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a jar of apple butter

Sugar-Free Apple Butter (Instant Pot or Stovetop)

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5 from 1 review

If you love fall flavors, you’ll want to try this Sugar-Free Apple Butter with no added sugars. Serve your apple butter with toast, oatmeal, or even on top of pancakes. Everyone loves this apple delicacy made easily in the electric pressure cooker or on the stovetop. It’s a healthy treat!

  • Total Time: 75 minutes
  • Yield: 18 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 5 pounds sweet red apples (about 15-18 medium apples)
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened apple juice or apple cider
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 lemon, juiced

Instructions

  1. Wash your apples and then core and slice them.
  2. Combine the sliced apples inside a 6-quart Instant Pot.
  3. Add the apple juice, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.
  4. Stir gently to combine.
  5. Lock on the lid and set the time to 10 minutes at high pressure.
  6. When the cooking time is up, let the pressure come down naturally for about 10 minutes.
  7. Then, use the quick release to get rid of any remaining pressure. Carefully remove the lid.
  8. Use a hand immersion blender to blend the cooked apple mixture until it is smooth. You can also transfer the cooked apple mixture to a food processor (always be cautious when blending hot liquids).
  9. To thicken the apple butter, then press the Sauté button on your Instant Pot (on low or normal setting). Set the time to 15 minutes and put a splatter guard or a glass lid on top of the Instant Pot to prevent splattering.
  10. When the apple butter is done thickening, it should be a dark golden brown color and thick like thick applesauce (it will further thicken in the refrigerator).
  11. Transfer the apple butter to a container with a lid and place in the refrigerator to chill and further thicken for at least 2 hours.
  12. Serve cold or at room temperature, with your choice of toast, oatmeal, or pancakes.

Notes

  1. You don’t need to peel the apples for this recipe.
  2. Please note that if you use apple cider, it is different than apple cider vinegar. Apple cider is non-alcoholic and can be found in the unrefrigerated beverage section of most grocery stores during the fall and winter months.
  3. Try to find the sweetest apples for this recipe that you can. I like Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp. Don’t use green apples as they will not be sweet enough.
  4. Store your apple butter in the refrigerator for up to a week. Or, you can freeze the apple butter for up to two months (or can it for longer-term storage).
  5. STOVETOP DIRECTIONS: Put all of the ingredients in a large pot on a stovetop and simmer for several hours until thickened. Put a lid on the pot while it is simmering, but leave it slightly ajar so the moisture can escape. Then turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to reach the desired consistency. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 112
  • Sugar: 19.6 g
  • Sodium: 2.3 mg
  • Fat: 0.4 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 26.6 g
  • Fiber: 4.3 g
  • Protein: 0.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Find it online: https://www.cleaneatingkitchen.com/instant-pot-apple-butter/