This easy apple butter recipe simmers on the stove, made with apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, it smells and tastes like fall!
Stovetop Apple Butter
Apple butter is a rich, spreadable fruit preserve made by cooking apples low and slow until they’re deeply caramelized, smooth, and full of warm spices. Despite its name, there’s no actual butter involved—it’s naturally dairy-free. Think of it as applesauce taken to the next level: thicker, darker, and more flavorful. I usually make my crockpot apple butter but so many of you wanted to make it on the stove, so I tested this method on the stove and it came out great (my kitchen smelled amazing too). Enjoy everything from toast, with a fall charcuterie board, stirred into oatmeal or overnight oats, over pancakes, in yogurt bowls, with cottage cheese and more. For a pumpkin version, don’t miss my pumpkin butter recipe. And, if you need more apple recipes, here’s my homemade applesauce recipe.
Why This Works
September and October we like to go out east or upstate to visit the orchards and go apple picking. Whenever I do, I always make apple butter—it fills the house with the most amazing smell and instantly makes everything feel like fall.
- A great way to use up fresh-picked apples
- Transforms simple foods like oatmeal, yogurt, or cottage cheese into cozy fall dishes
- Keeps well in the fridge or freezer so you can enjoy it all season
- Easy to make in small or big batches
What is apple butter?
Apple butter is similar to applesauce, but they’re not the same thing. Apple butter is more concentrated and thicker than applesauce. It has more sugar and is cooked for a long time until the apples caramelize and turn a deep brown.
How healthy is apple butter?
Apple butter is made of whole apples, so there is some fiber and nutrition from the fruit. It does have a good amount of sugar, but you only need a little bit at a time since it’s so concentrated.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s everything you need to make this homemade apple butter recipe. See exact measurements in the recipe card below:
- Apples You’ll need to peel, core, and finely chop six large apples. I like to use a variety of sweet red apples, like Honeycrisp, Gala, and Ambrosia.
- Sugar: I use a mix of light brown sugar and raw sugar, also called turbinado sugar. If you don’t have raw sugar, substitute it with more brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
- Spices: Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg.
How to Make Apple Butter
Here’s the step-by-step directions to make this easy stove-top apple butter recipe. See exact measurements in the recipe card below:
- Put the apples in a Dutch oven or heavy pot with six tablespoons of water. Top them with the sugars and spices and mix well.
- Cover partially and cook on medium-low for 30 minutes, stirring a few times until the apples are tender and dark brown.
- Puree the apples with an immersion blender.
- Cover and cook on medium-low for two hours, stirring often until thickened.
- Cool and store – transfer to clean jars. Refrigerate up to 1 month or freeze up to 3 months.
Tips for Success
- Avoid burning: Use a heavy pot and stir often as the butter thickens.
- Test doneness: Spread a spoonful on a plate—if no liquid seeps out, it’s ready.
- Adjust sweetness: Taste and add more sugar or a splash of maple syrup if needed.
What to Serve with Apple Butter
There are so many ways to enjoy this apple spread. Here are some of my favorites:
- Pair with pork chops or roast chicken for a savory twist
- Spread on toast, English muffins, pancakes or waffles
- Swirl into cottage cheese or yogurt
- Stirred into oatmeal or overnight oats
- Add to your fall charcuterie board
- Use as a filling for cakes, crepes, or sandwich cookies
- Spread on crackers with brie cheese
- Add this to your fall charcuterie board
Storage
Refrigerate up to 1 month or freeze up to 3 months.
More Apple Recipes You’ll Love:
Apple Butter Recipe (Stovetop)
Equipment
- large Dutch oven or heavy pot
Ingredients
- 6 large apples, peeled, cored, finely chopped (honeycrisp, gala, ambrosia)
- 1/3 cup raw sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, not packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Place the apples in a Dutch oven or heavy pot with 6 tablespoons of water.
- Top with sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg and mix well.
- Cover partially and cook on medium low heat for 30 minutes, stirring a few times, until the apples are tender and dark brown.
- Uncover and puree with an immersion blender.
- Simmer, uncovered for about 2 hours on low heat, stirring frequently until thickened.
