Healthy Apple Butter

This homemade Healthy Apple Butter is lightly sweet and insanely easy to make over the stove top. All you need are some apples, apple cider, lemon juice and spices. It’s cozy and perfect for spreading on toast, folding into oatmeal, or dipping homemade donuts or donut holes into.

This apple butter is refreshingly healthy since it relies on the natural sweetness of cooked apples paired with a half cup of apple cider. No need for tons of added sugars, like most recipes call for. The result is a lightly sweet, extra concentrated apple spread.

What is Apple Butter

When I first tried apple butter, I expected it to be an oddly sweet buttery spread. But despite the name, apple butter is not a mixture of apple and butter. In fact, there’s no butter involved at all.

Apple butter is basically applesauce that has been cooked for a prolonged period of time, resulting in a lightly caramelized, thick, and concentrated apple spread. It’s the perfect cozy and versatile fall condiment that goes great on baked goods, like these crumbly Healthy Apple Cobbler Muffins.

Ingredients for Apple Butter

• Apples – fuij, pink lady, or honey crisp apples work beautifully. No need to remove the skins either. Simply chop and heat over the stove.
• Apple cider – for a little sweetness and a lot of spiced warmth.
• Lemon juice – for a little acidity.
• Spices – we use all the cozy fall favorites: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.

Best Apples for Apple Butter

You really can’t go wrong with any apple in apple butter. Softer apple varieties, like Fuji, Jonathan, or Cortland are generally favored as they cook down quicker. However, more robust apples, like granny smith and honey crisp, ultimately soften and blend just as well as softer apples. We like a mixture of honey crisp and Fuji apples in our apple butter.

How to Make Apple Butter

Coarsely chop the apples. Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer at low heat. Cover and cook for 2 hours, stirring regularly to prevent burning.

Remove from heat and allow to partially cool for about 20 minutes. Blend the mixture with an immersion blender or in a food processor or blender until smooth. Transfer to a glass storage container and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Enjoy!

Let us know what you think about this recipe for Healthy Apple Butter by dropping a comment and/or rating below! We love to hear from you! And also please consider sharing on social media or Pinterest (we greatly appreciate it)! 💕

Check out our other fall favorites:

• Healthy Apple Cobbler Muffins
• Baked Apple Cider Donuts
• Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
• Chai Spiced Scones
• Chai Latte Smoothie