If you love Apples, Delicious Instant Pot Apple Butter Recipe is one you should certainly make this fall. This recipe is the epitome of fall to me and it couldn't get easier, made in the Instant pot . This Instant Pot apple sauce / apple butter recipe does not require peeling, has no added sugar and can be made in under 30 minutes! You have an amazing spread for waffles, bagels, muffins, pancakes. So skip the store-bought stuff and make your own sweet, tart butter in just a few easy steps. Check out the video recipe.
Soniya Saluja
This recipe was originally published in November 2015 and has been updated with instructions for instant pot and new pictures.
What is apple butter & What is apple butter made of?
How to make Delicious Homemade Apple butter?
If you haven’t had apple butter before, it is sort of like super-concentrated applesauce. Nothing could be better than homemade apple butter / applesauce and your house smelling of sweetness and spice all day long. Apples are cooked in a pressure cooker with warm spices and then caramelized to make this sweet thick dark apple preserve (like a spreadable apple pie). Its great on toast, stirred into your Instant pot Steel Cut Oat, Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, served over pancakes or biscuits, graham crackers, etc.
When to make homemade Apple butter
Though Apples are available all year around, they are at their flavor best from September through November in the US. I can't believe summer is almost at its last leg and soon Apple picking season will be among us. Apple picking is definitely a popular activity during the fall. Whether it’s with family, friends or your significant other, it's easy to spend a full day at the orchard.
Both my boys love the produces that are sold in the apple farmers market. These range from delicious juices to apple cider donuts, compotes, purees, and apple cider vinegar, all of which are organic, naturally. However, what we love the most is to fill our bag with our favorite apples and take them home to make this delicious apple butter, our air fryer apple chips, eat them raw and other delicacies.
Which apples are best for apple butter?
Since the apples are going to be cooked, hence you should use soft apples, like McIntosh/ Golden Delicious, to make homemade apple butter. Because they break down quicker than hard apples when cooked and hence easier to prepare.
How to buy: Look for firm fruits and avoid those with bruises, wrinkles, or cuts in the peel.
How to store: It is recommended to keep apples refrigerated to help increase life. Although they look lovely arranged in a bowl on the table, they'll become soft if left out at room temperature for longer duration.
What's the difference between homemade apple butter and apple sauce?
While both apple sauce and apple butter are made by cooking apples with water and spices until soft and saucy. Apple butter is cooked for a longer duration to reduce it to a creamy butter like spread. The butter is thick glossy and can be preserved for a longer duration than applesauce.
How long is homemade apple butter good for?
This lasts a long time in the refrigerator, at least 4 weeks if not longer. One more way is to smell and look at the apple butter if the butter develops an off odor, flavor or appearance, or if mold appears, it should be discarded.
Kitchen tools you need .
- Apple Slicer – I’m telling you, this is so worth every penny we spent
- Immersion Blender – This will allow you to get the texture or consistency that you want.
- Instant Pot – We used our 6-quart Instant Pot.
Can you freeze apple butter?
This recipe makes roughly an 8 oz jar of apple butter. You can just double the recipe if you would like more. It makes for a really a lovely gift. Hence for that reason you might as well make a big batch. Add a bit of twine around the jar, a little note tag and grab a fresh baguette and you are done with a personalized return gift.
Easy Instant pot Applesauce Video Recipe
Easy Instant Pot Homemade Apple Butter
If you love Apples, Delicious & Sugar Free Instant Pot Homemade Apple Butter Recipe is one you should certainly make this fall. This recipe is the epitome of fall to me and it couldn't get easier, made in the instant pot or slow cooker. This Instant Pot applesauce / apple butter recipe has no added sugar and can be made in under 30 minutes! You have an amazing spread for waffles, bagels, muffins, pancakes. So skip the store-bought stuff and make your own sweet, tart butter in just a few easy steps. Check out the video recipe.
Ingredients
- Apples - 4 pounds (12 -15 apples)
- Water or apple juice - ½ cup
- Dash of vanilla extract - 1 tbsp
- Cinnamon - 1 tbsp
- Allspice - ¼ tsp
- Nutmeg - ⅛ tsp
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Wash and slice apples with a apple slicer .
- Add apple slices ,spices ,lemon juice and water to the inner pot of your Instant Pot.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot, set vent to sealing, pressure cook it for 15 minutes.
- When done , quick release the pressure.
- Remove the lid and puree the cooked apples and spices with an immersion blender .
- Blend it till everything is smooth and lump-free.
- Press the SAUTE button.
- Place a glass cover and keep stirring the apple butter frequently ,it will take for 10- 20minutes until it thickens.
- Be careful with this step, as the mixture is HOT and splashes up.
- Keep boiling until the desired consistency is achieved. Use the spoon to draw a line through the apple butter on the bottom of the pot if the line holds for 5 seconds before the apple butter merges back together, it's finished cooking.
- After the apple butter reaches the desired consistency , let it cool.
- Transfer it into jars and store in the fridge for a week, or you can also freeze it in freezer jars or can it
Recommended Products
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KitchenAid KHB1231WH 2-Speed Hand Blender, White -
OXO Good Grips Apple Slicer, Corer and Divider -
Instant Pot Ultra 6 Qt 10-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Cake Maker, Egg Cooker, Sauté, Steamer, Warmer, and Sterilizer -
Mealthy MultiPot 9-in-1 Programmable Slow and Pressure Cooker -
Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer
Katie C
Monday 15th of February 2021
So, you just leave the peels on the apples, and puree them into the sauce? You don't remove them? I want to make this this week, it sounds fantastic!
Soniya Saluja
Monday 15th of February 2021
Hi Katie, you are correct.. leave the skin on and puree it after its cooked. Do share your feedback with us after you make it.
Michele Christopher
Sunday 7th of February 2021
What apple is better to use for apple butter?
Soniya Saluja
Monday 8th of February 2021
Hi Michele, golden delicious, gala are the best choices to make apple butter. Hipe this helps
Liz
Saturday 28th of November 2020
This was very tasty! I’m an Instapot newbie so I added more water than I should. It took forever to cook it down to the consistency of apple butter.
Melissa
Tuesday 20th of October 2020
My nuwave pot doesn’t have a sauté button. I used the sear button. Is that about the same?
Soniya Saluja
Tuesday 20th of October 2020
Hi Melissa, yes dear or if you have time and don't want hot splashes you can slow cook for 4-6 hours :)
Bonnie
Sunday 18th of October 2020
My family used to get together and make apple butter every year in a huge copper kettle. The elders of the family that always ran things are a bit older now and who wants to get up at 4 a.m. and freeze while peeling hundreds of dollars worth of apples. In about an hour I have enough apple butter to last more than a month. Peanut butter & apple butter sandwiches are delicious! Thanks for the recipe. I'm really proud that I was able to follow it and have it turn out so well.
Soniya Saluja
Monday 19th of October 2020
Hi Bonnie, Thanks for sharing your wonderful memory and glad to hear you enjoyed this apple butter recipe 😀 xoxo