This simple stovetop apple butter recipe is quick, easy, and has no processed sugar! Fresh apples, cinnamon, and a bit of maple syrup make this sauce rich and velvety. Vegetarian, Vegan.
Let's talk apple butter!
This easy, cozy, use-it-on-anything dip is one of fall's most magical elixirs.
We make ours without processed or refined sugar: A splash of maple syrup is all you need to complement the natural sweetness of fresh fall apples.
Also? No peeling necessary! A good immersion blender will smooth out those apple peels; there's no need to spend extra prep time removing the skins.
All you'll need:
- Fresh apples
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Lemon Juice
- Maple Syrup
- Pinch of salt
No maple syrup?
If you aren't vegan, honey is a great replacement here. We've also swapped brown sugar, molasses, and apple cider for the maple syrup with good results!
Which apples should I use?
Our rule of thumb: Use any apples you like to eat! You can stick with one variety, or mix a few of your favorites together.
We've tested this recipe with more than a dozen apple varieties, including Red Delicious, Sansa, Granny Smith (these make a very tart but very cool apple butter!), Honeycrisp, Fuji, McIntosh, Liberty, and plenty more! They're all good.
While the apples you use will impact the final flavor and consistency of your sauce (sweeter apples = sweeter apple butter), you can always adjust the flavor by stirring in more spices, lemon juice, or maple syrup once it's blended.
How to make apple butter
- Prep. Core and chop the apples and throw them in a saucepan with the spices, lemon juice, and maple syrup.
- Cook. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 hours until apples have softened (and your house smells like heaven).
- Blend. Turn off the heat, let the apples cool for at least 15 minutes, then purée with an immersion blender until smooth.
How to use apple butter
Some of our favorite places to add a spoonful of this cozy sauce:
- Overnight oats
- Pork chops
- Grilled cheese sandwiches
- Ice cream
- Goat cheese or brie crostini
- French toast or pancakes
Apple butter is also delicious in baked goods! We love using it in:
A few recipe FAQs
Yes! You'll need a few small tweaks to make this work perfectly for a crock pot: see our slow cooker apple butter recipe for all the details.
Let it cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for several months. We like freezing apple butter in small mason jars with tight-fitting lids, then defrosting a jar in the fridge overnight whenever you need one.
This recipe has not been tested for pH levels or other safe canning practices, so we do not recommend canning it with a water bath or pressure canner. If you’d like a recipe that’s been tested for safe home canning, we recommend this one from Ball!
The final consistency will depend on the water content of the apples you use, and it can vary quite a bit each time: don’t worry if your apple butter looks a little runny right after you blend it! Just return the saucepan to the stove over low heat and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired consistency. Apple butter will also thicken a little as it cools!
Let the cooked apples cool completely, then put the mixture through a food mill or blend in a food processor until smooth. Regular blenders are a little hit-or-miss with this recipe: most high-powered blenders will do just fine, but this mixture is a bit too thick for some of the older blenders we've tested and doesn't always blend smoothly. We recommend an immersion blender, food mill, or food processor for best results!
Video: How to make apple butter
Easy Apple Butter
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: Makes 2 cups 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Easy homemade stovetop apple butter with no processed sugar.
Ingredients
- 5 medium apples (about 3 pounds) cored and roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients together in a medium-sized pot. Cover and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 hours, until apples have softened and reduced.
- Turn off the heat, remove the lid, and let apples cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Blend apple mixture with an immersion blender until smooth.
- If you want to thicken your apple butter, return it to the stove over low heat and let it cook down until it's reached your desired consistency.
- Serve apple butter warm or let it cool and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
Additions and Substitutions. Use honey, molasses, or brown sugar in place of the maple syrup. Use more or less of the cinnamon, cloves, and lemon to suit your personal taste. Add a splash of bourbon or whiskey to the apples as they cook for extra depth of flavor.
What kind of apples should I use? Use any apple varieties you like, or mix a few different varieties together! The sweeter the apples you use, the sweeter your apple butter will be. We've tested this recipe with more than a dozen apple varieties (Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Honeycrisp, Sansa, Fuji, McIntosh, and Liberty are just a few) and they've all worked well.
Do I need to peel the apples? We don't bother to peel the apples in this recipe: a good immersion blender will purée everything quite well and you won't even notice the peels! That said, if you want the smoothest possible apple butter, you can peel the apples beforehand and/or run the apple butter through a food mill to remove any texture.
To store, let apple butter cool completely, then transfer to airtight containers (we love using small mason jars). Store in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for several months (we've kept it up to a year in the freezer with no quality loss). Let frozen apple butter thaw overnight in the fridge when you're ready to use it.
Looking for a slow cooker version? We have you covered with this crock pot apple butter recipe.
