Tried and tested by apple butter connoisseurs, this is the best apple butter you’ll ever taste. Starting with fresh, orchard-picked apples, apple cider, warming spices, and unrefined organic sugar (or honey or maple syrup), this recipe will have you wanting to spread it on everything—from your morning toast to a cozy evening bowl of ice cream. With this organic apple butter canning recipe you will be able enjoy apple butter all winter-long!

My husband and I had such a fun date-day visiting an organic apple orchard in Mt. Hood, Oregon. We’ve been coming here for years, and the orchard has become a special place for us. There’s a kind gentleman who owns it; he started organic farming here many years ago with his wife and hasn’t stopped. We always have a good chat with him when we’re there. This time, he shared how challenging it is to keep the orchard going. If it weren’t for the weddings they host at their beautiful venue, he wouldn’t be able to make it. That’s so sad to me because places like this, where fruit isn’t sprayed and you can find it fresh in a packing house, are so rare. Even organic fruit in packing houses is often treated with antibacterial sprays. When you find unsprayed produce like this, it’s truly a rare gem!

We went home with more apples than we could handle because he was selling beautiful, organic Honeycrisps for only $0.75 a pound—amazing! I couldn’t resist buying a truckload (though my husband definitely questioned me on that 😉). But apples keep well in a cool space like our garage, so I’ll have plenty of time to use them, especially for this delicious apple butter recipe I’m sharing with you today!

Why Organic Apples Are Better

Organic, unsprayed apples are the best choice for this recipe. Besides providing a fresh, unaltered flavor, they also offer medicinal benefits. Apples are rich in antioxidants, like quercetin and vitamin C, which support heart health and help reduce inflammation. Their natural pectin aids digestion and regulates blood sugar levels. Organic apples also avoid pesticide residues found in conventional fruits, making them a healthier choice overall.

The Perfect Apple Butter Recipe

My husband’s stepmom and I have a tradition of canning apple butter every year, and we’ve perfected our recipe over time. She’s an apple butter connoisseur who loves cinnamon, and together we’ve crafted a recipe with the perfect blend of spices. You’ll never turn to another apple butter recipe again! It has Ceylon cinnamon, cloves, fresh nutmeg, and cardamom, plus organic apple cider. You can use your sweetener of choice—we’ve tried honey and maple syrup, but this time, I used my favorite brand of unrefined cane sugar from Azure Standard. It’s organic, minimally processed, and doesn’t spike blood sugar like refined sugar. And, of course, the star of the recipe is the apples. I used Honeycrisps, but any sweet-tart apple variety will do!

Medicinal Benefits of Key Ingredients

Each ingredient in this organic apple butter canning recipe brings not only rich flavor but also valuable health benefits:

• Apples: Loaded with antioxidants like quercetin and vitamin C, apples support heart health, immunity, and help reduce inflammation. Their natural pectin promotes digestion and helps regulate blood sugar levels.
• Ceylon Cinnamon: Known as “true cinnamon,” it’s anti-inflammatory, supports blood sugar balance, and may improve brain function. Ceylon is gentler on the system than cassia cinnamon, making it ideal for frequent use.
• Cloves: Packed with antioxidants, cloves have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and pain-relieving effects. They aid digestion and may reduce stomach issues.
• Nutmeg: Contains antibacterial compounds, supports liver health, and aids in sleep. Nutmeg also has anti-inflammatory effects and helps with digestion.
• Cardamom: An aromatic spice that helps with digestion, reduces bloating, and has antibacterial properties. Cardamom may also improve heart health and has mild detoxifying effects.
• Organic Apple Cider: If unfiltered, it contains beneficial probiotics and is known for aiding digestion, supporting immunity, and balancing blood sugar.
• Unrefined Cane Sugar: Retains some minerals, like iron, magnesium, and calcium, and has a gentler effect on blood sugar compared to processed sugars.
• Honey or Maple Syrup (optional): Honey has antimicrobial properties, and both honey and maple syrup contain antioxidants. Maple syrup provides manganese and zinc, which support immune health and energy production.

And the canning recipe below is so easy! If you’ve never canned before, jams and fruit butters are the way to go! A water-bath canner will work just fine. If you’ve ever been intimidated by canning, this is the recipe for you! The one thing I will say is that the Ball Canning Cookbook is a must (and it’s what my canning instructions are based on). It’s like your “bible” for canning—so helpful! As long as you follow the recipe below (or the recipe in the Ball Canning book), you will be good to go.

There is nothing like opening a jar of fresh apple butter in the middle of a snowy winter day for your Sunday morning pancakes or on these delicious Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins, mixing it into yogurt, or even spreading it on ice cream. I pray you love this recipe and that it becomes a tradition in your home like it has in mine.

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” — Psalm 34:8

Much love,
Alicia

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