Homemade Apple Butter
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If you've come home from apple picking with a bounty of fruit, we have the perfect way to turn it into your new favorite spread with this easy Homemade Apple Butter. With just a handful of ingredients and minimal effort, you'll have a spread that's bursting with fall flavor.
There's something about a big pot of apple butter simmering away that just says autumn. It's rich, intense apple flavor and warm spice make your whole house smell amazing, and there are so many ways to use it. Try it smeared on toasted cinnamon bread, scones, or biscuits. Or mix it into baked goods. Anything that could use a spoonful of fall is fair game.
Whether you make it on the stovetop or in the slow cooker, this recipe is flexible and straightforward. You're going to love having a batch of this in your fridge all season long.
Here's Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Uses simple, pantry-friendly ingredients.
- Can be made on the stovetop or in a crockpot!
- Deep, concentrated apple flavor, without any dairy.
- Versatile, for spreads, fillings, glazes, and more!
- Great way to use up lots of apples after picking.
Ingredients You'll Need
The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains the full list with all of the amounts. Refer to that when you're cooking.
- Apples: The heart of the recipe. Smaller, sweeter apples or tart ones both work well!
- Apple cider: Adds liquid and a subtle apple boost.
- Brown sugar: Sweetens the butter and deepens flavor. Also helps with preservation.
- Cinnamon, cloves, salt: Warm fall spices that work so well with apples!
- Lemon juice: Brightens and balances when added at the end.
In Photos: How To Make Apple Butter
Step 1: Prep & Cook
Peel, core, and chop your apples.
Add apples, cider, brown sugar, spices, and a pinch of salt to a large pot. Bring to a simmer.
Cook on medium-low, stirring occasionally, until the apples soften and break down. This typically takes between 45 and 60 minutes.
Step 2: Blend
Use an immersion blender (or work in batches with a blender or food processor) to puree to a smooth consistency. Be careful. The mixture will be hot and steamy.
Step 3: Second Cook
Return the puree to the pot and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened to a spreadable consistency. The longer it cooks, the deeper and thicker it gets.
Step 4: Add Lemon
Remove from heat and stir in fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavor.
Cool and store, or process in jars for canning. Keep in mind that it will thicken more as it cools.
Canning and Storage Tips
Apple butter is perfect for canning!
- Sterilize your jars and boil the lids until they are warmed.
- Fill jars, wipe the rims clean, place the lids on, and process in a boiling water bath for approximately 10 minutes. Adjust for altitude as needed.
- As jars cool, lids should "pop." That's your seal.
- Properly canned jars can last for months at room temperature.
- If you skip canning, store in the fridge. Opened jars should stay fresh for several weeks to about a month.
Apple Butter FAQ
I really like this stovetop recipe, because it's relatively quick to make. But you could also make it in a crockpot or slow cooker!
To make a slow cooker apple butter, cook the apples, cider, brown sugar, and spices on high heat (uncovered) for about 2 hours (or until soft). Then, puree them just as you would for the stovetop recipe.
Then lower the heat and allow the puree to cook for 8 to 10 hours. Give it a stir every now and then, just to be sure it's not burning on the bottom of the pot.
It takes a long time but your house will smell incredible, and it's mostly hands off!
There are SO many great uses for apple butter. It's got a naturally sweet taste, so it works really well as a filling in desserts. But it's also really nice on more savory dishes like herbed chicken or pork. In the Philadelphia are, where I live, we often enjoy it as a topping on scrapple. The sweet and savory contrast is incredible!
Most commonly, apple butter is enjoyed as a spread on toast, biscuits, or scones, but I've also used it to fill cupcakes (like these Apple Cinnamon Pancake Cupcakes) and breads (like this Apple Butter Cinnamon Swirl Bread).
Once opened, it should stay good for several weeks to a month in the refrigerator if sealed properly.
Yes. Use freezer-safe jars or containers, leaving headspace, and freeze up to 6 months.
You can reduce the amount of brown sugar slightly, but some sweetness helps enhance flavor and preservation. If you prefer a lower sugar content, try reducing the amount by ¼ cup and taste. You may lose some depth.
I don't recommend it. Peels can cause texture issues unless your blender is extremely powerful. Peeling gives you the smoothest finish.
Next time your kitchen is overflowing with apples, this easy homemade apple butter will be your fall hero.
More Apple Recipes
- Apple Pie Bars
- Simply Perfect Apple Pie
- Apple Galette
- Apple Bread
- Dutch Apple Pie
- Homemade Applesauce Recipe
- Irish Apple Tart
- Hot Apple Cider
Ingredients
- about 4 pounds apples, (roughly 9 medium-sized apples), peeled and cored
- 1 cup (236 g) apple cider, (NOT apple cider vinegar)
- ¾ cup (165 g) loosely packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) kosher salt
- juice of half a lemon, (about 1 tablespoon)
Instructions
- Place the apples, apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a large pot, and cook over medium-low heat, uncovered, (stirring occasionally) until the apples have become very soft (about 1 hour).