- Spoon into jars or containers, cover and refrigerate.
Last Step:
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Ways to Serve
Delicious on toast, pancakes, stirred into oatmeal or overnight oats, swirled into yogurt bowls, with cottage cheese, or on a fall charcuterie board. Unlike applesauce, which is cooked until just soft and blended, apple butter is cooked much longer until the sugars caramelize—giving it a darker color, thicker texture, and more concentrated flavor.Variations
For variations, try replacing some sugar with maple syrup or honey, or stir in vanilla, cloves, or ginger for a different flavor twist.Nutrition
FAQ
Yes—keeping the peel adds fiber and color, but expect a slightly more rustic texture. I personally prefer this with peeled apples
Both apple butter and applesauce start with the same base—cooked apples—but the cooking process and final texture are different. Applesauce is cooked until the apples are soft and then pureed into a smooth, spoonable consistency. Apple butter is cooked much longer, allowing the sugars in the apples to caramelize. This gives it a darker color, thicker texture, and a more concentrated, spiced flavor. Think of applesauce as light and fresh, while apple butter is rich, spreadable, and almost jam-like.
Not exactly. Apple butter is similar to jam because it’s a thick, spreadable fruit preserve, but the process and flavor are different. Jams are typically made by cooking fruit with sugar and sometimes pectin until they gel. Apple butter, on the other hand, is made by slowly cooking apples down for hours until the natural sugars caramelize. The result is darker, smoother, and more intensely flavored than jam—without the need for added thickeners.
Originally published September 17, 2024, updated September 12, 2025 with new tips and helpful info.
When doubling or tripling this recipe do you also double/triple the amount of water?
How many ounces of apple butter does this make? Need to make sure I have enough mason jars
Have you made this using Monk fruit for the sugar and brown sugar? Any idea how it turns out?
Sorry I haven’t tried it with monkfruit! If you try it let me know how it comes out!
Can you freeze this apple butter?
I make apple butter with no sugar just a dash of cinnamon powder. Core apples with the skin, chop, in the slow cooker, on low for 6 hours. Cool and blend. Use it on yogurt, in oatmeal, in cake batters. I freeze them and thaw in fridge when needed. I sometimes add pears to the mix n then slow cooker. Just delicious!
That sounds amazing!I love that you keep it naturally sweet with just the apples and a little cinnamon. Adding pears is such a great idea, too—it must give it a lovely flavor. Thanks so much for sharing your method, I’m sure other readers will find it super helpful. And yes, freezing in portions is a smart way to have apple butter ready for oatmeal, yogurt, or baking all season long.
Yes! Apple butter freezes really well. Let it cool completely, then transfer to freezer-safe containers or jars, leaving a little space at the top for expansion. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and give it a good stir before using.
Can I use a brown sugar substitute?
Yes 🙂
What can I use in place of raw sugar?
Yikes, I used regular sugar, did I mess up?
Not at all—you’re totally fine! Regular granulated sugar works just as well in this recipe. I like to use a mix of raw and brown sugar for a little more depth of flavor, but plain sugar won’t mess it up. The apple butter should still turn out delicious!
Can you reduce the sugar?
Yes! You can definitely cut back on the sugar—especially if you’re using naturally sweet apples like Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp. Keep in mind the sugar not only sweetens but also helps the apple butter thicken and preserve longer. If you prefer it less sweet, reduce the sugar by half to start, then taste toward the end of cooking and adjust if needed. You can also swap in a little honey or maple syrup for a different flavor.
I make this every year in the crockpot with apples from trees on my property. Except I don’t peel the apples and I don’t add sugar. If you can’t have sugar, this is another option.
That’s wonderful!Making it with apples straight from your own trees must taste extra special. I love that you keep the peels on for more fiber and skip the sugar altogether—it really shows how versatile this recipe can be. Thank you for sharing this no-sugar option, I’m sure it will be helpful for readers who need or prefer a naturally sweetened version.
The apple butter recipe sounds great —and makes me wonder how I might substitute Fuyu persimmons for the apples—because I have a large crop of Fuyu’s about ready to eat. Any suggestions? Thank you!