not, I have a solution: Halloween is just around the corner and I can guarantee that half the neighbours would be glad to give me some of their offspring’s Pumpkin lanterns.
I’ll let you know sometime in November how it turns out.
Paul:-)
Mike Hultquist says
Perfect!
Mike Colombo says
Mike, as always, another STELLAR recipe! I substituted balsamic (all I had on hand) and didn’t use the pumpkin or an alternative. But the flavor and spice level were fiery and super delish. Thanks as always!
Mike Hultquist says
Nice!! Glad you like the flavors, Mike! Cheers! Thanks for sharing.
Richard says
Another "blaster", Mike. I only had dried Bonnets (approx. 150 g) which I soaked (tendency to exaggerate, as usual), and tripled the rest, bar the vinegar which I doubled. Kills all known germs dead, ho, ho. It tastes good already, but I think a couple of months maturing will make it better. I ended up with approx. 800 ml.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Richard!
Tim Lawlor says
I can't wait to try this hot sauce. I have dehydrated Scotch Bonnets. What ratio would you recommend instead of using fresh? I've seen anywhere from 1/4 to 1/10th. I was leaning toward somewhere in between.
Mike Hultquist says
Dehydrated will work, Tim. Dried pods are typically 1/4 the weight of fresh, so you can calculate accordingly, though you can usually add more if you want, as with most sauce recipes. I hope you like it!
Sasquatch65 says
Going to make a small batch for the holiday season to sell at the farmers market
Mike H. says
Sounds like a plan to me. Enjoy!
Reno says
Looks amazing! Can I can this hot sauce?
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Reno! Yep, you can can it, but check the acidity. Shoot for 4.0 or lower (I recommend pH of 3.5) for water bath method. You might need to add more vinegar. Enjoy!
John says
You lost me on the pumpkin, do use a chunk or canned pumpkin? You say roasted so I’m assuming a chunk which isn’t much at one oz. Then you boil all the ingredients or just the peppers. Need just a little more direction.
Mike Hultquist says
John, there is a discussion in the Recipe Notes about pumpkin, including alternatives, and mention of the roasted pumpkin in the post ingredients section (you can use canned or roast your own). I guess you didn't read the whole post. I feel the instructions are pretty clear. Yes, you boil it all together. Step 1 is to add the peppers to the saucepan. Step 2 is you add everything else. If I can make that even clearer, let me know.
Cindy says
What other peppers could I use in this recipe for some mild to medium heat rather than hot?
Thank you,
Cindy
Mike Hultquist says
Cindy, you really could use any peppers for this. Milder aji peppers are great, or you can use a mix of a hot pepper and very mild or not heat pepper, like a yellow bell. You can even use ones easily found in grocery stores, like a jalapeno (or red Fresno) or hotter serrano with milder banana peppers. It comes down to your desired heat and color desires, plus what you have available to you. I hope this helps. Let me know what you wind up using!
Ramya says
Cant wait to make this soon for me i never had fiery roasted pumpkin hot sauce before perfect for snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Mike Hultquist says
I think you'll like this one, Ramya. Please send me pictures when you make it.