Making Spiced Apple Butter: Sugar Free Recipe

This recipe is perfect if you want to make a small batch of spiced apple butter that is also sugar-free. This recipe includes options for making apple butter with or without a food mill, using the stovetop or oven method.

Follow these simple steps for the best-spiced fruit spread you can make at home!

Jump to:

• Introduction
• What is apple butter?
• Best apples for apple butter
• Equipment
• Prepping and pureeing the apples
• Making a sugar-free apple butter
• How to store
• FAQ
• Ways to use apple butter
• Fruit butter recipes you will love
• Recipe origins
• Recipe

Introduction

Are you looking for creative recipes to use the apples from your recent trip to the apple orchard or farmers’ market?

Apples, with their distinct flavor profiles, can be used in various culinary applications, including sweet and savory. There are endless possibilities, from apple crostata and apple bundt cake to oven-baked ribs, as this fruit is versatile and delicious.

But if you’re looking for something different with your abundance of apples, why not try making spiced apple butter?

This small-batch sugar-free recipe takes advantage of the natural sweetness of apples. It is perfect for anyone looking to make a tasty homemade preserve without all of the added sugar found in many store-bought varieties.

It also includes warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to give it flavor and depth.

You’ll love this fruit spread so much that you’ll eat spoonfuls right out of the jar! 

What is apple butter?

Apple butter is a delicious condiment that cooks down apples to create a smooth, rich, concentrated, and flavorful fruit spread. Adding cinnamon, cloves, and other fall spices gives it a lovely depth of flavor.

Just in case you are wondering, this recipe has no actual butter in it. The word butter describes the thick, spreadable consistency of its texture. Simply stated, apple butter is concentrated applesauce.

Another way to think of it would be overcooked applesauce or a fruit purée that is impossible to resist eating by the spoonful.

This recipe yields approximately one and a half to two half-pint jars of apple butter, depending on how much liquid evaporates from the apples. It is perfect if you want to make a small batch to enjoy with family and friends.

This recipe is also sugar-free, as the natural sweetness of the apples is usually enough to sweeten the apple butter.

Best apples for apple butter

While you can technically use any type of apple to make this healthy apple butter recipe, some apples are better suited for this recipe than others. Remember that a mix of sweet and tart apples will add greater depth and complexity to the final product.

Tart apples

• Granny Smith
• Cortland
• Braeburn
• Gravenstein

Sweet apples

• Honeycrisp
• Golden Delicious
• Red Delicious
• Fuji
• Gala

Sweet-Tart apples

• Empire
• McIntosh
• Pink Lady
• Rome
• Jonathan
• Jonagold

Whichever kind of apples you choose, look for those with shiny, firm, and unblemished skins. Ripe, fresh apples, preferably organic, will have a brighter flavor and more natural sweetness.

Equipment

Depending on how you cook the pureed apples, you will need a large heavy-bottomed pot, an oven-safe glass, or a ceramic baking dish. If you choose to use a food mill, have that ready. Alternatively, have an immersion blender, a food processor, or a regular blender at the ready.

Prepping and pureeing the apples

Depending on whether or not you have a food mill, here are two different options to prepare the apples for making apple butter.

If you have a food mill

Start by cleaning 4-5 medium apples, about 1 kg or 2.2 pounds of apples, preferably a mix of sweet and tart varieties. Then cut a “V” to remove the stem and the blossom end. You don’t need to peel or core the apples.

Cut the apples into quarters or eights, including the cores, depending on the size of the apples. Then, place them into a large heavy-bottomed pot with one-third cup of water.

Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. until the apples are soft and falling apart, they’re ready if a paring knife slides into the apples with no resistance.

Take the pot off the heat and let the apples cool for 5-10 minutes.

Place a food mill fitted with a fine disk on top of a bowl. Working in batches, transfer the cooked apples and liquid to the food mill and process until smooth. If necessary, clean the food mill screen between batches to remove the skins and seeds. You should have about three cups of pink applesauce or apple puree.

If you don’t have a food mill

Start by cleaning 4-5 medium apples, about 1 kg or 2.2 pounds of apples, preferably a mix of sweet and tart varieties. Then core and chop the apples into 1-inch chunks. You don’t need to peel the apples.