- Use a hand blender to puree the mixture (or ladle it into a regular blender in batches) until smooth.
- Place the puree back into the pot and continue to cook, uncovered, (stirring occasionally) until thick, velvety, and deep mahogany brown (about 1 hour).
- Stir in the lemon juice, transfer the mixture to jars, and keep refrigerated.*
Simply the beat apple butter I've ever made and I've made A LOT of apple butter.
That's so great to hear Kari! Thanks so much for the 5-star review!
Does it have to be kosher salt
If you'd like to use something else, just google "xx salt kosher salt equivalent." Xx being whatever kind of salt you're looking to use, ie: sea salt, table salt, etc. Good luck!
What can be substituted for the apple cider
You can use water or any kind of fruit juice.
Delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I did have one question. After placing the apple butter back on the stove to reduce the liquid, mine seem to splutter all over the stove and I had to place the lid back on. Is this normal? Kind regards
Hey Michelle! So glad you enjoyed! And yes, sadly it does tend to sputter a bit as it cooks. If you have one of those splatter guards that still allow the steam to escape, that can be really helpful. Thanks for the 5-star review!
I was planning on making some apple butter over the next few days but all I have is spiced apple cider , is this ok to use or do I need to use regular apple cider?
I think that should work just fine! Your end product will just be slightly spicier.
When you say apple cider is that the alcoholic version or apple juice? Over here in the UK we have both:)
Hey Lynne- so sorry for the confusion. Here in the US, apple cider is like an unfiltered apple juice. It's very sweet and dark and a bit cloudy. If you can't find in in the UK I think regular apple juice would be a good sub. Good luck!
Could you use apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider?
No I'm afraid that would not work! Apple cider vinegar is not the same thing as apple cider. If you use vinegar your apple butter will be way too tart.
Hi can I freeze apple butter like I freeze strawberry jam
John3:16
Yes it should keep for several months in the freezer. Good luck!
When canning this do you have to sure anything like sure jell?
No, it's plenty thick enough on its own. There is no need to add any pectin. Good luck!
Mine tastes really vinegary!! I've already added more sugar and cinnamon and it's still so vinegary... What should I do?
There is no vinegar in this recipe. Did you use apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider?
Great and easy recipe! I substituted white grape juice for the cider since I had it readily on hand. Thanks for sharing this.
My pleasure Rose! I'm so glad you were pleased with the recipe.
Hi,
Can I use apple cider vinegar for apple cider..
No definitely not! Apple cider vinegar and apple cider are not the same things at all. If you put vinegar in this it won't taste right.
Ok I am a little frustrated here, when you say:
"about 4 pounds apples (roughly 9 medium-sized apples), peeled and cored"
Does that mean to weigh 4 pounds of apples THEN peel and core them
OR
Does that mean to peel and core the apples THEN weigh out 4 pounds of usable apple???
Because I have weighed out exactly 4 pounds of usable apple meat and it looks like there are WAY too many apples
Please be more specific when it comes to things like this, it can cause a lot of frustration
I think this is pretty specific for anyone who is familiar with reading recipes. When the weight is stated first, and then the prep is stated after, that means the ingredient is first weighed and then prepped (ie: peeled and cored). This is industry standard for all recipes, across the board. Also, the words "about" and "roughly" convey that these are approximations and you can feel free to use your own judgement.
I want to put this on all the things! And maybe even eat it straight from the jar! hehe
I just wanna say that I accidentally used apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider because I didn’t read the recipe right and this still taste amazing!
Might be because I did 1/4 of the original recipe and also added a few tablespoons of extra sugar because I wanted to use my vanilla sugar I made.
But this is for anyone who somehow makes the same mistake I did. Just know it won’t taste absolutely terrible. The tartness works for me because I’m using it for buttercream.
How have I never had apple butter? This would be SO good on so many things!
Hi,
Can I use molasses instead of sugar? Or would it change the process of making the butter?
Thank you so much
Love all your recipes
Hi Nancy! I don't think it would really change the process, but I've never tried it so I can't say for sure how much molasses you will want to add or how long the cook times would be. Definitely worth trying though, it sounds like a delicious idea! Good luck and enjoy!
Allie I just made the apple butter and I used molasses and it is absolutely heavenly!!! The house smelled amazing and the outcome is so delicious ? It was darker than yours because of the molasses and I used the same measure you used for the brown sugar. Thank you for your wonderful recipes!!
Hooray! I'm so glad to hear it Nancy! Thank you so much for letting me know how it all worked out. I'm really excited for you!
I love apple butter! And I love the scent of it baking. Is there anything better?
Apple butter was a given at breakfast growing up---especially in the fall! This delicious recipe reminds me of my childhood!
Oh I am planning on going apple picking and always wanted to make this!!
Go for it Samantha! It's really easy and your kitchen will smell amazing!