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A mason jar filled with apple butter sits on a white wooden surface, surrounded by a green apple, cinnamon sticks, a red-checked cloth, and biscuits spread with apple butter—perfect for cozy fall breakfast ideas.

Traditional apple butter recipe

Make small batch apple butter with just a few apples and pantry staples—no canning needed! This rich, spiced recipe is freezer-friendly and tastes like fall in a jar, perfect for cozy mornings

Course main dish
Cuisine American
Keyword How to make apple butter the old fashioned way, small batch apple butter, Traditional apple butter recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 12 oz
Author momma lew

Ingredients

  • 6 fresh tart apples, about 3lbs
  • 1 cup water
  • ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Peel and core the granny smith apples and place them in a large pot or dutch oven
  2. Pour in the water and apple cider vinegar.
  3. Sprinkle in the salt, pumpkin spice and ginger and mix.
  4. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the apples are very soft, about 25 minutes.
  5. Using a whisk, stir the cooked apples around until the apples become a sauce. 
  6. Add the brown sugar and vanilla extract to the pot, stir, and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened to and becomes dark brown, about 15 minutes.
  7. Let cool before storing.