Instant Pot Apple Butter
Instant Pot Apple Butter is easy to make and richly spiced with brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom for an essential fall treat. Enjoy the apple butter as a spread on toast, mixed into oatmeal or yogurt, or baked into cinnamon rolls, French toast, or cookies. This is a fantastic way to use an excess of apples!
Apple butter: the new fall essential.
Homemade apple butter is so versatile and surprisingly easy to whip up in the trusty pressure cooker. No peeling required! This is a great way to use all those beautiful apples and enjoy a fall treat without relying on store-bought versions that typically have a ton of added sugar and preservatives. It will also make your home smell amazing!
This recipe is packed with rich vanilla and aromatic spices like cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. I like to mix in brown sugar — the amount is flexible and you can substitute honey for all or part if you like. The finished apple butter keeps well for up to two weeks in the fridge and can be used as a simple spread, mix-in, or component for baked goods. It’s also a lovely gift from the kitchen, and just all around a lovely way to welcome early fall!
Ingredients & substitution notes:
- Apples: clearly! Feel free to mix and match varieties. If you have a choice, aim for a combination of sweet, like Gala or Fuji, and tart, like Granny Smith. This recipe is written for 4 pounds of apples and is flexible if you have a little more or less.
- Brown sugar: this recipe actually has less sugar than most recipes I have found labeled “low sugar,” but in my opinion does not lack at all for sweetness thanks to the other spices and rich molasses flavor brown sugar brings to the table.
- Vanilla extract: or substitute vanilla bean paste for beautiful specks.
- Spices: ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground cardamom. Cardamom is not necessarily a staple; if you don’t have it and don’t want to buy it just for this, just omit it, or add a pinch of ground nutmeg or all-spice instead.
- Kosher salt: brings all the other flavors to life.
- Lemon juice: an optional finishing touch that, akin to the salt, brightens and lifts all the other aromas and flavors.
Remember: this is just an overview and the why of the ingredients I choose here. Find full amounts in the print-friendly recipe card below.
How to make no-peel Instant Pot apple butter:
Core and chop the apples: You can peel them, but I prefer not to, and thanks to the power of pressure cooking, the resulting apple butter is still smooth and even.
Toss everything into the Instant Pot and cook: Apples, a little water, brown sugar, vanilla and spices. Everything goes. Cook for 20 minutes on high pressure, followed by a 15 minute natural pressure release.
Purée and thicken: The apples will cook down into a soft mixture that can be easily puréed, then cooked a bit longer to thicken to your desired consistency. You’re looking for something like a thick applesauce that holds a bit of its shape when swirled.
Pro Tip
An immersion blender is the easiest way to blend. Of course a traditional blender or even a food processor works perfectly well, it’s just an extra step to transfer the apple butter back and forth and then an extra gadget to clean. (The business end of an immersion blender can typically just go straight in the dishwasher.)
Be sure to read the full recipe below for lots of little tips and tricks on thickening right in the Instant Pot. I used to make apple butter in the slow cooker, but the ability of the Instant Pot to really break down the peels plus the ability to thicken the apple butter quickly using the sauté function converted me in full.
Ways to use apple butter:
- Spread apple butter directly on toast, bagels, or English muffins for a sweet treat. You can also layer apple butter over toast spread with cream cheese or ricotta for a little extra protein and flavor.
- Mix into oatmeal, overnight oats, cottage cheese, or yogurt for an easy fall-inspired breakfast or snack.
- Apple butter-laced French toast, snickerdoodles, or cinnamon rolls are always a big hit.
- Use as the filling for thumbprint cookies — a favorite of my childhood!
Frequently asked questions:
Should you peel apples for apple butter?
This is personal preference, but no, you do not have to peel apples to make smooth, delicious apple butter. The key if using unpeeled apples is to cook for a very long time or under high pressure, like in the Instant Pot, so that the peels break down and can be blitzed smooth. In fact this adds flavor, richness, and fiber to the finished apple butter, while reducing work, so it’s my preferred method every time!
How long does homemade apple butter keep?
Store in tightly-sealed containers in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. I use leftover jam jars or wide-mouth mason jars with a screw-on top. I don’t have personal experience with canning but Sustainable Cooks offers detailed guidance for canning apple butter to preserve longer.
Can you freeze apple butter?
Yes! Transfer apple butter to freezer-safe containers — I find zip-top bags or BPA-free plastic containers are safest — being sure to leave an inch or two at the top because the apple butter will expand when frozen. Store in the freezer for up to 4 months for best flavor. Allow about 24 hours to defrost in the refrigerator prior to use.
Related recipes:
Craving more apple goodness? Take it savory with an apple kale salad, apple pork chops, or our favorite apple cabbage slaw. Sweet classics include an old-fashioned apple crisp and apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies.
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Instant Pot Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 4 pounds apples any variety (Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, or any mix work well)
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom optional
- 1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice optional
Instructions
- Core and slice each apple into large chunks or slices. You can remove or leave the peels on, it’s up to you. (I leave the peels on and still find it blends very smooth.)
- Add apples to the Instant Pot, then pour water, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and cardamom on top. Stir briefly, then close and seal the lid. Cook on manual/high pressure for 20 minutes, then allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes. If you’re not in a hurry, you can let it release naturally all the way.
- Open the lid and let the mixture cool for a couple of minutes prior to blending. (This is just for safety to prevent any super hot splatter.)
- Use an immersion blender to puree the cooked apples until very smooth. (You can also transfer the apples out into a traditional blender or food processor; if using this method be extra sure they cool down a little bit first.)
- To thicken the apple butter, turn the Instant Pot to its low sauté function and cook for about 30 minutes. Leave the lid covering the pot about halfway to reduce splatter while letting steam escape, and stir frequently to prevent scalding on the bottom. (Be sure to use the “low” sauté function here, which you can access by pushing the sauté button several times until the “low” button lights up. The medium or high sauté functions cause a lot of splatter!) The mixture should become concentrated into a consistency you could spread over toast. You can adjust just by cooking it for a longer or shorter amount of time.
- Taste the apple butter, then stir in lemon juice to taste. (I use about 1 teaspoon per batch, but others prefer more or none — up to you!) Store in tightly-sealed containers in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Yield: This makes a generous amount of apple butter — between 3 and 4 cups for me. Enjoy what you can and gift the rest to friends and neighbors!
This post was originally published September 16, 2017, and has been updated for the Instant Pot versus slow cooker and with a different mix of sweeteners and spices, because I find this method easier and more flavorful.
So, I love everything about this recipes! Thank you for sharing!
This looks amazing! I need to make this to put on everything this fall! Yummy!
I’ve never made my own apple butter before, but maybe this year we will change that. This looks delicious as is, or I can use it in baked goods as well.
OMG, it IS time for apple butter. I’ve never made it this way but I am eager to try it!
What a simple way to make apple butter. This is a great way to use lots of apples for a year round treat.