This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.
Cook this thick, luscious apple butter on the stovetop and enjoy the way it makes your house smell incredible! Spread your homemade apple butter on toast, serve it with pork, or use it for baking all autumn long.
If you’ve been reading MBA for a while, you probably already know how much I adore apple butter.
My slow cooker apple butter is a must-make around here every single fall. I usually make it multiple times because it is also perfect for gifting and my neighbors and friends are all as obsessed with it as I am.
I have also made instant pot apple butter. But every year I get a few folks asking how to make the recipe on the stovetop because they don’t have a slow cooker or instant pot.
So here it is! A stovetop version of my favorite apple butter recipe, so you can have a perfectly delicious fall no matter what equipment you have available to you.
Classic apple butter made on the stovetop
Don’t let the name fool you: there’s no butter in apple butter. Fruit butters are spreads made from fruit that has been cooked down to be super smooth with a slightly sweet, super concentrated flavor.
Apple butter is probably the most famous fruit butter, but pear butter, persimmon butter, and cherry butter are all delicious, too.
This recipe is for a super classic apple butter made on your stove. It’s silky smooth, packed with spices, slightly sweet, and bursting with rich apple flavor.
It’s pretty much everything you could want from an apple butter. Aside from a blender and a big, heavy-bottomed pot, you really don’t need any special equipment to make it, either.
How to make my stovetop apple butter
Ingredients you’ll need
To make my stovetop apple butter, you will need:
- 6 1/2 pounds apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup apple juice or apple cider
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
I like to use a mix of tart and sweet apples when I make apple butter. Granny smith paired with honeycrisp and/or fuji is usually my go-to, but you can use any apples you like.
If you choose to only use granny smith apples, you may need to add more sugar. Taste the mixture after pureeing it and add a bit more sugar if you think it needs it.
For this stovetop version, you’ll need to add a little bit of liquid to the pot to keep the mixture from burning. I like to use apple juice or apple cider. Water will work, but I prefer to use the opportunity to add a little extra flavor to the mixture.
Equipment you’ll need
You don’t need much to make apple butter on the stove. The biggest requirements are:
I like to use an apple peeler/corer/slicer to make quick work of getting the apples ready, but that’s totally optional.
You will also need some kind of sterile jars or airtight containers for storing the finished apple butter.
Making this recipe
Add the apples, sugars, apple pie spice, salt, and juice or cider to the put. Place over medium-low heat. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so, until the apples are very soft.
Take the pot off the heat and carefully blend until smooth using an immersion blender or standard blender. If you are using a standard blender, be VERY careful and make sure to vent the lid since the mixture is hot.
At this point, you’ve basically made a sweetened applesauce. But we need to do a second stage of cooking to turn it into apple butter.
Return the mixture to the stove and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 2-3 hours. Stir every 15-20 minutes. If the mixture is bubbling too much and making a mess, you can place the lid on the pot so it is partially covered but vented enough to allow steam to release.
The apple butter is done when it is thick, has a deep brown color, and has a rich flavor. Keep in mind that it will thicken up more as it cools, too.
Stir in the vanilla. At this point, you can blend it again if you want an even more velvety consistency. This is totally optional, though.
Let the mixture cool (unless you are canning the apple butter, then it needs to be hot when you add it to the jars) and store it in airtight containers.
Storage options and tips
You can store this apple butter in the refrigerator, freezer, or can it.
If storing in the fridge, it will keep for up to 2 weeks. In the freezer, it will stay good for up to 3 months.
When freezing, make sure you leave some space at the top of the jar or container. This will prevent the container from breaking during freezing.
Uses and serving suggestions
This stovetop apple butter is amazing on your morning toast or english muffins. (Or toasted english muffin bread!) Slather it on bisquick biscuits or parker house rolls alongside your favorite holiday dinner.
But don’t stop there! It goes really well with savory dishes, especially pork, so try serving it with pork chops or pork tenderloin.
You can even use it to make apple butter brie bites or apple butter cake.
Or just dig in with a spoon. I won’t judge you!
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Because the ingredients say “6.5 pounds of apples, peeled and cored,” this means that you peel and core them after weighing them.
This is true for any recipe you read. For example, if a recipe calls for “1 cup pecans, chopped,” you measure the pecans and then chop them. If it reads “1 cup chopped pecans,” you chop and then measure them.
Yes! I recently learned how to can apple butter – it’s much easier than you might think. You won’t need to make any adjustments to the recipe itself before canning because apples are naturally quite acidic.
You can store this slow cooker apple butter in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
If you choose to freeze it, make sure you leave plenty of room in the jar so that they don’t crack after freezing.
This recipe makes about 4 pints (8 cups) of apple butter.
Once you peel, core, and slice the 6.5 pounds of apples, they take up quite a bit of space, so you will need at least a 6-quart pot or dutch oven. If you only have a smaller pot, I suggest halving the recipe.
Peeling the apples just makes for a super smooth apple butter. If you don’t want to spend the time peeling the apples, you can choose to run the final apple butter through a fine mesh strainer after it is done if you want it to be super smooth.
Yes! The only reason I recommend adding the vanilla toward the end of the recipe is because vanilla doesn’t hold up to heat well and the flavor becomes weaker the longer it cooks.
If you do accidentally add the vanilla at the beginning, just add another teaspoon or so at the end to make up for the flavor that was lost while cooking.
-
In a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat, combine apples, sugars, apple pie spice, salt, and apple juice or apple cider. Simmer covered for approximately 1 hour or until the apples are very soft, stirring every 15 minutes.
6 ½ pounds apples, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon apple pie spice, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 cup apple juice or apple cider
-
Use an immersion blender to blend the apple mixture into a smooth puree. If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully blend the mixture in batches using a standard blender. If using a standard blender, be sure to vent the lid and be extra cautious because the mixture is hot.
-
Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking the puree uncovered for 2-3 hours, stirring every 15-20 minutes, until it has thickened and is dark brown with a very rich flavor. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. If desired, blend the mixture again to achieve a smooth velvety consistency.
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-
Let the mixture cool completely before transferring to sterile containers. Cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
-
Serve on breads, muffins, pork chops or just eat it with a spoon.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months. If you prefer to can it, check out my post on how to can apple butter.
- Peeling the apples makes for the smoothest apple butter. If you choose not to peel them, you can run the finished butter through a fine mesh sieve or simply enjoy it as-is.
- I typically use a combination of tart and sweet apples for this recipe, such as granny smith and honeycrisp or fuji apples.
- Makes about 4 pints (8 cups).
Serving: 0.25cup, Calories: 97kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 0.3g, Fat: 0.2g, Saturated Fat: 0.04g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g, Sodium: 21mg, Potassium: 117mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 50IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 0.2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
