Easy Instant Pot Apple Butter Recipe - No Peeling

Looking for a great way to use up all those apples from a day spent apple picking or in my case, my favorite apples from the grocery store? Then this instant pot apple butter recipe is for you. It can be made with just a handful of ingredients and is ready to enjoy in a fraction of the time of traditional methods.

Mason Jar filled with apple butter on a concrete countertop with two pumpkins and apples around it

This delicious homemade apple butter is brimming with all the fall flavors you love and can be used in so many ways including as a filling for homemade pop tart pastries and in this recipe, it can be easily substituted for the jelly making it a wonderful complement to the peanut butter. It's also great in this air fryer PB&J!

*This post may contain affiliate links and I’ll earn a commission if you shop through them. You can read my full disclosure here.

Jump to:
Close up of mason jar filled with freshly made Instant Pot Apple Butter

🤓Fun Facts

  • Apple butter is essentially concentrated apple sauce. The main difference is that apple butter is pureed and cooked for a longer period of time.
  • Even though butter is in the name, there is no actual butter in it.

🍎Ingredients

pile of beautiful apples with the sun hitting them on a concrete countertop
  • 6 pounds of apples
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup apple cider, ½ cup of water, or ½ cup of apple juice (any ONE of these 3 - not all 3)
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

See recipe card for quantities.

📋Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. The full recipe and instructions as well as nutritional information can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Zulay apple corer

Core apples and slice into eighths. Leave apple peels on. I used an apple corer which makes the coring process so much easier!

Cored and sliced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and apple cider in Instant Pot to make apple butter

Add apples, apple cider, brown sugar, and cinnamon to Instant Pot.

Instant pot apple butter after removing lid and before pureeing

Place lid on instant pot and set to high pressure for 20 minutes cooking time.

Once the cooking process has completed, allow natural pressure release for 15 minutes. Carefully release any remaining pressure and remove lid.

Silver amazon basics immersion blender in a pot of apple butter pureeing the apple mixture

Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to blend the cooked apple mixture until smooth. As an alternative, you can use a regular blender or food processor after allowing the cooked apples to cool for 30 minutes. It's not necessary to let the apple butter come to room temperature.

apple butter being cooked down and stirred with a wooden spoon in silver instant pot liner

Set instant pot to sauté function, the lowest setting so there is no spatter, and allow to cook for another 30 to 60 minutes until the desired consistency. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon so that the mixture doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot and burn. If, even at the lowest setting you're experiencing some splashing, cover the top of the instant pot with a splatter guard like this one.

apple butter on a wooden spoon testing for doneness

To test for doneness, remove a spoonful from the pot and if it's done the butter will stay mounded on the spoon. Another method is to spoon a small amount on to a plate. If a rim of liquid doesn't separate, it's ready.

Store in Mason Jars or airtight containers. See Storage section of this post for more information.

Cored and sliced apples in Instant Pot

Hint: Wash apples thoroughly before coring using equal parts of water and apple cider vinegar (or regular vinegar) added to water in a spray bottle. Spray onto the apples, rub in, rinse and dry. You can also use a ready-made fruit and veggie wash such as Fit Organic.

Free Grocery List Printable

🧾Ideas for serving apple butter

Apple butter in a jar spread on fresh bread

📖 Variations

Jar of apple butter on a concrete countertop with pumpkins and apples around it
  • The kind of apples used will make the biggest difference in flavor. I used gala apples and Fuji apples for my version, both fairly sweet but you can use your favorite mix of apples to create the level of sweetness that best fits your taste buds. You can find a handy apple sweetness chart here.
  • Maple syrup can be substituted for the brown sugar in a 1:1 ratio.
  • Pumpkin pie spice can be substituted for the cinnamon.

🍽 Equipment

🍱Storage

Freshly made instant pot apple butter in a glass measuring cup
  • Fresh apple butter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
  • Frozen apple butter will keep up to a year if stored in an airtight container or Ziplock type bag.

💭Top tip

apple butter on a wooden spoon testing for doneness

To test for doneness, remove a spoonful from the pot and if it's done the butter will stay mounded on the spoon. Another method is to spoon a small amount on to a plate. If a rim of liquid doesn't separate, it's ready.

If you love this recipe please give it a 5 star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card below ⬇️ you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please give it a 5 star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

Pressure Cooker Apple Butter Recipe

Looking for an easy way to make apple butter? This Instant Pot apple butter recipe is simple and delicious. You'll love how quickly it comes together in the pressure cooker. Plus, this recipe is perfect for making a big batch that you can store in the fridge or freezer.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe
Close up of Instant Pot Apple Butter in a clear glass mason jar
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
1 hour
Total Time:1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Core apples and slice into eighths. Leave apple peels on. I used an apple corer which makes the coring process so much easier!
    6 pounds apples
  • Add apples, apple cider, brown sugar, and cinnamon to Instant Pot.
    ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup apple cider, 2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Place lid on instant pot and set to high pressure for 20 minutes cooking time.
  • Once the cooking process has completed, allow natural pressure release for 15 minutes. Carefully release any remaining pressure and remove lid.
  • Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to blend the cooked apple mixture until smooth. As an alternative, you can use a regular blender or food processor after allowing the cooked apples to cool for 30 minutes. It's not necessary to let the apple butter come to room temperature.
  • Set instant pot to sauté function, the lowest setting so there is no spatter, and allow to cook for another 30 to 60 minutes until the desired consistency. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon so that the mixture doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot and burn. If, even at the lowest setting you're experiencing some splashing, cover the top of the instant pot with a splatter guard.
  • To test for doneness, remove a spoonful from the pot and if it's done the butter will stay mounded on the spoon. Another method is to spoon a small amount on to a plate. If a rim of liquid doesn't separate, it's ready.
  • Store in mason jars or airtight containers and refrigerate or freeze.

As with any of my recipes, calorie counts and nutritional information varies greatly depending on which products you choose to use when cooking this dish.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 20kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.05mg
Servings: 96 tablespoons
Calories: 20kcal
Author: Mary Beth
Cost: $8.00

Similar Posts

5 from 1 vote

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




2 Comments

  1. What size IP can you use? I have a 6 quart.

    Thank you!

    1. Mary Beth Sharkey says:

      Hi Karen, I made this recipe in an 8 quart but the recipe will work in a 6 quart. Thanks so much for your comment!