If you’ve never tried apple butter, you’re in for a serious treat! All of the sweetness and flavor of apples becomes concentrated and on full display. Swoon!
We’re going to show you how easy it is to make this simple, date-sweetened fall and winter treat, plus share our favorite ways to use it. Just 1 pot and 5 simple ingredients required!
What is Apple Butter?
Apple butter is like applesauce but on a whole new level. Imagine apples cooked down into sauce, then slowly simmered with cinnamon and ginger until thickened and caramelized. The result is a dreamy, versatile, candy-like spread.
How to Make Apple Butter
Making homemade apple butter is almost as easy as making applesauce.
This naturally sweetened version begins with cooking chopped apples with dates and cinnamon for sweetness, ginger for a little kick, water to prevent sticking to the pan, and lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to help it keep longer. Once the apples are tender, they’re mashed into a sauce.
Then to make the transition from sauce to butter, it’s simmered for 1½ to 2 hours to allow it to thicken and caramelize. The result is rich, golden brown, pure deliciousness!
We hope you LOVE this apple butter! It’s:
Naturally sweet
Caramelized
Cinnamon-infused
Intensely flavorful
& So delicious!
It makes a delicious spread on toast or pumpkin bread, topper for waffles, pancakes, and oats, or mix-in for fall-themed baked goods (think apple-spiked pumpkin bread or cinnamon rolls!).
More Easy Apple Recipes
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
1-Pot Apple Butter (Date-Sweetened!)
Ingredients
- 6 medium honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into bite-size pieces (sweet apples are best // for tart apple butter, use Granny Smith // organic when possible // for more texture and fiber, leave the skin on — we peeled half)
- 2-3 pitted medjool dates
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger (or sub 1 tsp fresh ginger)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (for preserving / keeping fresh longer / tartness)
Instructions
- To a large pot or Dutch oven, add chopped apples (peeling optional), pitted dates, cinnamon, ginger, water, and lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Stir.
- Cover and cook over medium heat for about 20-30 minutes, or until the apples and dates become so tender that they’re easy to mash. Once the mixture reaches this point, turn off the heat so you can mash or blend.
- If you peeled your apples, you should be able to use the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to mash into a loose sauce. If your apples were unpeeled, you’ll need to use an immersion blender, food processor, or high-speed blender to pulverize the skins and turn the mixture into applesauce.
- Once you have applesauce, it’s time to turn it into apple butter by cooking in the same pot over medium-low heat for ~1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, stirring every 8-10 minutes, until it thickens and caramelizes. NOTE: At the beginning of simmering, you’ll need to cover your pot partially with a tilted lid to avoid splattering while still allowing moisture to escape. As the liquid evaporates, you can uncover to allow steam to fully escape, which helps the mixture caramelize and thicken.
- You’ll know your apple butter is done when it’s rich and golden brown in color, is sweet to the taste, and is reduced by ~1/3 to 1/2 of its original volume. It will also start sticking to the bottom of the pan near the end, which is a good sign. The longer it cooks, the more intensely caramelized and concentrated it will become (a.k.a., thicker and more flavorful).
- Enjoy fresh, or store cooled leftovers in the refrigerator up to 1-2 months, or in the freezer up to 6 months. Can be enjoyed cold or reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat until hot (add more water as needed if dry). Apple butter is delicious on toast, pumpkin bread, oatmeal, pancakes, and waffles and in baked goods, smoothies, and more.
Megan H says
Hmm…not sure where I went wrong. I used 6 small golden delicious apples, and everything seemed to go fine for the first applesauce part. I chopped the dates into pieces as well as the apples, so they would mash easily. After 30 minutes, everything seemed soft, so I tried to mash it, but kept seeing some distinct pieces, so I threw it into a processor to get the paste.
Then I put it on medium low, with the paste spread out, and stirred it every 10 minutes. What I found, however, after the first 10 minute stir, was that after that when I went to stir there would be these thick dark clumps that I would be scraping up from the bottom of the pot, and trying unsuccessfully to incorporate them.
After 40 minutes of this, it just started to smell like it was burning, so I turned it off. I ended up with about 3/4 cup of paste with black chunks in it. I was really hoping to make your apple pie tamales, which is why I made this.
Any thoughts where I might have gone wrong?
Hey Megan! It sounds like the apples didn’t have enough moisture to soften the dates when cooked down. We find medium honeycrisp and granny smith are best.
Hannah Crabtree says
I might be dumb but the applesauce portion of this pretty much ended with a bunch of dates burnt to the bottom of my pan…
Oh no! Sorry that happened, Hannah. It sounds like the heat was too high and/or it needed a few stirs during the cooking process.
Amber says
I was wondering if you use dehydrated apples to make the apple butter. Have you tried it? Thanks.
Hi Amber, Possibly if you soaked them in water first to rehydrate, but we’re not sure!
Nora says
I’m going to make this tonight! Have you tried freezing it?
Hi Nora, we hope you love it! We haven’t tried freezing it, but we assume it would work well.
Maxine says
Can this apple butter be canned?
Hi Maxine, we don’t have much experience with canning. Perhaps another reader will be able to chime in?
CJ says
Is it OK to can the hot apple butter (hot bath method) to store longer, and be able to give as gifts?
Hi CJ, we haven’t tried canning it so we’re not sure! Let us know if you try it!
Trina says
I’ve been meaning to make this since you shared this recipe with us. Made it today, quite delicious! I added about half teaspoon more of the cinnamon and apple cider vinegar. I also used two of each of 4 different variety we got at an apple farm here locally. I just eye balled the apples and tried for 6 medium honey crisp apples.
Thank you very much. Am going to try in your apple butter tamales.
Trina
We’re so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Trina! xo
Atara Dahan says
never tried apple butter before…
what does it taste like with and without the ginger?
Hi Atara, apple butter tastes like a smooth, thick, rich apple sauce with the flavors of apple cider. Ginger will just add a nice gingery kick to it! Hope this helps!
Atara Dahan says
how come this lasts 1-2 months when the applesauce lasts only for a few days?
(sorry for all the comments, late-night binging)
It has a lower moisture content and higher sugar content, which preserves it better.
Rebecca says
Made this last night exactly as written- chose to peel the apples because they were kinda gross and bruised up, also used the 3 dates- and WOW it is so good. Perfect pancake topper. And bonus, my house still smells amazing today. It’s apple picking season here so I am just going to keep this tab open to make this many more times. Thanks so much!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Rebecca. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
S.Lynn says
Wow. Dates! What a great suggestion. I’m making apple butter today as a do-over from yesterday. I had even canned it. I was impatient and didnt let it cook long enough to thicken.
Bill says
Great recipe which is forgiving! I had 7 bag apples in back of fridge I forgot about and it came our delicious! I used 2 or 3 large tablespoons of date paste. Terrific recipe.. thank you!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Bill. Thanks so much for the review!
The Vegan Goddess says
YUM!
This is the first time that I made apple butter and it was easy and worth the time for it to caramelize and thicken to apple butter.
Woohoo! So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Evi says
Amazing recipe, I do it all the time.
can I ask, can I store it outside of fridge till I open the jar? Like you would do with normal marmalade? Or is it because it doesn’t have sugar it will get mold if kept outside of fridge?
Hi Evi! Thanks for the great review, we’re so glad you enjoy this recipe! This does need to be refrigerated for food safety, unless you are sanitizing your jars and sealing them in a hot water bath like you would for canning. Hope this helps!
Romeoromeo says
I’m regretting not making more actually. I made half the recipe because I thought it would be way too much. But nope, now I wish I had made double of the original recipe. This is delicious and it’s most certainly apple butter that I remember as a kid. I grew up with this stuff, my mom was always obsessed with apple butter, so we learned to eat this at a very young age. But in my adult years I could never find one that I really liked, so I haven’t had it in awhile. But this recipe was easy to make and worth the efforts (mixing every few minutes for 2 hours). Let it go for 1 1/2 to 2 hours though otherwise it will be more like yummy apple sauce. But if you let it go long enough it’s that wonderful classic apple butter texture, with no sugar added or even necessary aside for using 1-2 dates. I didn’t think the dates would work, but it totally works! So I highly recommend this recipe. This is so good on toast! My mother even approves. Best
Woohoo! So happy you (and your mom!) enjoy this recipe! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Annie says
Delicious and very forgiving! I did the first part of the recipe of softening apples (not mushing them up yet) and *thought* I turned off the stove. I went upstairs, did an hour yoga class, came downstairs and realized the heat was still on! To my surprise, the apples were cooking down still and were not burnt, despite not being stirred for over and hour! They were totally fine. Bonus, I didn’t even have to mash them down because they were nice and smooth!
