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Homemade Apple Butter is easier to make than you might guess. It's sweet and warmly spiced and will add a unique punch of flavor to so many things. Use up any ugly apples that might be hanging around your house to make this absolutely gorgeous Apple Butter.
I've lived in four different states in the US. Five if you count those two months in Texas. I also spent two years in Taiwan, and now I live in Scotland. From here in Glasgow, we've been able to travel to six different countries in Europe. I've had the opportunity to try a lot of different food in my life which is pretty impressive considering I mainly ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the first 20 years of my life.
For a while, there was this tiny restaurant near us in Honolulu that did American Southern food. It was called Kiss My Grits, and I would drink at least a gallon of sweet tea every time we went there. My favorite thing was their creative biscuit sandwiches. Sadly, they closed down not long after we discovered them, but luckily I was able to remember and create my own easy version of one of their outstanding biscuit creations.
Kiss My Grits made everything, including the pork sausage, from scratch, but for my Sausage Egg & Cheese Biscuit with Apple Butter, I used canned biscuits, Jimmy Dean sausage, and store bought Apple Butter. My lazy version is still pretty damn awesome.
When I wanted to make this again here in Glasgow, I had to go to a bit of effort because one thing you learn from living all over the world is that you can't get everything everywhere, even from Amazon.
I'm getting better at biscuit-making, and I'll share the super easy recipe I used for my biscuits soon. Today, though, is all about the Apple Butter.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover how easy it is to make your own Apple Butter. Even just a few apples make plenty to go around. Use any apples you like. Different types of apples will obviously give it a subtle difference in taste. I used the apples I happened to have lying around the house in a moment when I thought I'd surely eat more fruit. I never do.
The only thing you need is a medium sauce pan and a food processor. We don't even have to peel the apples. Chuck some chopped apples and a few other basic ingredients in a pot. Let them simmer until the apples soften. Puree them in a food processor, then cook this down further with some spices. Put it in a jar and enjoy. It will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for a couple of weeks.
In addition to that biscuit sandwich, you can also use your Apple Butter on a grilled cheese. Spread it on croissants, English muffins, or toast. Serve it with pancakes, waffles or French toast. You could even spoon it over ice cream. You'll want to make Apple Butter all the time.
I hope you try and love this Apple Butter recipe. We could all use a little more sweetness in our lives.
Apple Butter
1-½ cups
20 minutes
35 minutes
Print
Ingredients
1-½ pounds apples (about 5), cored and coarsely chopped
½ cup water
¼ cup caster sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
⅓ cup brown sugar (add more or less to taste depending on how sweet your apples are)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground clove
Pinch of salt
Directions
- Add your apple pieces, along with the cores, to a medium sauce pan. Add the water, caster sugar, and lemon juice and give it a quick stir. Bring this to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low, clamp on a lid, and simmer for about 20-25 minutes until the apples are softened.
- Remove your apples from the heat and discard the cores. Transfer this mixture to a food processor and blitz until smooth. If you don't have a food processor, you can also use a hand mixer or a food mill. If you don't have any of those, you could also try a potato masher or even a fork, but you probably won't get a super smooth result.
- Return your apple puree back to the sauce pan. Add the brown sugar, spices, and salt, and stir this all together over medium heat to bring to a simmer. Simmer this mixture over low heat until slightly reduced and thickened. This could take 5-10 minutes. You'll want to keep an eye on it and stir frequently, but be careful of not to get splattered. Hot sugar burns something fierce. You'll know it's ready when it's a dark caramel color and it holds its shape on the spoon.
- Transfer your apple butter to a jar or other sealable container. Store in the fridge for up to three weeks.
Recipe adapted from Love and Olive Oil.
If you make this recipe, be sure to take a photo and tag me on Instagram and use the hashtag #awesomeon20.
Vicki Werneke says
This does look easy. I have some apples that are really pass the “good to eat now” stage. Would those work well for this recipe?
Vicki Werneke says
This sounds tasty! I have some apples that are pass the “good to eat” stage. Those should work well for apple butter right?
Renee says
Hi Vicki! Those apples would be perfect for apple butter as you don't need to worry if they're crisp. Give it a taste after you purée your mixture to see if you need to boost the sweetness. Give it an extra spritz of lemon juice if it needs brightness.