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.*
I tried to make apple butter last year but it was nowhere near as nice as this! A great recipe, thanks a mill... a definite keeper.
Can you use apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider? Ha! Just kidding! I got a huge bunch of free apples and couldn't figure out what to do with them all and then I found your recipe and I made this. So simple and delicious! Thanks! ?
Great work. Nice to see the salt in there too. Too many fruit preserves recipes with no salt...i cant figure out why?! I also added the lemon while cooking...the high pectin levels helped make the butter thicken really nicely.
This was so easy! I have grown up on hommade apople butter, but never tried to make any for myself after the grandmothers passed on. This was just wonderful. However, I forgot to add the salt, I ended up adding a 1/8 tsp of vanilla extract after the lemon juice and it was fabulous! Will forgetting the salt effect the canning shelf life?
I don't think it should be too much of a factor. Very happy you enjoyed though! Thank you for the good feedback!
Before opening a mason jar of the apple butter, how long will it last? can it be stored on the shelf before opened? or does it have to be stored in the fridge? Thank you
If it's been correctly processed & sealed in sterilized jars, it should be good for a couple of years in the cupboard. If you don't bother with sterilizing and sealing, it will need to be kept in the fridge. Good luck!
Great recipe. Easy to follow, made a few minor adjustments. Added a bit more salt, nutmeg, and some vanilla. Used apple juice instead of cider. Came out smooth, shiny and perfect consistency.
So glad to hear that! Thanks so much for the positive feedback Krystal!
This may be a silly question, but would a food processor purée it as well as a blender?
I am so excited to make this!!
Yes I would think that would also work very well! Good luck I hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much!! I realized after I posted the comment that I should try reading the post! Now I see where you already said food processor! (It worked perfectly by the way.)
I made it for my mom and sister for Mother’s Day and it was a hit!! Great recipe!
Never tried making apple butter but my mom was telling me about how much she loved the apple butter her grandmother made, mom is now in her 90's and couldn't remember the recipe. So when I found this recipe I was extremely excited! Mom loves it!! Easy peasy! One HAPPY mom and dad can't keep away from it either! Thank you so much!
That is so great to hear Michelle! I'm so happy you were able to do this for your mom!
Hi thanks for sharing I love apple butter and I’m just wondering is apple cider the same as apple cider vinegar which I have in my fridge. Also how many jars and what size did you use and how many did this recipe make? Thanks
Hey there! I'm so happy you're going to give this recipe a try! But please do not use vinegar, it's definitely not the same thing as cider. You'll want to look for apple cider, it's usually found either in the produce section or the refrigerated juice section of the supermarket. It's basically just unfiltered apple juice, so if you aren't able to find it easily, apple juice will work in a pinch. You could also use hard apple cider. Info on how much the recipe makes can be found in the recipe card. It's listed at the very bottom under "Recipe Notes." Good luck and have fun!
I watched these videos don't have closed captions provided for deaf and hard of hearing people. Can you able to set up for all these videos for captioning, please?
There is no audio on any of my recipe videos. Just some background music, so don't worry, you're not missing anything!
This smells amazing as it is cooking. I grated a large piece of fresh ginger into it. This is the second time I have made this recipe and first time to alter a tiny bit. It is so easy to make! It smells like Christmas around here right now. We like to put apple butter on oatmeal and sometimes our lunch is a microwaved sweet potato with nothing but apple butter on it. I have to watch my husband or he will eat it out of the jar with a spoon and wipe out my supply pretty fast.
Haha that's funny! I'm so happy you like this. And I love ginger so that sounds like a great add! Thanks so much for the great feedback!
Do you have to peel and core the apples? Or can the entire apple be used?
Hey there- that info can be found right in the recipe card. It's listed in the ingredients section: "about 4 pounds apples (roughly 9 medium-sized apples), peeled and cored."
Is there a replacement for apple cider in this recipe?
Yes and it's been discussed quite a bit in the comments section. I think you'll find some good ideas there if you take a second look!
Followed the directions exactly but the final product I got was a brown, super thick apple sauce. I was hoping for the the caramel, silky smooth, pudding like consistency that was shown in the video. I don’t know what happened but it definitely did not come out as pictured.
I'm curious if you pureed it long enough in the blender. If it was not smooth it probably needed more blending. Seems the most likely culprit, especially considering the other comments on this post from readers who achieved exactly the same result as pictured.
I just finished making this recipe for apple butter. It came out perfect. I followed the recipe as directed. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Yum yum
So glad you were happy with it Sue! Thanks so much for the 5-star review!
Just finished making this. . Sampled it while cooking. Tasted great.