Like clockwork, every single year when fall arrives, I buy apple butter. I bet we go through four or five jars every season on our toast, our waffles and stirred into recipes. This year, I thought I’d make my own (since you guys know how much I love making jam!), BUT wanted to try making it two different ways with two different things: the slow cooker and the Instant Pot.
This was such a fun experiment for me! As you know, I’m suuuuuuper partial to my slow cooker and a little skeptical about my Instant Pot, but I wanted to set out and make apple butter on the same day with the same recipe just using the two different kitchen gadgets.
And you will never believe what happened?
Friends, I loved using my Instant Pot this time more than my slow cooker!!!
WHAT?
YES!
I couldn’t believe it myself!
Now, I loved the way that both batches tasted and it took no time flat for my family to gobble them both up, but when I go to do it again, I will most likely use the IP over the slow cooker. Here’s why: it took no time at all!! The slow cooker took 10 hours on low, but the Instant Pot only took about 40 minutes total. Now, I did love the way my house smelled all day with the slow cooker (hello, fall!), but I thought the amount of time in the IP made all the difference in the world. Because the IP doesn’t take as long, the coloring of the apple butter was lighter too (the darker color comes from how long the apples cooked in the slow cooker all day). BOTH batches are easy. BOTH batches require just about the same ingredients. And BOTH batches were really delicious! I used my handy dandy immersion blender for both batches, but you could always transfer yours to a regular blender too. Either way, you can’t have fall without apple butter and I highly recommend both of these versions!
Instant Pot Apple Butter
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: about 8 cups 1x
Description
The Instant Pot makes this apple butter a breeze! Chop your apples (no need to peel!), toss them in, cover and just a few short minutes later, you have delicious apple butter for fall!
Ingredients
- 5 pounds of chopped Honey Crisp apples (do not peel)
- 1½ cups brown sugar
- 1½ tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/3 cup water
Instructions
- Place all of your ingredients inside your Instant Pot.
- Cover and set to manual for 15 minutes.
- When the 15 minutes is over, allow the pot to release naturally.
- Remove the lid and then using an immersion blender, blend everything up right inside the pot.
- Ladle apple butter into jars to be kept in the fridge up to two weeks.
Notes
If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can ladle your apple butter mixture into a regular blender and then blend until you reach the desired consistency. My family likes a little texture in our apple butter, but you may blend until smooth. It took my IP about 10 minutes to build the pressure and then another 10 minutes to naturally release the pressure.
Slow Cooker Apple Butter
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 hours
- Total Time: about 10 hours
- Yield: about 8 cups 1x
Description
Your house will smell just like fall as this apple butter cooks away in your slow cooker all day!
Ingredients
- 5 pounds of chopped Honey Crisp apples (do not peel)
- 1½ cups brown sugar
- 1½ tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Place all of your ingredients inside your slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low about 10 hours or on high about 4 hours.
- Remove the lid and then using an immersion blender, blend everything up right inside the slow cooker.
- Ladle apple butter into jars to be kept in the fridge up to two weeks.
Notes
If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can ladle your apple butter mixture into a regular blender and then blend until you reach the desired consistency. My family likes a little texture in our apple butter, but you may blend until smooth.
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
I’ve never made apple butter before – never heard of it, in fact! But it sounds so delicious. I know what I’m going to make this fall now! 😀
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Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Janette says
Here’s a short cut. I buy a large can or jars of applesauce at Costco and use that. It saves the apple peeling step and tastes just he same. I grew up in apple country and was raised on apple butter. There’s no difference in taste using the applesauce. I always use my slow cooker and make a “batch” every fall. I made some just last week.
Mix and Match Mama says
I love that tip!!
Jennifer says
Great idea! Do you just use 1 large can/jar or?!
Jen says
Yum! I think I’d prefer the slow cooker in this case, just so my house would smell yummy all day! 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
Mine sure did!!
Erin Chavez says
I can not wait to try this!!! Thank you for sharing!
Debbra Weber says
Thank you for sharing! I still have not taken my Instant Pot out of its box, but this may prompt me to do it this weekend. I have a lot of Colorado peaches so I may try peach butter in the Instant Pot! 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
Let me know how that turns out!!!
Jodie says
I’ve never heard of apple butter and was imagining an apple flavored butter. However, your recipe and photos looks more like applesauce. What is apple butter? How are you supposed to eat it? I’m so confused!
Mix and Match Mama says
It’s misleading, right? It’s more like a jam not a butter and yes, very, very, very similar to apple sauce. I bet they sell it on the jam/jelly aisle at your grocery store!
Lindsey says
Yummm! Can you freeze this?
Mix and Match Mama says
I’m going to say no. I hate to tell you that you can and it not turn out right.
Dawn Wendland says
I would love to make some for gifts. Have you tried canning this when it’s done?
Mix and Match Mama says
I haven’t yet!
Megan says
Apple Butter is FAVORITE at our house. I am going to definitely have to try making it sometime. However, we think Bucee’s has the best as far as store bought goes. My little people eat it up! Biscuits and toast are just a means to eat the apple butter.
Nichole says
I’m so excited to try this! Have you done other jams in the IP?
Mix and Match Mama says
Not yet!
Christa says
Do you core the apples? I will make this later in the week.
Mix and Match Mama says
Yes! I remove the cores but leave the skin on. So easy!
Carol says
I’m LOVE Apple butter! I’m diabetic and made a batch with no added sugar. It was great but I lost the recipe. Ugh! Maybe I’ll try yours without the sugar or with less.
Hollie M says
So I wanted to wait until I got some feedback – this Apple Butter was a huge hit! I made the instant pot version (so easy!!) and it made 8 half pint jars. I shared with my neighbor, parents, grandmother, friends – whoever wanted a jar. My dad texted me this morning to tell me there was something wrong with it – which was that it was gone! Ha! I’ll make this an annual fall tradition. Thanks Shay!
Mix and Match Mama says
Awe! Thank you so much!!! This makes me really happy to hear!! Happy Fall!
Breezy says
I am anxious to try this! Thanks for posting the recipe. I have made several of your recipes and all of them have been a hit. My family LOVES your chocolate chip Bundt Cake.