Small Batch Stovetop Apple Butter

Crisp fall apples cooked down with sugar and spices until lusciously smooth and intensely flavored. This small batch apple butter recipe is perfect when you just have a few apples on hand.

Most apple butter recipes require 3-4 pounds of apples and hours of time. But sometimes you just want a little apple butter, a jar’s worth or so, that can easily be consumed in a week or two. For that, this small-batch recipe is perfect (not to mention it is much quicker and easier to prepare than a larger batch, no canning required!)

Apple butter is one of those magical condiments that crosses the line between sweet and savory, and I can think of a million different ways to use it.

This particular batch of apple butter was made as to accompany a batch of sharp cheddar gougères (cheese puffs), apples and cheese being an entirely under-appreciated combination. In that same respect it also makes a great addition to your holiday cheese board, and would be astounding paired with melty white cheddar and brie inside a grilled cheese sandwich.

On the sweeter side, it’d be perfect dolloped on biscuits, spread onto toast, warmed and drizzled on fall spiced pancakes or waffles, stirred into yogurt or even swirled into homemade frozen yogurt.

I mean, it’s undoubtedly more versatile than any other condiment, ketchup included.

What is the difference between applesauce and apple butter, anyway?

Time.

But it makes all the difference.

Applesauce is a fairly quick process, cooked apples run through a food mill. Apple butter is basically concentrated apple sauce, cooked down even more until it’s thicker, silkier, and more intensely apple flavored. Like the difference between tomato sauce and tomato paste, essentially.

Since this is a small batch preparation method, it takes significantly less time than a larger batch (more surface area = quicker evaporation; yay maths!) Needless to say, this apple butter only needs about an hour to cook, whereas a bigger batch would easily take twice that.

You’ll know it’s done when the apple butter is caramel colored and thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon (it won’t immediately drip off when inverted). For me it took about an hour to reduce from 2 cups down to about 1 1/2. There’s no magical “moment” when it’s done, so just test and taste as you go and call it done whenever it’s to your liking.

It’s not rocket science, after all.

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