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Cinnamon Apple Butter with Cardamom

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This Cinnamon Apple Butter Recipe with Cardamom has an incredible smooth texture and deep, rich fall flavors throughout. Fresh apples are transformed into a silky spreadable treat that has many delicious uses. Cinnamon apple butter in a white and red striped bowl with cinnamon sticks.

When a raw apple is cooked, the transformation is really quite remarkable.

It’s taken from a tart crisp bite, to one that’s soft and sweet. In this case, so soft that it’s almost buttery.

This Cinnamon Apple Butter recipe includes a generous amount vanilla, which, along with the spices, gives it an amazing depth of flavor.

Two apple halves that are peeled, with melon baller used to take out core and seeds.Pro tip: Use a melon baler to core the apples. It’s easy and you’ll get all of the seeds out at once.

Ingredients for Cinnamon Apple Butter

  • apples – Choose softer varieties of apples for this recipe. (See suggestions below.)
  • apple cider vinegar
  • brown sugar
  • ground cinnamon
  • ground cardamom
  • pure vanilla extract – I like this one.
  • salt – I almost always bake and cook with Kosher salt. (It’s coarse and salts foods in a subtle way that enhances their flavor without making them taste salty.)

The Best Apples for Apple Butter

Softer apple varieties are best for apple butter because they will cook down fairly quickly compared to more firm apples. Here are a few examples:

  • Golden or Red Delicious
  • Braeburn
  • Liberty
  • McIntosh

How to Make it

(More detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.)

– Add roughly chopped apples to a medium-sized pot with apple cider vinegar, sugar, water, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom and salt. Mix to blend.Dutch oven filled with raw large apple chunks, cinnamon and brown sugar.

– Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the apples are very tender, about 30 minutes.Cooked apple chunks in Dutch oven with cinnamon.

– Pour the contents of the pot into a powerful blender.Cooked apple chunks with cinnamon in a blender.– Blend until super smooth.Apple butter in a blender.

– Now pour it back into the pot and bring it to a boil and turn heat to low and let it simmer until it’s super thick, about 10 minutes.

– Let it cool to room temperature and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Recipe Tips and Substitutions

  • If you don’t love cinnamon or cardamon, feel free to adjust the spices to your taste. You can use one, both, or neither.
  • When the apple butter is in its final simmering stage (the last ten minutes), it will very likely splatter a bit. Be careful! Ideally at this stage, we would have the pot uncovered, but since it splatters, place a lid on top, but askew, so it’s partially exposed to the air so that it reduces.

Serving Suggestions

The are almost endless serving possibilities  . . .

  • It’s amazing with delicious pork chops.
  • Fabulous in a crepe and on toast.
  • Definitely swirl it over vanilla ice cream.
  • Add it to waffle and pancake batter.
  • Swirl it into your morning granola or oatmeal.
  • Add it to a peanut butter sandwich.
  • I love serving this at a brunch with bagels or biscuits. Just put it out along with the cream cheese, butter, and other jams and preserves.
  • Of course you might just want a spoon.

A jar of cinnamon apple butter also makes for a delightful edible gift. Just add a bow .

Close up of Cinnamon apple butter in a white and red striped bowl with cinnamon sticks.

How long does homemade apple butter last?

  • In a tightly sealed jar or container, it will keep in the refrigerator for about a month.
  • You can freeze it in an airtight container for up to six months.

Applesauce vs Apple Butter

  • Apple butter is essentially a very concentrated applesauce.
  • Apple butter is cooked much longer than applesauce, which creates a thicker and shinier consistency.
  • Since the apples are cooked for a longer period of time when making apple butter, the apples become more caramelized than they are in applesauce, which intensifies the flavor making it richer and a bit caramel-y. It’s also darker in color than applesauce because of the caramelization.

I hope you love this Cinnamon Apple Butter with Cardamom as much as my family an I do!

More recipes with apples:

Cinnamon apple butter in a white and red striped bowl with cinnamon sticks.

Cinnamon Apple Butter Recipe

Valentina K. Wein
This Cinnamon Apple Butter Recipe with Cardamom has an incredible smooth texture and deep, rich fall flavors throughout. Fresh apples are transformed into a silky spreadable treat that has many delicious uses. 
Makes about 2 cups
5 from 4 votes
Print
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Course Condiments
Cuisine American
Servings 14
Calories 55 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds apples*
  • 5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon cardamom
  • couple pinches of salt

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the apples. Peel and core the apples. Then cut them roughly into medium-sized chunks. (Once cut you should have about 5½ cups.) Add them to a medium-large soup pot. Add the vinegar, sugar, water, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom and salt.
  • Cook. Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Immediately cover and reduce the heat to low. Let this simmer until the apples are very tender, about 30 minutes.
  • Blend, Cook. Pour the contents of the pot into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Now pour it back into the pot, this time uncovered, and bring it to a boil and then immediately reduce the heat to low and let it simmer until it's super aromatic and thick, about 10 minutes. If it's splattering (which is likely), you can put the lid on, but askew, so the apple butter is partially exposed.
  • Cool. Let it cool to room temperature and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (It should keep for about a month this way, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.)

Notes

* Use a softer variety apple like Red or Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Braeburn, Liberty.
Calorie count is only an estimate.
Keywords recipes for spreads, apple recipes, fruit spreads
Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

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Comments

  6. Shihoko says

    Hi Valentina, I saw your link on FBC. This Apple sauce sounds delicious as I loooove both spice cinnamon and cardamon. I usually use cardamon for my fruit salad too. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

    Reply

  11. David @ Spiced says

    What a fun idea! We recently made apple sauce on a Sunday afternoon, and the house smelled AMAZING! Now I need to go back and make apple butter. I’m thinking a bit of this schmeared on a piece of toasted wheat bread would be pretty darned fantastic. Great seasonal recipe, my friend!

    Reply

    • valentina says

      I love that, David. Applesauce and things like this (usually involving cinnamon!) always make the house smell so delicious. Thanks. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply

  12. Jeff the Chef says

    I have had apple-cardamom on the brain all fall and haven’t found the right dish. Until now. I’m such an apple butter fan. I love your version.

    Reply

    • valentina says

      Thanks so much, Jeff! I hope you try and love it. Yes, it has some lovely chunks for apple. (It’s delicious on pork!) 🙂 Enjoy. ~Valentina

      Reply

  13. Liz says

    I’ll eat mine with a spoon!! So yummy and it’s reminded me that I need to make some applesauce or butter to go with our pork tomorrow!!

    Reply

  14. Healthy World Cuisine says

    One of our favorite fall treats! I bet your kitchen smells amazing right now. Love the addition of cardamom too.

    Reply

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