This easy apple butter recipe simmers on the stove, made with apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, it smells and tastes like fall!
Apple Butter Recipe
I usually make my crock pot apple butter but so many questions about making it on the stove, so here is my stove top apple butter recipe. This spread is the best apple butter, and it’s so easy to make! While it simmers on the stove, your kitchen smell amazing. It’s great on so many things, everything from toast, stirred into oatmeal or overnight oats, over pancakes, to yogurt bowls, cottage cheese and more. If you like this traditional apple butter recipe, don’t miss my pumpkin butter recipe. And, if you need more apple recipes, here’s my homemade applesauce recipe.
A great way to use those fall apples!
September and October are the best months to go out east or upstate to visit the orchards and go apple picking. Whenever I do, I always make apple butter! It’s an easy way to transform oatmeal, yogurt, etc into a fall dish!
What is apple butter?
Apple butter is similar to applesauce, but they’re not the same thing. Apple butter is more concentrated and thicker than applesauce. It has more sugar and is cooked for a long time until the apples caramelize and turn a deep brown.
How healthy is apple butter?
Apple butter is made of whole apples, so there is some fiber and nutrition from the fruit. It does have a good amount of sugar, but you only need a little bit at a time since it’s so concentrated.
Apple Butter Ingredients
Here’s everything you need to make this apple butter recipe. See exact measurements in the recipe card below:
- Apples are the main ingredient in apple butter, of course! You’ll need to peel, core, and finely chop six large apples. I like to use a variety of sweet red apples, like Honeycrisp, Gala, and Ambrosia.
- Sugar: I use a mix of light brown sugar and raw sugar, also called turbinado sugar. If you don’t have raw sugar, substitute it with more brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
- Spices: Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg.
How to Make Apple Butter
Here’s the step-by-step directions to make this easy stove-top apple butter recipe. See exact measurements in the recipe card below:
- Put the apples in a Dutch oven or heavy pot with six tablespoons of water. Top them with the sugars and spices and mix well.
- Cover partially and cook on medium-low for 30 minutes, stirring a few times until the apples are tender and dark brown.
- Puree the apples with an immersion blender and simmer uncovered for 2 hours, stirring until thickened.
- Cover and cook on medium-low for two hours, stirring often until thickened.
Ways To Eat Apple Butter
There are so many ways to enjoy this apple spread. Here are some of my favorites:
- On toast or biscuits
- Used as jelly in a PBJ sandwich
- Swirled into plain yogurt to make Cinnamon Apple yogurt bowls or cottage cheese
- As a topping on pancakes or waffles in place of syrup
- Stirred into oatmeal or overnight oats
- On savory dishes, like pork chops, roasted pork or chicken
- Spread on crackers with brie cheese
- Eat it by the spoonful
Storage
If you want to know how long apple butter will last in the refrigerator, since apple butter is high in sugar, it’ll last about 1 month.
More Apple Recipes You’ll Love:
Apple Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 large apples, peeled, cored, finely chopped (honeycrisp, gala, ambrosia)
- 1/3 cup raw sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, not packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Place the apples in a Dutch oven or heavy pot with 6 tablespoons of water.
- Top with sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg and mix well.
- Cover partially and cook on medium low heat for 30 minutes, stirring a few times, until the apples are tender and dark brown.
- Uncover and puree with an immersion blender.
- Simmer, uncovered for about 2 hours on low heat, stirring frequently until thickened.
- Spoon into jars or containers, cover and refrigerate.
