Craving something warm, spiced, and downright cozy? This small batch apple butter recipe is your answer. It’s a low sugar apple butter recipe made right on your stovetop with just a handful of real ingredients. No canning know-how required!
When apple season rolls around, grab a small bag of apples and let’s make some stovetop apple butter together. You don’t need a slow cooker, crockpot, or fancy food mill. Just a pot, a stove, and about an hour of your time.
All-in-all this recipe will produce about 1 1/4 cups of apple butter. Perfect for a cozy night in. See some of my favorite ways to use this apple butter recipe below!
Apple Butter Health Benefits
Let’s talk apple butter health benefits, because this spread is more than just delicious. Apples are packed with fiber and flavonoids like quercetin, which are linked to a lower risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Since this recipe leaves the peels on, you keep even more of that good fiber and nutrition in every spoonful.
This is also a no sugar apple butter recipe, meaning no honey, maple syrup, or table sugar added of any kind! All the sweetness comes naturally from the apples themselves.
That matters for heart health, since added sugars are linked to higher blood pressure, higher triglycerides, and increased heart disease risk. A single tablespoon of this apple butter has about 24 calories and roughly 6 grams of carbs, with zero grams from added sugar. Pretty great compared to most store-bought jars!
Comparing Apples to Apples
For reference, here’s a table comparing this apple butter recipe to one popular commercially-prepared apple butter.
| Type of Apple Butter | Calories per Tbsp | Carbohydrates per Tbsp | Added Sugars per Tbsp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Musselman’s Apple Butter | 30 | 6 gm | 5 gm |
| This Apple Butter Recipe | 24 | 5.9 gm | 0 gm |
The low and slow cooking process in this stovetop recipe concentrates the flavors and sugar content, so you should still use this apple butter in small amounts if you are monitoring your blood sugars.
A serving size is 1 tablespoon, which provides essentially the same amount of carbohydrates (~6 gm) as commercially prepared counterparts, though none are from added sugars.
Ingredients
Literally only 4 ingredients (not including the water)!
Fuji apples– You can use a variety of one specific type of apple or mix and match for a slightly different taste and texture. Any apple will work!
Spice mixture– The other 3 ingredients are the spices. I use cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, but feel free to experiment with the spices to make this recipe your own!
How to Make Apple Butter on the Stove
- Chop the apples. Core them and chop into bite-sized pieces. No need to peel!
- Cook them down. Add the apples to a medium pot, cover, and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re fork-soft.
- Blend or mash. Let the apples cool slightly, then blend, food-process, or mash them with a fork until you reach your favorite texture.
- Add the spices. Return the mixture to the pot and stir in the cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.
- Simmer to thicken. Cook uncovered for 30–45 minutes, stirring often, until it turns a deep caramel color and reduces by about half.
- Enjoy! Eat it warm, or let it cool and store for later.
Expert Tip: If using a blender, allow your apples to cool slightly, then blend them in small batches to prevent burning yourself from steam or splatters.
Ingredient Swaps & Variations
One of the best things about this stovetop apple butter recipe is how easy it is to make your own. If you’d wonder about some possible changes or variations, here are a few ideas:
- Apples: McIntosh, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Gala, or Jonagold all work great. Softer apples cook down faster.
- Spices: Swap in apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice for a shortcut, or experiment with nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom.
- Sweetness: This is meant to be an apple butter no sugar added recipe, but if you’d like it sweeter, a small drizzle of maple syrup or a pinch of stevia can be added during the simmering step.
How to Store and Freeze Small Batch Apple Butter
Keep your apple butter in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three months, or freeze it for up to a year (leave about ½ inch of space in the container for expansion).
When it comes time to thaw, move it to the fridge overnight, give it a good stir, and enjoy! 😘
How to Use Small Batch Apple Butter
It may come as a surprise, but apple butter is actually quite versatile. It can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Here are a few common and creative uses for the small batch apple butter:
- Spread on bread or toast, muffins, or english muffins
- Use as a topping on pancakes or waffles
- Add to yogurt
- Add to oatmeal or overnight oats
- Use as a healthier ice cream topping
- Blend into smoothies
- As a condiment or glaze to pair with chicken or pork chops
FAQ
Stored in the fridge, homemade apple butter stays fresh for up to three months. In the freezer, it keeps well for up to a year.
Absolutely. Try Honeycrisp, Gala, McIntosh, Golden Delicious, or a mix of your favorites.
Nope! Leaving the peel on adds extra fiber and nutrients, especially if you’re blending the apple butter smooth. If you’re worried about chemicals, choose organic apples. However, washing your apples before chopping works fine as well.
This small batch isn’t really meant for canning, but if you double or triple the recipe, check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) for safe canning guidance.
Time! Apple butter cooks longer than applesauce, which caramelizes the apples and gives it that deep, rich color and concentrated flavor.
Other Fall-Inspired Recipes
- Healthy Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (Vegan)
- Healthy Pumpkin Biscotti Recipe (Using Olive Oil)
- Vegan Cranberry Bread with Orange and Ginger
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies [Egg-Free]
- Unexpectedly Good Dilly Bean Stew with Cabbage
- Pumpkin Pie Dessert Hummus
Small Batch Apple Butter Recipe
Equipment
- 1 blender or food processor optional
Ingredients
- 4 Fuji apples medium sized
- ¼ tsp cinnamon ground
- ⅛ tsp cloves ground
- ⅛ tsp allspice ground
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Core the apples and chop into bite-sized pieces. No need to peel. The smaller the pieces, the quicker they will take to soften while cooking.
- Add apples to a medium size pot and cover with the lid. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning on the bottom. It is done when the apples are completely soft when tested with a fork.
- Allow the apples to cool slightly. Then using small batches, place the apples in a blender or food processor until the desired smoothness is achieved. You can also mash with a fork if you like a chunkier apple butter.
- Return the applesauce to the original pot and add ground cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.
- Simmer the mixture uncovered for another 30-45 minutes or until the apple butter thickens, reduces in volume, and turns a dark caramel color. Make sure to stir constantly to prevent splattering.
- Eat warm or cool overnight. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Add your own flare to this apple butter recipe by using various apple varieties. Try any other soft apple such as McIntosh, Golden Delicious, or Jonagold.
- You can also adjust the spices used. If you like only cinnamon, make a cinnamon apple butter. You can even use apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice. Other options include adding a pinch of ginger or nutmeg.
- If you prefer a sweeter apple butter, you can add a little maple syrup, sugar, brown sugar, or sugar substitute such as Stevia or monk fruit during the simmering stage. Just be mindful that some sweeteners will add more or less sweetness than others, so start small and taste-test as you go.
Share with me: Did you try this small batch apple butter recipe? Snap a photo and tag @kcampbellnutrition on Instagram- I love seeing your kitchen creations!
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Kiran Campbell, RDN is a registered dietitian and entrepreneur with over 16 years of experience in nutrition and health. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in both dietetics and psychology, and is an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Cardiovascular Health and Well-being Dietetic Practice Group. Kiran is dedicated to delivering up-to-date, science-backed information on heart health and nutrition. Her mission is to support individuals living with heart disease and empower others to prevent it through informed, heart-smart choices. Learn more about Kiran by visiting her About Page.
This was delicious! I never realized how easy it is to make apple butter, thank you for sharing this tasty gluten-free recipe. 🙂