Best Apple Butter Recipe (Homemade, Easy, Stovetop)

Apple butter is a delicious, rich, and smooth spread made from apple, sugar, and aromatic spices—one of the best ways to enjoy fall flavors.

Check out our popular apple cheese danish, and apple cinnamon rolls.

Easy Apple Butter (Homemade)

Traditional apple butter is a smooth spread with a texture similar to jam or jelly but with a more concentrated flavor. This butter is made using apples, sugar, and spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom. It's a perfect fall treat.

Slow cooking the apples for a longer time releases the sugar in the apples, making the butter rich with the signature dark color. No peeling is required. You can make this recipe on a stovetop, crockpot, or instant pot. I love the stovetop method.

What's the difference between applesauce and apple butter?

Apple butter and applesauce use similar spices and follow the same cooking method. The difference lies in taste and texture. While making applesauce, apples are cooked until tender and blended. Apple butter is a richer version cooked until dark brown, thick, and glossy caramelization occurs from a longer cooking time.

Best apples for apple butter

Any kind of apple can be used. For best results, try combining apples of different varieties. I have even tried Granny Smith, which has a tart flavor, and we love it.
To reduce the amount of sugar, use sweet apples like red delicious, golden delicious, fuji, gala, Braeburn, McIntosh, corland, etc.

Best ways to use apple butter

• This apple spread can be used instead of butter on bread toast, waffles, apple pancakes, rolls, and warm biscuits.
• Use it as a key ingredient in many dessert recipes i, i.e., to make apple fritters, cakes, cupcakes, apple bites, pies, and crisps.
• As a dip with fruit platters
• As a glaze while barbecuing meats,
• Use it to prepare mean salad dressings and many more.
• We also like to use it in Indian chaat recipes instead of sweet date tamarind chutney during the Fall season.

How long will homemade apple butter last?

How long it will last depends on how you are storing it. If you are canning in sterilized jars, then you can keep this homemade butter for a couple of years. Store in an air-tight conatiner in the refrigerator for a few weeks and in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Ingredients

Apples: Use a combination of apples for sweet and tart flavor.
Sugar: Combine brown and granulated sugar for color and flavor.
Spices: Use fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and cardamom.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

How do you make apple butter?

• Cut the apples into quarters. You do not have to peel. Remove only the seeds and stem and not the core, as it contains a high amount of pectin that gives butter its characteristic texture.
• Add the chopped apples in a pot with boiling water, boil for 15 to 20 minutes, and then drain.
• Transfer the cooked apples to a blender and blend them to smooth puree in batches.
• Transfer apple puree to a non-stick pan or back to the same pot on medium heat. Add sugar, cinnamon powder, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, lemon juice, and cardamom powder. 
• Cook for 45 minutes to 1 ½ hour, stirring occasionally or until the butter thickens. The final consistency should be thick and smooth. 
• When it turns dark golden brown, switch off the flame and allow it to cool completely.
• Store it in sterilized glass jars using the canning method for long-term use. If you plan to use it within a couple of weeks, you can skip the canning process, transfer the butter to well-sterilized jars, and store it in your refrigerator. You can also freeze this for up to six months. 

Tips

• Any variety of apples can be used. The time it takes to reach the final stage depends on the water content and the type of apple you will be using. 
• The amount of sugar required varies depending on the desired sweetness of the final product as well as the natural sweetness of the apples.
• During the cooking process, taste check and adjust the spices as desired.

Recipe FAQs

More apple recipes

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Recipe card

Best Apple Butter Recipe (Homemade, Easy)

Kushi

Apple butter is a delicious, rich, and smooth caramelized spread made from apple, sugar, and aromatic spices. One of the best ways to enjoy fall flavors.

5 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Desserts, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 50 servings

Calories 39 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Pot

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3 pounds Apples around 12 apples - fuji, braeburn, granny smith, red or golden delicious
• ▢ 1 cup Brown sugar
• ▢ ½ cup Granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon powder
• ▢ Nutmeg ground pinch
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Allspice optional
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Ground Cloves
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder optional

Instructions

 

How to make apple butter?

• Cut the apples into quarters. You do not have to peel. Remove only the seeds and stem and not the core, as it contains a high amount of pectin that gives apple butter its characteristic texture.
  3 pounds Apples
• Add the chopped apples in a pot with boiling water, boil for 15 to 20 minutes, and then drain.
• Transfer the cooked apples to a blender and blend them to smooth puree in batches.
• Transfer apple puree to a non-stick pan or back to the same pot on medium heat. Add sugar, cinnamon powder, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, lemon juice, and cardamom powder.
  1 cup Brown sugar, ½ cup Granulated sugar, 2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon powder, Nutmeg, ½ teaspoon Allspice, ¼ teaspoon Ground Cloves, 1 tablespoon Lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder
• Cook for 45 minutes to 1 ½ hour, stirring occasionally or until the apple butter thickens. The final consistency should be thick and smooth.
• When the apple butter turns dark golden brown, switch off the flame and allow it to cool completely.
• Store it in sterilized glass jars using the canning method for long-term use. If you plan to use apple butter within a couple of weeks, you can skip the canning process; simply transfer the butter to well-sterilized jars and store it in your refrigerator. You can also freeze this for up to six months.

Notes

• Any variety of apples can be used. The time it takes to reach the final stage depends on the water content and the type of apple you will be using. 
• The amount of sugar required varies depending on the desired sweetness of the final product as well as the natural sweetness of the apples.
• During the cooking process, taste check and adjust the spices as desired. 

Nutrition

Calories: 39kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 0.1gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.002gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 36mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 15IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 0.1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Note: We originally posted this recipe in Sept 2016. It has now been modified in Sept 2023 with Expert Chef Tips, FAQs, Storage Instructions, etc.