Apple Butter

I know what you’re thinking… “why is a person who makes cocktails teaching me how to make apple butter?” Well, friends, because I recently made these Apple Butter Margaritas, so having my own apple butter at home AT ALL TIMES is now a must.

What You’ll Need

Equipment

• Peeler
• Medium heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven
• Immersion blender, food processor, or blender
• Weck jars, for storing

Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs apples, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
  • I recommend using a mixture of soft apples like McIntosh and tart apples like Granny Smith.
• 3/4 cup apple cider
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 strips orange peel
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

How to Make Homemade Apple Butter

1. Add the chopped apples, apple cider, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon sticks, and orange peel to a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven.
2. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are extremely soft and beginning to fall apart.
3. Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks and orange peel. Using an immersion blender, blend the apples directly in the pot until completely smooth. You can also carefully transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor.
4. Stir in the ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, kosher salt, and lemon juice.
5. Return to low heat and cook uncovered for 1–2 hours, stirring more frequently as the apple butter thickens. You’re looking for a deep caramel-brown color and a thick, glossy consistency that holds its shape on a spoon. The longer you let it slowly reduce, the richer the flavor will become.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Taste and adjust with another pinch of salt or squeeze of lemon, if needed.
7. Let cool completely before transferring to a jar. The apple butter will continue to thicken as it cools.

Homemade Apple Butter FAQs

What apples should I use for apple butter?

For making the best apple butter, you want the right balance of tart, sweet, and soft, while still having good structure (this comes from pectin in the apples!). Choosing a mixture of apples often achieves that balance, but feel free to experiment with different combinations for each batch (yes, you’ll be making multiple batches!) I like pairing McIntosh with Granny Smith, but throwing in some Golden Delicious, Jonagold, or Honeycrisp adds that pectin and strong apple aroma.

How do I store apple butter?

If you’re into canning, or want to learn, apple butter is a great recipe to try it out on. Canning preserves apple butter for months. You can also store the apple butter (completely cooled) in the freezer, with a little room left in the airtight containers. Otherwise, store your apple butter in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks.

How should I use my homemade apple butter?

Obviously, you should definitely use it in my Apple Butter Margaritas. But with the leftovers, you can add it to charcuteries boards, spread it on toast, spread it on pancakes, or stir it into overnight oats, yogurt, and ice cream!