This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.
Instant Pot Apple Butter is quick and easy thanks to the pressure cooker. Everyone will think you simmered this apple mixture all day.
Instant Pot Apple Butter
One of the most delicious smells is homemade apple butter cooking. The cinnamon and sugar smells heavenly combined with the apples.
It is very quick and simple to make apple butter in the instant pot. If you are looking for a quicker method than the slow cooker, give this a try. It is super easy.
It is super fast but so delicious. The cooking time is significantly less than slow cooking. I think you are really going to enjoy this instant pot recipe.
What is apple butter?
Apple butter is a thick spread used similar to a jam or jelly. The ingredients are cooked down and result in a caramelized thick spread.
It smells amazing and tastes even better.
What’s the difference between apple butter and apple sauce?
Both of these are very similar in ingredients and cooking methods. They both contain cinnamon sugar and include a long process of cooking down the apples.
However, apple butter is cooked much longer than apple sauce. It is cooked down to become even thicker than apple sauce. The main difference is caramelization.
Apple butter is cooked down much further which reduces the sugars and turns everything a deep brown color.
Apple butter is very thick and perfect for spreading on toast or biscuits. Whereas, apple sauce is much thinner.
What are the best apples for apple butter?
Softer varieties of apples are best to use for apple butter. They are easier to cook down more quickly.
The flavor is the best when you mix several different types of apples. We like to use Fuji and Golden Delicious apples. These two apples pair nicely together for a great flavor.
Sometimes, we also toss in some granny smith apples. They are more tart and add a nice layer of flavor.
Each type of apples has different layers of sweetness and mixing several together makes for a great apple butter.
As a general rule of thumb, choose apples your family likes to snack on raw for a guaranteed hit. If you don’t have an Instant pot, try Slow Cooker Apple Butter.
Ingredients
- Apples. Peeled, cored and quartered
- Lemon juice. This helps to enhance the flavor.
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar, lightly packed
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground all spice
- Nutmeg
- Pure vanilla extract
How to make apple butter in instant pot?
- Prepare the apples. Start by peeling the apples, slice and core the apples.
- Put the apple slices in the pressure cooker. Place the apples in a 6-quart Instant Pot. Stir in the lemon juice.
- Combine the spices. In a medium bowl, combine sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg cloves and salt.
- Coat the apples. Pour over the apples and mix well. Make sure you combine everything together until well coated.
- Pressure cook the apples. Turn Instant Pot to “Manual” and pressure cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Release naturally. Allow to natural release for 20 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure. Then release the remaining pressure and stir in the Vanilla.
- Puree the apples. Use an immersion blender to puree the apple butter until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you could use a food processor.
- Sauté the mixture. Turn Instant Pot to “Sauté” and cook for 3- 10 minutes stirring occasionally making sure it doesn’t burn. This step removes some of the extra liquid.
- Place into containers. Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze.
The apple butter should be thick enough to coat a spoon. It will continue to thicken as it sits.
How to serve apple butter:
- Biscuits. It is so amazing served warm on a butter biscuit. Learn how to make homemade biscuits.
- Toast, Bagels or English Muffins. Any of these make great options for serving apple butter.
- Waffles and Pancakes. This is so delicious served on waffles and pancakes.
- Crackers. Top crackers with a dollop of apple butter.
- Charcuterie. Place apple butter in a small bowl and serve on a charcuterie tray with cheese, crackers and more.
You can also just enjoy apple butter in a bowl. I love to eat a couple spoonful’s of apple butter for dessert or with breakfast.
How to store:
Pour the apple butter into jars or air tight containers. We prefer using mason jars.
Cover tightly and place in the fridge up to 2 weeks.
You can freeze apple butter if you need it to last longer. Just make sure you use freezer containers and allow enough room at the top for it to expand once frozen.
Another option is to use freezer bags to store the apple sauce.
How long does homemade apple butter last?
It will last in the fridge properly stored up to 2 weeks. It can be frozen up to 3 months.
Do I need to refrigerate apple butter?
Yes, it is necessary to refrigerate apple butter to ensure freshness.
Apple butter recipe instant pot tips:
- Make sure to add enough liquid so you do not get a burn warning on your pressure cooker.
- Peeling is optional. We normally peel our apples for apple butter. However, you can leave them on if you prefer. It is based on preference.
- The immersion blender helps to get the mixture the perfect texture. It is so smooth. Don’t skip this step.
- If you prefer a chunkier apple butter, leave a few chunks in the the mixture. It is delicious either way.
- Make sure to lightly pack down the brown sugar when measuring it. The apple butter will have the best flavor.
Do you have to peel the apples?
No, you do not have to peel the apples. I normally do because of personal preference. However, it is not necessary and will save some time.
If the apples are unwaxed, unpeeled apples will cook just fine. However, waxed apples should be peeled prior to cooking or stripped of the wax.
Try this simple recipe.
It is so quick and really delicious. No one will guess that it was pressure cooked. The results are so rich and amazing.
This recipe is the perfect way to enjoy apple butter without having to simmer it all day while being slow cooked. Give this a try for a fast alternative to slow cooking.
We love how the house smells and everyone goes crazy over how it tastes. It makes the perfect gift for neighbors, friends and more.
You will be so glad you tried this easy and yummy recipe. It is simply the best.
Print this Instant Pot Apple Butter recipe below:
Instant Pot Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 5 pounds apples – peeled cored and quartered
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground all spice
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the apples in a 6-quart Instant Pot.
- Stir in the lemon juice.
- In a medium bowl, combine sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg cloves and salt. Pour over the apples and mix well.
- Turn Instant Pot to “Manual” and pressure cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Allow to natural release for 20 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure. Then release the remaining pressure.
- Stir in the Vanilla.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the apple butter until smooth. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, you could use a food processor )
- Turn Instant Pot to “Sauté” and cook for 3- 10 minutes stirring regularly making sure it doesn’t burn, but it removes some of the extra liquid.
- Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze.
Nutrition Facts
More Easy apple recipes:
