This Sugar-Free Apple Butter recipe is perfect for fall and only requires a handful of ingredients. This healthy spread has no-added sugar and can be made in your slow cooker or Crockpot.
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This recipe is so easy to whip you are going to love that you can replace your store-bought spread with one that has no added sugar. You control the sweetness. You can even make it unsweetened.
What is Apple Butter?
There’s no butter in apple butter. As a kid, I thought it was an apple and butter spread. Nope! Growing up, every fall we would head to the pumpkin patch. We would enjoy hayrides, apple picking, and a stop at the general store to load up on apple butter!
Apple butter is similar to jam or preserves. It’s spreadable and we typically pair it with rolls, toast, biscuits, or pancakes. It’s made using cooked apples that have been pureed. You cook the apples longer than you would applesauce because when cooked longer, a lot of the water is removed and the apple caramelize. You’re left with a spreadable sauce that is deep brown and flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
What Type of Apples to Use
You can use any apples. If you have favorites, go for those. I use a combination of Fuji and Honeycrisp apples. I recommend using a couple of different varieties, that way you have notes of different flavors in the spread. Red Delicious and Gala are also really popular for apple butter.
Do You Have to Peel the Apples?
Nope! You can leave the skin on the apples if you wish. There are tons of nutrients in the skin so there is a benefit to keeping them on. I find it easier to get creamy butter by peeling. This is simply preference.
How to Sweeten the Apple Butter
Apples are naturally sweet so you may find you don’t want to sweeten this at all.
You can use whatever type of sweetener you wish in this recipe. I use the brown monkfruit sweetener from Lakanto along with their classic white monkfruit sweetener. It’s a 1:1 replacement for brown sugar and white sugar and contains zero net carbs and zero calories. You can always use the exact same amount that is called for in a recipe that uses sugar.
You can also use pure maple syrup. I have not tested that within the recipe. You can start with 1/4 cup and adjust to your taste.
In general, I recommend adding the sweetener to taste. The amount of sweetener used in the recipe results in apple butter that is not overly sweet. If you like really sweet spreads, you will likely need to add more sweetener. I recommend starting with 1/4 cup of sweetener after the apple butter has cooked. Taste repeatedly and continue to add additional sweetener to taste as necessary.
How to Make Apple Butter
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Add apples, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and sweeteners to slow cooker.
- Slow cook.
- Puree and blend the butter until smooth.
How to Get it Thick and Creamy
I like to use an immersion blender. You can also use a regular blender. Be careful while working with hot apple butter.
How to Store it
When storing you should be sure the spread is tightly sealed. It must be stored in the fridge. I use these glass jars with lid from Amazon.
How Long Will it Last
You can store it in the fridge tightly sealed for up to a month.
Freezer Tips
You can freeze it tightly sealed for 9 months to a year. Defrost it overnight in the fridge. I use these freezer molds to freeze.
What to Pair With Apple Butter
- Charcuterie Board
- Cornbread Muffins
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Toast
- Oatmeal
- Biscuits
- Pancakes
- Waffles
More Sugar-Free Recipes
Sugar-Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Sugar-Free Cheesecake
Healthy Southern Sweet Potato Pie
Healthy Southern Peach Cobbler
Sugar-Free Blueberry Crisp
Sugar-Free Banana Bread
Sugar Free Pound Cake
Sugar Free Cookie Dough
Sugar Free Hot Chocolate
Slow Cooker Crockpot Cranberry Sauce
More Apple Recipes
Sugar-Free Apple Pies
Slow Cooker Crockpot Apple Oatmeal
Sugar-Free Apple Crisp
Instant-Pot Apple Steel Cut Oats
Cranberry Sauce with Apples
Caramel Apple Spice Starbucks
Slow Cooker Crockpot Baked Apples
Southern Fried Apples
Sugar-Free Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Honeycrisp apples Cored. See notes.
- 2 pounds Fuji apples Cored.
- 1/2 cup sweetener See notes.
- 1/2 cup brown sweetener
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Add the ingredients to the slow cooker.
- Cook on High for 4-5 hours or on Low for 9-10 hours.
- Remove the lid and puree the mixture with an immersion blender or add the mixture to a blender to smooth. Be careful if blending while hot.
- Taste repeatedly and adjust sweetener and spices to taste. The apple butter will thicken as it cools.
Video
Notes
- You can use any apples. If you have favorites, go for those. Red Delicious and Gala are also really popular for apple butter.
- You can leave the skin on the apples if you wish. There are tons of nutrients in the skin so there is a benefit to keeping them on. I find it easier to get creamy butter by peeling. This is simply preference.
- In general, I recommend adding the sweetener to taste. The amount of sweetener used in the recipe results in apple butter that is not overly sweet. If you like really sweet spreads, you will likely need to add more sweetener. I recommend starting with 1/4 cup of sweetener after the apple butter has cooked. Taste repeatedly and continue to add additional sweetener to taste as necessary.
- You can use all brown sweetener or all white sweetener if you wish. I love this combination of flavors.
- If you want to use refined table sugar you can use the same amount noted in the recipe.
- You can also use pure maple syrup. I have not tested that within the recipe. You can start with 1/4 cup and adjust to your taste.
- This recipe has not been tested with an Instant Pot or pressure cooker because you need water or liquid for pressure cooking. You don’t want to introduce liquid to the mixture when making apple butter, you want it to be as thick as possible.
- You can cut the ingredients in half to adjust the portion with little adjustment to cook time. Keep a close watch and check in frequently.
Hattie
Wednesday 28th of September 2022
I love apple butter on toast, on biscuits, tastes like fall!! This sugar-free recipe was amazing and SO easy. Reminded me of my grandma who used to make apple butter for the fair every year!
staysnatched
Monday 3rd of October 2022
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Deb
Friday 23rd of September 2022
I was wondering if you could can apple butter to make it last a little bit longer. Thank you!
staysnatched
Friday 23rd of September 2022
You can! I haven't done it and don't have instructions.
Felicia
Tuesday 1st of February 2022
This was my first time making apple butter. It was so good! I have used it on toast, waffles, and mixed it in Oatmeal. At first I was worried it wasn’t sweet enough. But once it sits and thickened up it had the perfect consistency and sweetness. I am glad I didn’t add more sweetener. I used my kitchen aid mixer to peel, core and slice the apples, definitely a time saver for me. It took less than 15 minutes to get it into the slow cooker. I cooked it overnight and I woke up to The best aroma in my house!
staysnatched
Thursday 3rd of February 2022
Wonderful! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Dorothy
Thursday 18th of November 2021
This turned out so amazing. The perfect addition to toast. Followed the directions and it came out great!
staysnatched
Saturday 20th of November 2021
I'm so glad to hear it!
Ashley F
Sunday 14th of November 2021
So easy and absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for yet another great recipe!
staysnatched
Saturday 20th of November 2021
You're welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.