Instant Pot Apple Butter is totally delicious! This version of the sugary treat is done in less than one hour, but tastes like it has been simmering all day long. Apple Butter screams FALL and pairs perfectly with many different foods!
Why This Recipe Works
Apple Butter is one of those confusing foods because it’s named a little bit weird, am I right?! Butter has nothing to do with this delicious sweet condiment, although it does make it sound enticing. I fell fast in love with this apple butter recipe a few years ago and ever since it has been made in my kitchen a lot in the fall.
One of the things I love about that recipe is that it slow cooks all day and you can TELL. So you’d maybe think that that same simmered-all-day flavor would be hard to achieve any other way, but guess what! Making apple butter in an Instant Pot is just as yummy, if not more, because INSTANT POT = MAGIC.
Recipe Ingredients
Apples – Use medium baking apples such as honeycrisp, gala, golden delicious, jonagold or granny smith.
Brown sugar – Decrease the amount of brown sugar in the recipe for a less sugary treat. You can also replace brown sugar with dark brown sugar for a bolder, deeper flavor.
Lemon Juice – When chopping and peeling the apples, fill a large bowl about half with cool water and squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon into it. The lemon juice will keep your apples from getting brown while you get them prepped for the recipe.
How To Make Instant Pot Apple Butter
Step 1
Place the following ingredients in an Instant Pot:
- Apples, peeled cored and cut into chunks
- Apple cider vinegar
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Cloves
Stir and place the cover on the pot. Place the cover on the pot and set timer to 15 minutes on high pressure (pressure cook setting). It will take the IP around 20 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking.
Step 2
When cooking time is up, let release naturally for 15 minutes then do a manual pressure release. Remove cover and use a potato masher or an immersion blender to achieve a smooth consistency.
Pour into sealed containers and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
- For a much healthier snack that tastes similar to apple butter, consider making Instant Pot Applesauce or Crockpot Apple sauce.
- Use an apple corer/peeler if you have one because they will make this process go super fast. If you don’t have one, use a potato peeler and a knife to get the job done. You’ll need to peel, core and chop the apples. Place them into the water-lemon juice mixture as you work.
- I have fallen IN LOVE with my dear apple peeler and corer. If a lot of apples go through your kitchen, you absolutely must consider buying one. It’s the most magical tool in my kitchen!
- If you prefer an even thicker apple butter, adjust button to saute after it is done pressure cooking and let simmer until thickened to desired consistency.
What Types Of Apples Are Good For Apple Butter?
I recommend using a variety of apples and at the very least, use two kinds: one sweet and one tart. My favorite combo is Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples.
Sweet/Softer Apple Brands
- Fuji
- Honeycrisp
- Red Delicious
- Golden Delicious
- Cortland
- Gala
Tart (or a little Sour) Apple Brands
- Granny Smith
- McIntosh
- Ida Red
- Braeburn
- Empire
- Jonathan
FAQ About Apple Butter
Apple butter is apples stewed into a paste is a simple way to use your leftover apples. It’s not butter, but it spreads smoothly like butter so that’s where the name is helpful. It is instead a spread or condiment to enjoy when paired with other foods.
Apple butter will not be lacking for foods to add it to. Perfect for toast or pancakes, you can also enjoy it on top of muffins, cookies and croissants. Enjoy it as a dip or a marinade. And as you know, I love to bake it into your foods too! These Apple Butter Cookies are DELICIOUS!
Applesauce and apple butter start out the same, with fresh apples. But applesauce is a quick way to take apples and grind them into a simple sauce for a snack. Apple butter is cooked down to a thick, concentrated sauce that maximizes the flavor of the apples with the spices and sugar, ultimately caramelizes for a great color and perfect on baked goods.
You can make apple butter in many different ways. The Instant Pot does the magic of allowing the apples to cook down fast and caramelize with the rest of the ingredients. But the crock pot is another great tool that allows maximize flavor without a lot of hand holding from you. If you choose to make apple butter on the stove top, you just need to devote more time to it.
Fall Apple Recipes
- Appledoodles are a fun twist on the classic snickerdoodles! Great way to use up apples in the fall!
- Apple Coffee Cake is the best of the best recipes you’ll find. Enjoy as an indulgent breakfast treat or an any-time snack or dessert!
- Salted Chocolate Caramel Apples with a sprinkling of sea salt and a bit of chocolate turns Caramel Apples into an extravagant dessert. Salted Chocolate Caramel Apples!
- Apple Carrot Cake Muffins are apples and carrots coming together to create the most delicious little muffin you could ever imagine. These babies are moist and yummy and will not last long in your kitchen.
- Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake is so good as are salted caramel apples! This is the perfect fall treat and a great way to use up any type of apples.
- Apple French Toast Bake – Transform classic French Toast into an appley indulgence! Prepare this easy recipe the night before so there’s no morning prep!
Best Recipes To Make In An Instant Pot
The list of recipes you can make in an Instant Pot is endless! It can cook soup, chili, pasta, meat, potatoes, veggies, cake, beans and so much more. Here are a few of my favorite Instant Pot recipes:
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Instant Pot Apple Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 medium apples peeled, cored and cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cloves
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in an Instant Pot. Stir and place the cover on the pot. Place the cover on the pot and set timer to 15 minutes on high pressure (pressure cook setting). It will take the IP around 23 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking.
- When cooking is done, let release naturally for 15 minutes then manually release remaining pressure. Remove cover and use a potato masher or an immersion blender to achieve a smooth consistency.
- Pour into sealed containers and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- Decrease the amount of brown sugar in the recipe for a less sugary treat.
- Replace brown sugar with dark brown sugar for a bolder, deeper flavor.
- For a much healthier snack that tastes similar to apple butter, consider making Instant Pot Applesauce or Crockpot Apple sauce.
- When chopping and peeling the apples, fill a large bowl about half with cool water and squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon into it. The lemon juice will keep your apples from getting brown while you get them prepped for the recipe.
- Use an apple corer/peeler if you have one because they will make this process go super fast. If you don’t have one, use a potato peeler and a knife to get the job done. You’ll need to peel, core and chop the apples. Place them into the water-lemon juice mixture as you work.
- I have fallen IN LOVE with my dear apple peeler and corer. If a lot of apples go through your kitchen, you absolutely must consider buying one. It’s the most magical tool in my kitchen!
- If you prefer an even thicker apple butter, adjust button to saute after it is done pressure cooking and let simmer until thickened to desired consistency.
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