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Nothing screams Fall like the smell of homemade apple butter simmering on the stove.
This Apple Butter is rich and creamy with just the right combination of sweet and tangy. Spread it on bread or toast, or use it as an ingredient in baked goods.
This easy recipe is sure to please everyone!
There Is No Butter in Apple Butter
The name is misleading because there is no butter in apple butter. It’s actually a very highly concentrated version of apple sauce. It gets its rich color and flavor by slow cooking on low heat.
As it cooks, it becomes a spreadable mixture. The longer it cooks, the darker it gets.
Simple Ingredients
- Apples
- Lemon juice
- Apple cider, apple juice, or water. (Apple cider and apple juice give the apple butter a deeper flavor.)
- Vanilla extract
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Nutmeg
- Sugar
- Salt
Let’s Make Homemade Apple Butter
- Peel and dice the apples into small pieces.
- Add the lemon juice, apple cider, and sugar to a stove-top pot.
- Heat on medium-high, stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes until the sugar dissolves.
- Add apples and mix.
- Add vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and stir.
- Bring the apple mixture to a boil.
- Reduce it to a simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
- Remove it from the heat.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until it is completely smooth.
- Return it to the heat and cook on low for 20 minutes. It will continue to thicken and get darker in color.
- Allow the apple butter to cool completely.
- Store the apple butter in airtight jars in the refrigerator.
How to Use Homemade Apple Butter
- Add it to a pancake mix or as a pancake topping with or without syrup.
- Spoon it on ice cream or yogurt.
- Apple butter makes a great sandwich spread, especially on ham sandwiches.
- Use it as an ingredient in cookies and cakes.
- It makes a wonderful BBQ sauce for turkey or chicken…think Thanksgiving!
- Mix it with some granola and spoon it on top of oatmeal.
- Just eat it with a spoon right out of the jar!
Krazy Kitchen Mom Tips
- A “pinch of salt” = 1/4 teaspoon.
- When using an immersion blender, keep the head of the immersion blender fully submerged in whatever you are blending. When making a small batch of something, transfer it to a taller container. To blend, move the blender keeping the blade submerged to avoid splatters.
- To double or triple this recipe, click 2x or x3 in the recipe card.
More KKM Recipes
- Easy Apple Pie Filling – the perfect apple pie filling for the perfect apple pie
- Buffalo Cauliflower Bites – little bites of healthy goodness with the bold taste of buffalo sauce
- Chili Lime Roasted Sweet Potatoes – sweet potatoes slow roasted with chili seasons and lime
- Cheeseburger Flatbread Pizza – all the flavors of the best cheeseburger on a flatbread
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Homemade Apple Butter
Rich and creamy with just the right combination of sweet and tangy. Spread it on bread or toast, or use it as an ingredient in baked goods.
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Servings: 2 cups
Ingredients
- 4-5 large apples
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice substitution: water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Peel and dice the apples into small pieces.
- Add the lemon juice, apple cider, and sugar to a stove-top pot.
- Heat on medium-high, stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes until the sugar dissolves.
- Add apples and mix.
- Add vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and stir.
- Bring the apple mixture to a boil.
- Reduce it to a simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
- Remove it from the heat.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until it is completely smooth.
- Return it to the heat and cook on low for 20 minutes.
- It will continue to thicken and get darker in color.
- Allow the apple butter to cool completely.
- Store the apple butter in airtight jars in the refrigerator.
Notes
Krazy Kitchen Mom Tips
- A “pinch of salt” = 1/4 teaspoon.
- When using an immersion blender, keep the head of the immersion blender fully submerged in whatever you are blending. When making a small batch of something, transfer it to a taller container. To blend, move the blender keeping the blade submerged to avoid splatters.
- To double or triple this recipe, click 2x or x3 in the recipe card.
- Add it to a pancake mix or as a pancake topping with or without syrup.
- Spoon it on ice cream or yogurt.
- Apple butter makes a great sandwich spread, especially on ham sandwiches.
- Use it as an ingredient in cookies and cakes.
- It makes a wonderful BBQ sauce for turkey or chicken…think Thanksgiving!
- Mix it with some granola and spoon it on top of oatmeal.
- Just eat it with a spoon right out of the jar!
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