Healthy Apple Butter Recipe – No Added Sugar

This healthy apple butter recipe is a go-to fall favorite in the farmhouse. It takes less than an hour to whip up and has no added sugar. Apple butter is perfect slathered on sourdough pancakes, sourdough biscuits and toast.

Fall totally snuck up on me this year. I know people are always saying that about basically everything, but I feel like that this year even more than usual.

We bought family pool passes earlier this year. I pictured myself taking the kids dozens of times and spending countless hours poolside. In reality I think we made it out 5 or 6 times. When I had just two or three kids, we went to the pool literally every day.

Each year as I add more kids and more responsibilities to my life, it happens less and less. I could almost cry thinking about it.

Anywaaaay enough with the sad story. We did enjoy countless outside hours at our new homestead. The kids played in the kiddie pool and splashed in the sprinkler. We just didn’t make it into town as many times as I expected. 

And who doesn’t love thinking about fall?! Bonfires, cozy sweaters, pumpkins on our newly painted Victorian farmhouse porch. Oh, and yours truly is having a BABY in October.

Good things are ahead. I just hope to not let this season slip past me like summer did. 

We have an amazing apple orchard and pumpkin patch only a few minutes from our new farmhouse. In fact, it is the same one we used to drive 45 minutes for when we lived in our last house.

Fall, my friends, is going to be my hay day! Apple picking is already on the schedule, and I’m preparing for pounds and pounds apples.

Fall Apple Recipes Blog Hop

With all the apples the kids and I are going to be fetching from the local orchard, some delicious apple recipes are in order. Today’s blog post is in collaboration with some of my awesome blogger friends.

Each person is sharing an original (and delicious!) apple recipe for you to try. Read all the way to the end of this post to get links to all of that fall goodness!

Now, onto my apple butter recipe. 

Healthy Apple Butter Recipe  with No Added Sugar

I used the Instant Pot to make this healthy apple butter recipe, but you definitely don’t have to. The whole goal with apple butter is to cook the apples until most of the liquid has evaporated. You can do this in a large stockpot on the stove. I personally didn’t have that much time, so I went the pressure cooker route. 

The process of continuing to cook past the apple sauce stage makes for a lovely spread that acts more like a jam or butter, than juicy applesauce. 

Since apple butter greatly reduces the volume of the original apples, it is the perfect recipe for those times when you have access to more apples than you know what to do with. (This will hopefully be us in a few years after we’ve planted fruit trees on our new property!)

What kind of apples should you use for apple butter?

I personally used pink ladies, but any variety will do. Gala apples, Jonagold, Mcintosh, Honeycrisp apples and Fuji apples are all great choices!

Since I like to do no added sugar, it is best to stay away from tart apples, like Granny Smith apples, for this recipe. 

If you do use an apple that is a little less sweet, try stirring in some enzyme rich honey after the apple butter has cooled. This is a good way to introduce a little extra sweetness without compromising on processed sugar. 

What do you put apple butter on?

Our favorite way to use this healthy apple butter is as a spread on homemade sourdough pancakes or waffles. It is also delicious served over biscuits and toast, or stirred into oatmeal. 

Healthy Apple Butter Ingredients

•  7 large apples (I used pink ladies), thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 cup water 

Healthy Apple Butter Instructions (Instant Pot Version)

Yields: 1 pint 

1. Add the sliced apples, apple peels and all, 1/4 cup water, cinnamon and nutmeg to the Instant Pot. Cook for 20 minutes on high pressure.
2. Release the pressure and remove the lid. 
3. Switch to the sauté function on the Instant Pot and allow the apples too cook for an additional 5 minutes with the lid off. Stir constantly.
4. Blend the apples with an immersion blender, food processor, or regular blender. 

It is necessary to cook the apples for a few additional minutes with the pressure cooker lid off. This allows any additional liquid to evaporate. Since I made my apple butter without any additional sugar, it will naturally be a little more watery, as the sugar absorbs liquid and helps the apple butter to set up.

Cooking off additional liquid will hive it that apple butter consistency that you’re used to. 

Healthy Apple Butter Instructions (Stock Pot Version)

1. Add the sliced apples, 1/2 cup water, cinnamon and nutmeg to a large stockpot. Cover and cook for about an hour. 
2. Once the apples are soft, take the lid off the pot and allow the apples too cook for an additional 20-30 minutes with the lid off, stirring occasionally.
3. Once most of the liquid is cooked off, blend the apples with an immersion blender. 

Do you need to peel apples for apple butter?

No. The results of this apple butter recipe are still smooth and delicious without peeling the apples. An immersion blender, or even a standard blender, is a necessary tool to skip the peeling step. 

How long does healthy apple butter last in the fridge?

I keep this apple butter in the fridge for the same amount of time that I do applesauce. A few weeks up to a month is fine. It is handy to label it with a sharpie if you don’t think you’ll get to it right away.

If it has been in there for a questionable amount of time, make sure it doesn’t smell sour and doesn’t have any mold. 

When in doubt, throw it out.

All that said, we have never had apple butter go bad. Usually, I make it and hardly have enough left to put back in the fridge. Our five littles aren’t too easy on a jar of this delicious spread.. They smell it and come running. 

What is the difference between apple butter and apple sauce?

While both are made with some of the basic same ingredients and almost the same process, apple butter is cooked longer into a dark brown, thicker, and smoother fruit spread. Whereas apple sauce is thinner with more liquid, usually a lighter color, and can be made chunky or smooth. 

How do you thicken apple butter?

This recipe is thicken by simmering the apples with the lid off for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, and allowing the extra liquid to naturally evaporate. 

Go get some more great apple recipes:

Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins by Ella Claire & Co. | Puff Pastry Apple Strudel by Inspired by Charm | Apple Crumb Pie Bars by Tidy Mom | Stovetop Applesauce by Tidbits | Apple Cheesecake Tart by Rooms for Rent

Gluten/Dairy Free Apple Crisp by Zevy Joy | Apple Pie Chocolate Chip Cookies by Anderson + Grant | Easy Apple Dumpling Dessert by Happy Happy Nester | Gluten Free Apple Fritters by Home Made Lovely | Sheet Pan Apple Crumble by My Sweet Savannah

Salted Caramel Apple Tart by Shabby Fu Fu | Cinnamon Apple Bread by Julie Blanner | Apple & Blackberry Topped Waffles by French Country Cottage | Sugar Free Apple Butter by Farmhouse on Boone | Puff Pastry Apple Pie by Jenna Kate at Home

Apple Walnut Bread by On Sutton Place | Apple Cake with Homemade Caramel Sauce by Town and Country Living | Mini Apple Pies by My 100 Year Old Home | Apple Scones by Boxwood Avenue

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This post was updated October 2019.