Instant Pot Apple Butter

This Instant Pot Apple Butter is everything you love about apple butter but made quick and easy using the pressure cooker.

I’m sure I’m not the only one that gets excited when apple butter is in season. It’s one of my favorite Fall treats.

And, what’s even better, is that you can make it in your Instant Pot! This recipe is so easy and it turns out great every time. You’re going to love it!

For years I have made apple butter using our slow cooker. But that was when we would either pick up apples at the store or spend a weekend at the orchard.

Now that we have our own mini-orchard – I am swimming in apples during the fall season. Even with several slow cookers going at once – making apple butter and getting all of the apples processed was just taking too long.

So I spent a good amount of time last year perfecting my recipe for the pressure cooker. It is simple and easy and comes out perfect every single time.

Use this apple butter in this delicious Apple Butter Bread!

pressure cooker apple butter

Here are some commonly asked questions

What is apple butter?

Apple butter is a delicious, thick spread that is made from apples. It is perfect on toast, muffins, biscuits, and more!

Making apple butter in the Instant Pot takes a fraction of the time it would take to make it on the stovetop.

Plus, the Instant Pot keeps your kitchen cooler than using the stovetop and is so much faster than the slow cooker. If you love apple butter, you need to try this recipe!

What is “natural pressure release”?

Often, an Instant Pot recipe would call for you to release all the pressure at the end of the timed pressure cycle.  However, the cooking process stops when the pressure is released. 

For recipes that call for a natural pressure release, you would refrain from releasing the pressure from the unit for a set amount of time.  This allows for a little extra cooking time as the pressure inside naturally goes down. 

At the end of the natural pressure release cycle, you would then use the valve to release the remaining pressure and stop the cooking process.

easy apple butter recipe

How to Can Apple Butter

Now – keep in mind that it is not recommended that you use an Instant Pot for canning. The temperature can not be regulated and monitored the same way as it is when using a traditional pressure cooker for canning.

So for this recipe, I recommend using a water bath canning method. To do so –

Process jars in a water bath canner for 5 minutes for half-pints and pints. Process for 10 minutes for quarts.

These tools make the process so much faster!

• apple slicer
• apple peeler corer
• Immersion Blender

Ingredients for Instant Pot Apple Butter

• apples
• brown sugar
• granulated sugar
• water
• vanilla
• cinnamon
• molasses
• ginger
• nutmeg

How to Make Instant Pot Apple Butter

1. Chop and core the apples.
2. Add the apples to the Instant Pot insert along with the brown sugar, granulated sugar, water, vanilla, cinnamon, molasses, ginger, and nutmeg.
3. Place the pot in the Instant Pot, add the lid, and set to sealing.
4. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
5. Allow for a natural release for 20 minutes – then quick release any remaining pressure.
6. Use an immersion blender to blend the cooked mixture into a creamy consistency. Be cautious – any splatters will be quite hot.
7. If the apple butter isn’t thick enough for your liking, you can heat it on the saute setting on your Instant Pot to cook it a bit longer to reduce some of the excess moisture. But keep in mind that the apple butter will thicken a bit as it cools.
8. Remove the insert and set it on a hot pad to cool to room temperature before transferring it into jars.
9. I like to keep one jar in the refrigerator for about 1 week. I place the remaining apple butter into freezer-safe containers, label them with the date and freeze them to use throughout the year.

Can I use a brown sugar substitute?

I have not personally tried it, so I can’t say how that would turn out. But if you would like to try it, I suggest a product that offers a 1:1 swap. Please let me know how it turns out.

Can this be made in the slow cooker?

Yes – this recipe can be made in the slow cooker. Here is my family recipe for slow cooker apple butter that has been passed down from my grandmother. It is delicious and so easy to make too.

What kind of apples should I use for apple butter?

Well- we didn’t pick the types of trees that were planted on our property. That was decided by the first owners and we are the lucky recipients. So I have no idea what types we have here. I’m just using what I have and it’s working just fine.

However – since I’m sure most of you will be buying your apples at the store – here are some suggestions.

When you are making apple butter, there are different kinds of apples that work best. The ones that work for making homemade applesauce are the same ones that work for apple butter.

Some apples have a higher water content, so they don’t make for a good sauce. Some are too sweet, which can also make for a watery sauce.

When picking an apple to make into apple butter, you want to focus on ones that are less juicy or tart in flavor. This will result in a nice thick butter that doesn’t have any excess liquid in it. The best type of apple for this is usually the Red Delicious variety, though Golden Delicious will work as well.

What can I make with this apple butter?

While we like to spread apple butter on toast or a homemade bagel for breakfast – there are plenty of recipes you can use it IN instead of spreading it on. Here are some of our favorites. (you can use this IP version or our slow cooker apple butter)

• Apple Butter Pancakes
• Homemade Waffles
• Mixed into Overnight Oats
• Added to the mixture for Brioche French Toast
• Swap it out in these Pumpkin Butter Donuts

What size Instant Pot do you use for this recipe?

I am currently using an 8-quart pot, but this recipe can be made in the 6-quart pot too. If you have one of the smaller versions (3-quart mini), I recommend cutting this recipe in half.

Here are my favorite Instant Pot Tools and Accessories!

1. Instant Pot
2. Non-Stick Instant Pot Insert with Silicone Lid
3. Accessory Set
4. Glass Lid
5. Sealing Rings
6. Silicone Egg Bites Mold
7. Large Mesh Steamer Basket
8. Complete Cook & Bake Set

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DON’T MISS THESE HOLIDAY E-BOOKS!

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If you love this easy Pressure Cooker Apple Butter recipe, you’re going to love these other apple recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

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