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How to Make Homemade Fruit Butter: 5 Ways to Use Fruit Butter

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Aug 18, 2024 • 3 min read

Fruit butter is a sweet spread with a smooth consistency that is easy to make in your own home. Learn how to make this sweet spread with the fruit of your choice.

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What Is Fruit Butter?

Fruit butter is a spreadable fruit product made by slow-cooking fruit pulp with sweetener, spices, and lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, then milling the mixture into a spreadable consistency. For a smoother result, purée the mixture in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Fruit butter has a thinner consistency than jam and is less sweet than jelly. The flavorful spread is commonly used as a topping, filling, garnish, or light snack. You can make fruit butter out of a host of fruits. Popular types of fruit butter include:

What Is the Difference Between Fruit Butter and Jam?

There are a few differences between fruit butter and jam:

  • Jam is typically sweeter. Fruit butter often contains sweetener but can be made sugar-free, whereas jams rely on lots of sugar to preserve the original fruit’s color and texture.
  • Fruit butter is smoother. Fruit butter is typically puréed into a uniform pulp (the first step to making apple butter is to make applesauce), whereas jam has an irregular texture.
  • Jam has a brighter color. Jam is brightly colored and slightly transparent, whereas fruit butter is opaque and has a muted, brown color.

5 Ways to Use Fruit Butter

A common way to enjoy fruit butter is as a spread on toast, but the flavorful spread works in a variety of applications:

  1. 1. In oatmeal: Swirl a spoonful of fruit butter into your morning oatmeal or porridge to add fruity flavor and a hint of sweetness.
  2. 2. With ice cream: Add a dollop of fruit butter to a scoop of classic vanilla ice cream for a burst of real-fruit flavor.
  3. 3. On a cheese plate: Fruit butter is the perfect addition to a savory cheese plate since it is fruity but not as sweet as jam.
  4. 4. In cookies and cakes: Substitute fruit butter for the jam in thumbprint cookies and layer cakes for a fruitier, less-sweet component.
  5. 5. On pancakes: Add a spoonful of fruit butter to pancakes in place of syrup and butter. The fruit butter can play the roles of conventional butter and fruit syrup.

Easy Homemade Fruit Butter Recipe

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33 Ratings | Rate Now

makes

2 cups

prep time

15 min

total time

2 hr 45 min

cook time

2 hr 30 min

Ingredients

  1. 1

    In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or other wide, shallow pan over high heat, combine fruit, sugar, and lemon juice with enough water to just cover.

  2. 2

    Wrap the spices in a piece of cheesecloth and add to the fruit mixture. Bring to a boil and reduce to a lively simmer. Simmer until the fruit is very soft, about 30 minutes.

  3. 3

    Remove the spice sachet and pass the fruit through a food mill into a bowl. Return fruit pulp to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until the mixture has reduced significantly and is very thick and glossy, about 2 hours.

  4. 4

    To test doneness, remove a spoonful of fruit butter and let it rest at room temperature, away from the steam, for 2 minutes. If the butter remains mounded on the spoon, it’s ready. Alternatively, spoon a little fruit butter onto a chilled plate. If the liquid runs off the fruit butter, it needs more time to cook. Place it back in your saucepan for another few minutes.

  5. 5

    When fruit butter has reached the desired consistency, season with a pinch of salt. Spoon into jars and let cool to room temperature. You can store fruit butter in your refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

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