Exact cook times vary pretty widely with homemade apple butter: the water content of your apples has a big impact on timing and consistency, and every stove is different, so it's useful to check in on the apple butter frequently as it cooks and go by visual cues as opposed to just a timer. I generally take 2 hours to cook the apples before blending, and follow with another 30 minutes on low heat to thicken; one of our recipe testers on the opposite coast generally only needs one hour on the stovetop before her apples are ready to blend.
Wondering what to do with apple butter? Spread it over a toasted slice of homemade bread or a pumpkin biscuit, add a dollop to some brie crostini, or use it in baked goods like muffins, coffee cake, and spice cake.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ cup
- Calories: 87
- Sugar: 17.9 g
- Sodium: 75.3 mg
- Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Protein: 0.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: fall, autumn, thanksgiving
Jessi Summers
This was so simple and tasty, love it and will totally make again next time I have too many apples!
★★★★★
Team Life As A Strawberry
WAHOO! Thanks, Jessi!
Lauren Calabrese
Just made it - easy and tastes delicious! I followed the recipe exactly. Have you tried freezing it? It made more than I expected and I'm not sure what to do with all of this delicious apple butter! (I am vegan as well so trying to find some recipes with apple butter is hard!)
★★★★★
Oranna Day
I like this recipe
★★★★★
Norry
Can you can this???
Sarah
Hi Norry, This recipe has NOT been tested for home canning, so I don’t recommend processing it in that way. Canned goods require very specific pH levels and we unfortunately aren’t able to handle that detailed of testing at our studio right now! If you’re looking for a can-able recipe, I recommend checking out this one from the experts at Ball Canning: https://www.ballmasonjars.com/blog?cid=apple-butter
Elvira
I try this recipe for few times and really enjoy it. Thank you very much, but my question can it be done in instant pot?
Team Life As A Strawberry
We're so glad you liked the apple butter! We don't have an Instant Pot version of this recipe but we do have one for the slow cooker: https://www.lifeasastrawberry.com/slow-cooker-apple-butter/
Karlene johnson
Hello,
Can this apple butter recipe be bottles?
Team Life As A Strawberry
Hi Karlene, This recipe has NOT been tested for home canning, so I don’t recommend processing it in that way. Canned goods require very specific pH levels and we, unfortunately, aren’t able to handle that detailed of testing at our studio right now! If you’re looking for a can-able recipe, I recommend checking out this one from the experts at Ball Canning: https://www.ballmasonjars.com/blog?cid=apple-butter
Sue Francis
Can this be put in a water bath and preserved for longer shelf life?
Team Life As A Strawberry
Hi Sue, This recipe has NOT been tested for preserving or canning at home, so I don’t recommend processing it in that way. Canned goods require very specific pH levels and we, unfortunately, aren’t able to handle that detailed of testing at our studio right now! If you’re looking for a can-able recipe, I recommend checking out this one from the experts at Ball Canning: https://www.ballmasonjars.com/blog?cid=apple-butter
Cecile
I used 1/2 red pears, 1/2 gala apples. I also upped the maple syrup a bit. I spiced it with the cinnamon and clove plus a little chinese five spice and just a touch of black pepper. It worked with all the modifications.
★★★★★
Team Life As A Strawberry
We're so happy you liked it, Cecile!
Richard Scobee
Can i used molasses instead of maple syrup or brown sugar..
Team Life As A Strawberry
Hi Richard! You can use honey, sugar, or brown sugar in place of the maple syrup if you like. Molasses can compete with the flavor of the apples, so it's not our favorite here!
Lisa Baker
I hate blogs. I only want the recipe. Ploughing through other people's "witty" remarks and thoughts really irritates me. Just give me the frigging recipe!
However....Jessie! I loved your writing! I loved it because I thought I had written it! Kinda weird...but true. I actually LOL'ed a couple of times. Thank you.
Will be trying out the Apple Butter recipe in the next couple of days and will post how it came out. Again, thank you for making me smile.
Karen D. Fitzek
This is my first time ill let you know how it turns out.
Daneel Olson
Doing this now. Does it freeze well?
★★★★★
Maria Wahl
Thank you! So scrumptious!!!!
Jackie @ Life As A Strawberry
Isn't it so good?! Thank you Maria.
Susan Smith
Absolutely delicious! I was recently visiting my daughter who had a bumper crop of apples to use up. I started looking on the Internet for apple butter recipes and decided to try your recipe since it used more natural ingredients and didn’t take a ton of work to make. Her family LOVED this apple butter and can’t get enough of it. This recipe is a keeper!
★★★★★
Michelle
This is one of the best apple recipes yet I’ll definitely be making it again
★★★★★
Carlton Baker II
I've made this recipe twice, though I substituted apple cider syrup for the maple syrup, and I've been happy with the way it's turned out both times! Thank you for posting this!
★★★★★
Jackie @ Life As A Strawberry
Thanks Carlton!