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Were you craving for a sweet, savory spread? Try our Stovetop Apple Butter recipe! It’s rich, creamy, and packed full of fall flavors. Perfect for spreading on toast, muffins, or even adding to your oatmeal. Check out the recipe and let us know how your batch turned out!
Apple butter, a timeless autumn delicacy, is a velvety, spiced spread made from slow-cooked apples, sugar, and warm spices. This Stovetop Apple Butter recipe offers a simple and satisfying way to capture the essence of fall in a jar. Perfect for spreading on toast, swirling into yogurt, or incorporating into your favorite recipes, this homemade apple butter is sure to become a seasonal favorite.
Introduction to Stovetop Apple Butter
Imagine the aroma of apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg wafting through your kitchen. This is the heartwarming essence of stovetop apple butter, a thick, rich spread that captures the soul of autumn. Crafted from simple ingredients, it transforms everyday meals into comforting experiences. Not just a spread, but a versatile companion, stovetop apple butter elevates breakfast toast, enhances savory dishes, and becomes an indispensable condiment in your culinary arsenal. Its homemade charm and ease of preparation make it a favorite. As apples take their sweet time melding with spices on the stove, they create more than just a condiment; they craft a memory, a taste of home that beckons with each spoonful.
Main points to remember about Stovetop Apple Butter:
- Stovetop apple butter brings a cozy autumn aroma into your kitchen, enhancing the cooking experience.
- Its versatility extends beyond spread, enriching both sweet and savory dishes with its rich, comforting flavor.
- An essential and beloved recipe, its simplicity and homemade appeal make it a staple for any home cook.
Ingredients and Preparation of Stovetop Apple Butter
- 8-10 Apples
- ½ Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 Cups Water
- 1 Extra Cup Water (add more if needed)
Gather around for a Stovetop Apple Butter adventure. You’ll need 8-10 apples of any variety, ½ cup of brown sugar, and a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg for that warm, autumnal flavor. Don’t forget a tablespoon of lemon juice to balance the sweetness and two cups of water to cook everything down to perfection. Start by peeling, coring, and chopping your apples. Throw them into a heavy-based pot with all the ingredients listed.
Cook this mixture on medium heat until the apples become fork-tender. At this point, stir in an extra cup of water. If you notice the pot getting a bit clingy with the apple mix, feel free to add a smidge more water. Keep the flame low and let it bubble gently for about 30 to 40 minutes. As the mixture thickens and turns a delightful shade of brownish caramel, you’re almost there.
The final flourish comes when you let it cool. Patience is your friend here. Once cooled, store your homemade apple butter in jars. This simple recipe yields a deliciously sweet spread, oozing with the flavors of fall and the satisfaction of home cooking.

Serving Suggestions and Enjoying Stovetop Apple Butter
Think outside the jar with stovetop apple butter. It’s not just for toast anymore. Spread it on pancakes for a sweet twist, or use it as a glaze for pork chops, elevating your dinner to a new level of flavor. Imagine pairing it with sharp cheddar in a grilled cheese sandwich, where the apple butter’s sweetness complements the cheese’s tanginess, creating a culinary delight. This homemade treat transforms the ordinary into something extraordinary, making every bite a testament to the joys of cooking at home.
Savoring the Result
You’ve embarked on a culinary journey, simmering, and blending to perfection. The aroma of cooked apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg has filled your kitchen. Now, it’s time to take a spoonful of your stovetop apple butter. Its thick, rich texture coats the spoon like a velvety blanket. As you taste it, the flavors of autumn dance on your palate, bringing with them a wave of comfort and nostalgia. This homemade spread, born from simple ingredients and love, transforms ordinary meals into extraordinary moments. Savor it on toast, swirl it into oatmeal, or spoon it over ice cream. Each bite is not just food; it’s a memory, a feeling, an experience to cherish. Cooking at home brings such unique joys, and this apple butter is a testament to the magic that happens when we take the time to create, taste, and savor.
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Stovetop Apple Butter
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 30 servings depending on size 1x
- Category: Everyday Cooking
- Method: Easy
Description
Enjoy the rich, spiced aroma and flavor of this homemade Stovetop Apple Butter, throughout the fall and beyond. This recipe provides a delicious and comforting way to savor the season’s bounty while creating a versatile condiment that can elevate a variety of dishes. Spread it on toast, swirl it into oatmeal, or use it as a flavorful ingredient in your favorite recipes.
Ingredients
- 8–10 Apples
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 Cups Water
- 1 Extra Cup Water (add more if needed)
Instructions
- Peel, core, and chop apples.
- Add all the ingredients to a heavy-based pot and simmer on medium heat until apples are soft (fork tender)
- Add 1 extra cup of water (add more while cooking if the mixture starts to stick to the pot) and cook on low heat until the mixture turns thick and brownish (about 30-40 minutes).
- Allow the mixture to cool completely before storing in a jar.
- Enjoy
Notes
Created, Prepared, tried, and tested by Rochelle from The Recipe Hunter: Tried and Tested Recipes from Home Chefs; SA Tasty Recipes – Saffas Daily Recipes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons
- Calories: 45
- Sugar: 9.6 g
- Sodium: 2.5 mg
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.8 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 0.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg

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My grandmother made apple butter. Every time we went back to her house, she would send several jars home with us. I haven’t had any since. I will save your recipe. This would be a great gift for my dad for Father’s Day!!
Take care and best wishes.
WOW, I am sure your Dad will be thrilled especially since you made it for him. It truly hope you will enjoy making it and that he will love it.
Ooo, this sounds delightful. I haven’t had apple butter in ages.
Hope you will enjoy it, its delicious for sure.
That sounds so yummy! We made apple butter once in our crock pot and it was a delicious way to use up some of our orchard fresh apples and enjoy the taste long after the season had passed.
Hi Joanne, Great way to use of all the fresh fruit and superb to enjoy as you mentioned for long after the season ended. Thanks for dropping in
This looks so yummy. I love apple butter but have never made it!
In that case I hope that this will be the inspiration needed to make apple butter at home. Enjoy
I’ve never heard of Apple Butter – it would certainly give porridge (oatmeal) a lift!
Hi Lydia, hope you will try it and let us know what you think of it and yes it will add an awesome taste to oatmeal.
Looks absolutely delicious. I have a similar recipe for the crock pot, and that brown sugar is just the right flavor for apples. Yum. Visiting from Senior Salon Pit Stop.
I am sure that the crockpot recipe you have will be equally delicious. Thanks, maybe you can link that recipe as well.