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ingredients for apple butter in instant pot before cooking
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5 from 1 vote

Instant Pot Apple Butter

This Instant Pot apple butter tastes like it was cooked all day - but secretly only takes just over an hour! Made with three simple ingredients and no added sugar, it's a delicious fall treat that is vegan, gluten-free, and made with wholesome ingredients.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Time to pressurize + natural pressure release40 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 184kcal
Author: Denise Bustard

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 6 lbs apples see note 1
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • ¼ cup water see note 2

Instructions

  • Prepare apples - Chop apples into 8 pieces, removing the core. Leave the skin on or peel it off (see note 1).
  • Combine - In the stainless steel pot of a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot, place the apples, cinnamon, vanilla and ¼ cup of water.
    overhead view of instant pot filled with apples and cinnamon
  • Cook - Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to the 'sealing' position, and pressure cook for 10 minutes. When the cooking cycle has completed, allow the pressure to release naturally (around 30 minutes).
    apple butter ingredients after cooking
  • Purée - Using an immersion blender, purée the apples until smooth.
    immersion blender in instant pot blending sauce
  • Simmer - Select the 'sauté' button on the Instant Pot, then select 'adjust' to set the pot on the lowest sauté temperature. Allow the apple butter to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Once the apple butter has reduced to the consistency you'd like, use oven mitts to remove the inner pot from the base of the Instant Pot, and allow to cool.
    instant pot set to saute on low
  • Serve- spread it on toast, swirl into oatmeal, or enjoy as is.
    side view of apple butter in jar

Video

Notes

  1. I recommend using a mixture of red and green apples for the best flavor; you may leave the skins on or take the time to peel them.
  2. though this recipe only has ¼ cup of added liquid, the apples release a lot of liquid while heating, which helps bring the Instant Pot to pressure. We had success in both 6 and 8 quart Instant Pots using ¼ cup liquid.
 
Storage
Fridge - Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Freeze - Freeze in an airtight freezer container for up to 6 months. Alternatively, you can freeze in jars, using the tips above in this blog post.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 371mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 187IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg