Instant Pot Apple Butter (and slow cooker method)

Making apple butter in an Instant Pot is so easy- and you don’t even need to peel the apples! If you don’t own an Instant pot, no worries! I’ll give you instructions on how to make apple butter in the slow cooker and stovetop.

It’s lovely thickly spread on freshly baked scones, pancakes or drop a spoonful in the pan when making pork chops for a deliciously sweet glaze.

I’m going to start off by addressing the question that a lot of people ask me –

what is apple butter?

First of all, it doesn’t actually contain butter.  I know – confusing, right?  Well, it is at least for people in the UK, where apple butter is practically unheard of. 

Apple butter is basically a reduction of apples with sugar and spices.  Think of it as a thick, double concentrated apple sauce, only darker in colour than regular apple sauce due to the caramelisation of the apples.

It should be thick enough to spread on a slice of bread. The consistency is quite similar to a fruit curd, such as lemon curd.

Americans tend to use apple cider to make apple butter, but I only recently learned that apple cider in America is actually unfiltered apple juice.  The alchoholic apple cider that we’re used to in the UK is known as “hard cider” across the pond. 

So if you’re ever reading an American recipe book and see a recipe that calls for apple cider,  they are talking about unsweetened apple juice. 

I wanted to keep things as simple (and cheap) as possible for this recipe so i simply used water for the liquid, but do feel free to try it with 100% pressed apple juice.  If you do, let me know how it goes!

I’ve added some of my favourite Autumnal spices in the form of cinnamon, nutmeg and ground allspice, which will fill your home with a warming, cosy, country kitchen aroma! This recipe will give you 4 350ml jars of apple butter.

how to make apple butter

recipe tips

• You don’t even have to bother peeling the apples for this recipe. Obviously though if there are any bad bits on the apples, you’ll need to cut them off.

• I was lucky enough to be gifted a huge bag of apples recently that I used to make this recipe. I believe they were a mixture of Cox’s and Braeburn’s, but you can use any eating apples you wish.

• My apple butter recipe is lower in sugar than many of the traditional American recipes – mainly because I didn’t want it to be super sweet, but I also really wanted the flavour of the apples to shine through. 

• However, reducing the sugar means that this recipe has a shorter shelf life.  But my apple butter has never lasted longer than a couple of weeks anyway so I don’t really see it as a problem.

• You’ll need a couple of sterilised jars for your apple butter – putting them in the dishwasher will suffice, but be careful not to put your finger inside one when taking them out – otherwise you’ll have to sterilise them again!

• If you don’t have a dishwasher, give them a good scrub in very hot, soapy water.  Place them in a very low oven (100C) to dry out.

apple butter stovetop method

Don’t own an Instant Pot/pressure cooker? No problem. You can still make this recipe on the hob. Just make sure you keep the heat low – you’ll need to stir the apples fairly regularly to ensure they aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pot.

It can take 2-3 hours to make apple butter on a stovetop. When it’s at the right consistency and a dark brown colour, blend until smooth and spoon into sterlised jars.

slow cooker apple butter

To make apple butter in a slow cooker, place all of the ingredients in the pot and cook on LOW for 10-12 hours. The apples should have completely broken down into a dark-ish brown, thick mixture. It might not look pretty, but it will smell wonderful. When the mixture has cooled down a little, blend and store in sterilised jars.

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Yield: 4x350ml jars

Instant Pot Apple Butter (and slow cooker method)

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Making apple butter is a total breeze with the Instant Pot - you don't even have to peel the apples! 

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours 4 seconds

Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes 4 seconds

Ingredients

• 2 kg eating apples, washed, cored and chopped
• 20g soft light brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
• 300ml water

Instructions

1. Place all the ingredients in the Instant Pot. 
2. Close the lid, set the pot to "sealing." Select manual mode and set to 20 minutes.  When the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes. When the 20 minutes is done, press the VENT button and allow the remaining steam to release.
3. Place the lid back on the pot. Press "SLOW COOK" and set the timer for 3 hours. When the time is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for press the VENT button to release remaining pressure.
4. When the pressure has released, open the lid of the Instant Pot.  The apples should be extremely soft, thick and dark brown. 
5. Allow to cool slightly. Using a stick blender, blend the apples until they are smooth.  
6. Spoon the apple butter into sterilized jars and seal.  

Notes

Unopened jars of apple butter should be stored in a cool, dark place for up to two months. Once opened, they will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge.

To make apple butter in a slow cooker, place all of the ingredients in the bowl of the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 10-12 hours. The apples should be extremely soft and a dark caramel colour. Allow the apples to cool down slightly, then blend and store in sterilised jars.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

30

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 39Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 0g

Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.

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