We love happy accidents! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Annie, thanks so much for the lovely review!
Eva says
Instead of apples, I made this with 6 Pears (3 perfectly ripe and 3 were a bit under-ripe) because that’s what was in my CSA box. I used a fully packed teaspoon of freshly grated Ginger, so after about an hour of simmering, the flavor was a bit overwhelming for me (maybe pears have a more subtle flavor than apples? maybe because I added a dash of Allspice but shouldn’t have?) so I added about a teaspoon of Maple Syrup. I used apple cider vinegar because I didn’t have a lemon. Mine simmered on a very low flame for about 2.5 – 3 hours until it was a nice thick consistency, stirring it only about every 15 min. I’m looking forward to using this instead of apple butter in your Apple Butter Cheesecake Bars. Wish me luck! This will also be good mixed into breakfast oatmeal or spread on top of my homemade gluten-free nut/seed bread.
Ooo, yum! We’re so happy to hear that this worked with pears – sounds delish. Thanks for the lovely review, Eva!
Annie S. says
Odd question, but where did you get your hexagony ramekin/kitchen prep bowls (that hold the lemon juice in your video)? I looked in your shop and didn’t see them. :)
Hi Annie, we aren’t sure where they were from, sorry!
A.M. says
I love that this is sweetened using only dates. It was so good!
Thank you
We’re so glad you enjoy it! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Lindsey says
What’s the weight of your apples right before you put them into the pot? I’m making this with McIntosh apples off our tree, but they are smaller than honeycrisps and I’m having to remove some bad spots, so it’s a bit harder to get a good idea of the amount equivalent to honeycrisps. Can’t wait to make this. Thank you!
Hi Lindsay! Unfortunately we don’t have a weight for the apples in this recipe, but it’s pretty flexible. We think ~8-10 of your smaller apples would probably work well here. Hope this helps!
Jess B says
This looks delicious! Can it be canned and stores for longer?
Hi Jess, we haven’t tried canning it so we’re not sure! Let us know if you try it!
Cyndi Macdonald says
Oh my gosh, apple butter sweetened with dates sounds fab! I wonder if I could put it in my instant pot…have you ever tried it?
Hi Cyndi, The applesauce portion can definitely be made in the Instant Pot. We tried the apple butter part in the Instant Pot and while it works with small amounts, the sauté function is not intended to be on for more than 30 minutes, so larger batches don’t work well.
Marisol says
Can this be made in the crockpot? I have seen a lot of recipes for apple butter made in the slow cooker, but they included sugar.
Thank you!
P.S. I have made this twice following your recipe, SO yummy!
Aw, yay! We’re so glad you enjoy it! We haven’t tried it in a crockpot, so we’re not sure. Let us know if you try it!
Omaer Shaikh says
it was amazing we made it at our restaurant. Thanks for sharing!
Kaitlyn says
Hi! I know the dates are important to the caramelization process here, but I don’t have any on hand, so I wondered if regular sugar would achieve the same result. Maybe a couple tablespoons?
Hi Kaitlyn, we think that would work, but haven’t tried it. Let us know how it goes!
Maggi says
This is so good!!! I peeled 6 smallish Honeycrisp and 4 Large Gala apples, and 6 organic dates. Cooked with the rest of the ingredients (I used lemon juice) for about 40 minutes to get it to the stage where it was all soft enough to mash, stole some for apple crisp!, then continued cooking for another hour +40 minutes till it was done.
I have canned apple butter before using sugar, and while it was good, this is SO much better, easier, and much healthier too!!
Yess! Thanks for sharing, Maggi!
Alex says
I made this with Ambrosia apples and it turned out amazing! Will definitely be making again!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Alex!
Pamela Garcia says
Can I make it without the ginger?
Yes!
Alison says
Loved this one! So delicious spread on toast or dolloped into oatmeal!