Place the chopped apples into a large heavy-bottomed pot with one-third cup of water.

Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, occasionally stirring, until the apples are soft and falling apart. They’re ready if a paring knife slides into the apples with no resistance.

Take the pot off the heat and let the apples cool for 5-10 minutes.

Transfer the apples and liquid to a regular blender to puree the apples until smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender. You should have about three cups of smooth pink applesauce or apple puree.

You have just made unsweetened applesauce!

Depending on the apples you choose, your finished product may be pink applesauce, like mine!

You can stop here and enjoy it as is or use it in any recipe that calls for homemade applesauce, like this apple cake. Or, you can continue and make a small batch of sugar-free spiced apple butter.

Making a sugar-free apple butter

Now that we have our applesauce, it’s time to turn it into apple butter!

You can now make a small batch of spiced apple butter on the stovetop or in the oven for a more hands-off method. The total time for this cooking process depends on the water content of your apples.

Stovetop method

In the same pan you used to cook the apples, combine the apple puree with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.

Cook over low heat, frequently stirring, until the mixture thickens. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the pot as you stir to prevent burning. The total cooking time can take up to 2 hours.

When the apple butter is ready, you should be able to draw a line through it with a spoon and have that line remain visible. You will no longer see the liquid seeping out of the apple puree. Refer to the video included in this article.

Stir in the spices, then taste and adjust as necessary.

Transfer the apple mixture into sterilized glass jars. Let cool to room temperature, then cover with lids.

Oven method

Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C).

Transfer the apple puree to a ceramic or glass baking dish. Stir in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.

Bake for 2-3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the dish as you stir to prevent burning.

When the apple butter is ready, you should be able to draw a line through it with a spoon and have that line remain visible. You will no longer see the liquid seeping out of the apple puree. Refer to the video included in this article.

Stir in the spices, then taste and adjust as necessary.

Transfer the hot apple butter into a sterilized Mason jar. Let cool to room temperature, then cover the glass jar with lids.

How to store

Properly stored, apple butter will last up to 1 month in the refrigerator or up to one year in the freezer in an airtight container. Please note that this recipe has not been tested for canning.

FAQ

Ways to use apple butter

This delicious apple butter is a versatile spread that can be used in various ways.

Try spreading it on wheat bread, buttermilk pancakes, or muffins for breakfast. A teaspoon is great swirled in oatmeal, yogurt, ricotta or smoothies.

Homemade apple butter is perfect for fall and winter baking. It also makes a perfect spread between cake or cookie layers.

Dinner options include using apple butter as a sandwich spread or condiment. It pairs well with roasted pork, grilled chicken, or even as a glaze for ham.

You may also use it as a condiment or dip for veggies or crackers or simply eat it with apple slices. Of course, apple butter is delicious, just eaten with a spoon!

No matter how you enjoy it, apple butter is sure to add a touch of flavor to your day.

Nutrition Tip: Apple Butter is a great fat-free alternative for butter to spread on your morning bagel (or toast or bran muffin). But go easy… fat-free does not equal calorie-free.

Fruit butter recipes you will love

If you’re interested in trying other fruit butter recipes, here are some of my favorites:

Pear Butter: If you want to preserve an abundance of pears, this recipe is one of the best ways to do it. Plus, they make great hostess gifts.

Italian Plum Butter: This slow cooker recipe is easy to follow and produces a delicious fruit spread. The recipe includes 4 variations.

Recipe origins

Years ago, I had an interesting conversation about apple butter with a colleague. Up until that point, I had never tried making it at home.  I was so intrigued by his enthusiasm that I immediately researched the ingredients to make a homemade version. The original inspiration can be found here. 

Since then, it’s been one of the first recipes I make with freshly picked apples during apple season.

Over the years, I’ve experimented with different spice combinations and have finally updated this great recipe to include the perfect blend of spices. And to create a “pink” applesauce, I cook the apples without adding sugar, with their peel on and use a food mill to create the apple puree.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

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You can find the food mill I am using in my amazon store, if it interests you, head over to my amazon store for all the details.

★★★★★ If you have made this recipe for apple butter, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Recipe

This post was originally published on October 11, 2015, and republished on October 13, 2022 with updated content, photos and a video.  Thanks for sharing!