Instant Pot Apple Butter

ByBrooke Burks Published: Modified:
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It’s officially fall, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with a delicious apple recipe! Today we’re going to show you how to make the easiest and most delicious INSTANT POT APPLE BUTTER. It’s simple, has just a few ingredients, and anybody can do it! We’ll even give you some instructions on how you can do this on your stove top as well.

A plate of food with jam and apples.

I really love getting up in the wee hours of the morning, and prepping apples in the quiet of my kitchen. There’s something absolutely therapeutic about processing things by hand. You can light a candle or start some potpourri on the stove that smells like fall, and enjoy spending some quiet time in the kitchen while getting your apple butter together.

Just like with our BAKED APPLES recipe, the incredible Instant Pot makes taking simple fruit and turning it into something completely delicious so quick and easy!

Ingredients

The sugars, cider and vanilla really work well together to bring out the natural flavor and sweetness of the apples!

A group of red apples on a blue and white towel atop a wooden cutting board, next to a knife, apple corer, stovetop, and pot. A bowl with more apples is partially visible at the top.

What You’ll Need

  • Apples – about 7, enough to equal 8 cups.
  • White Sugar & Brown Sugar – a little of both for sweetness and depth.
  • Cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice – all wonderful flavors to enhance the apples.
  • Apple cider & vanilla extract – to add to natural flavors of the apples.

See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.

A biscuit topped with apple butter on a blue and white plate, with a sliced biscuit, apples, a butter knife, and jars of apple butter in the background.

Why You Will Love This Instant Pot Apple Butter

  • Quickly done with the Instant Pot – The 5 minute cook time on the apples is amazing in the Instant Pot, but you can even prepare your apples on the stove top, if need be. Just adjust to 20-30 minutes there!
  • Great for the fridge, freezer and gifts – Keeps 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge for easy access. It freezes well for later, and always makes a great gift, especially during the fall and related holidays!
  • Butter is better than sauce! – Well, we like it better than apple sauce, at least! Apple butter is sweeter and heavier than traditional apple sauce, and we prefer it on our biscuits around here!

Instructions

The Instant Pot makes the cook time so quick on the apples! Just check them after releasing the pressure and make sure they’re fork tender and falling apart before blending them.

A person uses an apple slicer to cut an apple on a wooden cutting board beside a pile of sliced apples. Next to the board is a pot with chopped apples on a stove and a bowl of whole apples in the background.

Wash, peel, core and cut apples into bite size pieces. Place into the liner of the instant pot.

A person holds a measuring cup of sugar over a mixing bowl filled with chopped apples and brown sugar on a wooden cutting board, with spices, apples, and more brown sugar nearby.

Add in granulated sugar.

A person sprinkles brown sugar from a measuring cup into a pot filled with chopped apples. The pot sits on a wooden cutting board next to spice jars and apples. A stove is visible on the left side.

Brown sugar.

A person holds a jar of ground cinnamon over a metal bowl filled with chopped apples and sugar on a wooden cutting board. Other spices and apples are visible on the counter.

Ground cinnamon.

A person sprinkles pumpkin pie spice into a metal bowl filled with diced apples on a wooden cutting board. Other spice jars and whole apples are also visible on the cutting board and in the background.

Pumpkin pie spice.

A person holding a jar labeled "Nutmeg" over a mixing bowl with chopped apples and brown sugar on a wooden cutting board; apples and spice jars are also visible nearby.

And freshly ground nutmeg.

A person pours apple juice from a bottle into a measuring cup over a bowl of chopped apples on a wooden cutting board, with whole apples and a peeler in the background.

Stir and mix in apple cider.

A person pours liquid from a dark bottle into a pot filled with chopped apples on a wooden countertop. A jug of apple cider and a bowl of whole apples are nearby.

And vanilla extract.

A person’s hands are seen opening the lid of a pressure cooker on a wooden countertop next to a stove. On the stove, a cast iron skillet contains six baked biscuits with golden tops.

Lock the lid and set to seal. Cook on pressure cook for 5 minutes.

A person holds a spoonful of cooked apple pieces over an open Instant Pot on a wooden countertop, with a pan of baked biscuits on a stovetop to the left.

Allow the pressure to naturally release for about 10 minutes, carefully open the lid and check to make sure the apples are tender.

A person uses an immersion blender to blend cooked apple pieces in an electric pressure cooker on a wooden countertop; biscuits are visible in a skillet on the stove nearby.

Blend into a smooth consistency.

A person holds a wooden spoon over an electric pressure cooker filled with brown gravy. To the left, a cast iron skillet with several biscuits sits on a stove. Steam rises from the gravy.

Set to saute and allow to simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes or until is thickened.

A person holds a small jar of applesauce in one hand and its lid in the other above a wooden cutting board, surrounded by canning jars, an Instant Pot, apples, garlic, and a funnel.

Pack in sterilized jars and place lids on finger tight. Cool on the counter until lids are sealed.