Yum! Thanks for sharing, Alison! xo
Lucy says
This looks brilliant, and I can’t wait to try it with the cheesecake. But for those of us who can’t easily be near a stove for that long (3 month old baby and homeschooling a 5 year old here) do you think I could do the second stage in a slow cooker and stir it less frequently? Cheers!
Hm, we don’t think it would caramelize as nicely, but perhaps in a pinch? Let us know if you try it!
Marisol says
Did you try this in the slow cooker?
Alex says
Wow, yummy! Made this this morning for the afternoon snack and spent the whole morning waiting for snack time haha! Easy, simple and utterly delicious, it will be a staple for me for sure Dana. Thanks!
Aw, yay! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Alex =) Thanks for the lovely review!
Risha says
…I eat cream cheese and apple butter on matzah for Passover every year. I use from the store and after Passover it is hard to find. This sounds so good and easy to make. With this recipe I can make apple butter all year around.
Thank you so much!!!
Yum! And yay for year-round apple butter =) Hope you love it!
LaTesha says
Hi! Would this work with pears?
We haven’t tried with pears, but it should work well! Let us know if you try it!
Tiina says
Ooooooh, pears with ginger… that sounds amazing.
Amanda says
Thank you for a great recipe for Apple Butter. I like how this does not have a lot of sugar. I am do use it as a topping as suggested, but I also have used for a BBQ sauce base. Do you have any other ideas where I could use apple butter?
That sounds lovely! It makes a delicious spread on toast or pumpkin bread, topper for waffles, pancakes, and oats, or mix-in for fall-themed baked goods (think apple-spiked pumpkin bread or cinnamon rolls!).
KM says
Hi, we bought a bunch of apples recently that are unfortunately underwhelming to eat just raw (not crispy and slightly mealy, for example). Would they work well for this recipe? Is it forgiving of such apples? Thanks!!
Hi, if texture is the only issue, then yes, we think this would be a good use! If they’re too tart, we’d say mix with some sweeter apples for best results. Let us know how it goes!
KM says
FYI – turned out great!
Thanks for sharing!!
Lorinda says
Can this recipe be made in a slow cooker?
The applesauce part definitely can! But for apple butter, we’d say stovetop is best for allowing it to get caramelized.
Lindy says
What is under the apple butter in the photos of it on toast? It looks so creamy and good!
Vegan cream cheese. It’s a delicious combo!
Sue Fox says
This recipe looks great. What can I swap the dates for, as I can’t have them?
Hi Sue, another sweetener such as coconut sugar or maple syrup would work!
Lisa says
Can this recipe also be hot water bathed to be stored without electricity? Or would it need more sugar than the dates provide? We live in a remote location without cold food storage.
Hi Lisa, we aren’t sure as we haven’t experimented with canning. Let us know if you try it!
Heather says
Do you know if this could be made in a crock pot, or instant pot?
The applesauce portion can definitely be made in an Instant Pot or Crockpot. We tried the apple butter part in an Instant Pot and while it works with small amounts, the sauté function is not intended to be on for more than 30 minutes, so larger batches don’t work well.
Sara says
I’m sorry if I missed this info, but didn’t find it when reading through – approximately how much apple butter does this recipe make?
Hi Sara, it makes ~2 cups. Hope that helps!
Linda Czarnecki says
Had an apple tree in our front yard when we were first married more than 50 years ago. Made my own apple butter and used it to baste my pork roasts. Yum!
What a lovely treat to have homegrown produce =) Thanks for sharing, Linda! xo
Paul says
Congratulations, from those of us who need our diet to fat/oil free……… Bravo, something we can enjoy. :)
We believe everyone deserves a treat =) Thanks for sharing, Paul!
Marina says
Can I just store brought applesauce and just caramelize that?
In our experience, homemade applesauce has a lot more flavor than store-bought. It might turn out okay, but homemade is best!
Joanna says
I just made a first batch and it’s delicious and still have a ton of apples to use. Can I make big batch and and preserve them in hot bath so I don’t have to store it in a fridge or freezer? Or a lack of sugar would make it spoil?
Hi Joanna, we’re so glad you enjoy it! We haven’t tried canning it, so we’re not sure if it would work. Sorry we can’t be of more help on that!