A biscuit topped with apple butter sits on a blue and white plate, surrounded by red apples, a knife, and jars of apple butter. Another biscuit and jars of apple butter are visible in the background.

Serve with HOMEMADE BISCUITS!

A person wearing a white chef's hat and gray shirt is smiling and holding two wooden spoons. They are leaning forward over a white table next to a silver laptop displaying the Apple logo. The background is plain white.

Why Brooke loves this recipe!

Recipes are like antiques. They are meant to be handed down from one generation to another. Each one holding a special memory or nostalgic memory. Here is why we love this one!

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Whenever Big D and I sit down at the table with a plate of warm, flaky biscuits and this fantastic apple butter, the first words out of our mouths after having a few bites are things like “That’s fall right there!” or “It’s like a trip to the mountains!” It’s perfect to have any time, though! Keep it around in the fridge, freeze it, or give it as a gift! Perfect!

Substitutions

With this recipe, I can think of a few customizations to get you going.

Apples – We love Gala apples, but Red Delicious or your favorite sweet apple will work great!
Vanilla – Vanilla extract works just fine, if you don’t have vanilla bean around.
Pureeing – If you don’t have an immersion blender around, a regular blender will work well. You just may have to work with smaller batches of the apples.

A biscuit topped with apple butter sits on a blue and white plate next to a sliced biscuit half, a butter knife, a jar of apple butter with a spoon, apples, and jars with metal lids, all on a wooden surface.

Helpful Equipment

I love to share recipes that have no special equipment required, but here are a some things that will definitely make this recipe easier!

THE AWESOME INSTANT POT
MY FAVORITE APPLE CORER
MY FAVORITE IMMERSION BLENDER

A biscuit spread with apple butter sits on a blue and white plate next to a knife, with jars of apple butter and fresh apples nearby on a wooden surface.

Storage Tips

Fridge: After cooling and storing in containers, you can pop the apple butter in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks.
Freezer: Apple butter can be frozen for up to a year, though the quality and texture may degrade a bit the longer your store it.

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A glass jar filled with a light brown, smooth apple butter spread sits on a blue and white patterned plate, with a metal spoon inside the jar and part of a biscuit visible nearby.

Instant Pot Apple Butter

I can't think of a better way to celebrate fall than with a delicious apple recipe! We're going to show you how to make the easiest and most delicious INSTANT POT APPLE BUTTER. It's simple, has just a few ingredients, and anybody can do it!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Serving Size 90 servings

Ingredients

  • 8 cups apples peeled, cored and chopped into bite size pieces
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Want to save this recipe?

We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Instructions

  • Peel. core and chop apples to bite size pieces. Place in the liner of the instant pot. Add in sugar, brown sugar, spices, apple cider and vanilla.
    8 cups apples, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 cup apple cider, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Place lid on and set to seal. Pressure cook for 5 minutes. Allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes. Release remaining pressure and check two make sure apples are tender. Blend or use immersion blender til smooth.
  • Place warm apple butter in sterilized jars and fix lids finger tight. Allow to cool on the counter until seal forms. Keep in the refrigerator or freezer as is. Or process in a water bath canner for shelf stability.

See How To Make It!

Notes

*PRO TIP- to make on the stove top, follow all instructions as is. Instead of cooking in the instant pot, stew the apples on the stove top for 20 to 30 minutes or until they are tender enough to blend.
A blue and white plate holds a biscuit, one half spread with apple butter, next to a knife. A jar of apple butter, biscuits, and red apples are nearby on a wooden surface.

🍴 PRO TIP!

This apple butter freezes well in jars. Just make sure to use jars with straight sides and no shoulder for freezing, and you will be good to go to enjoy the creamy texture of apple butter from the freezer far into the future!

🗹 RECIPE FAQ’S

Can I use other apples?

We love the softer, sweeter Gala apples, but Red Delicious apples also work well. Just stay away from any apples with the word “crisp” in their name, as we want them to bake down better than they allow.

How is apple butter different than apple sauce?

Apple butter is sweeter, richer, and heavier than apple sauce. It’s also usually darker than apple sauce because of the added brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon carmelizing.

Why is it called apple butter? Is there butter in it?

It’s called apple butter because of its butter-like consistency and spreadability. There’s no butter in it at all!

If you make this recipe, be sure and post it to Facebook or Instagram and tag us. We love pictures of food.

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And don’t forget to subscribe to our YOUTUBE channel for some great tutorial videos!

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Looking for other great recipes like this? Try these:

If you make this recipe, be sure and post it to Facebook or Instagram and tag us. We love pictures of food.

Also, if you pin this recipe, we would appreciate that when you make it, you use the Made It function in Pinterest too. 

And don’t forget to subscribe to our YOUTUBE channel for some great tutorial videos!

Brooke signature
A biscuit with apple butter sits on a blue and white plate next to a halved biscuit, a knife, and two red apples. Jars of apple butter and another plate with a biscuit are in the background.

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