Apricot Butter

This apricot butter recipe has a thick, jam-like texture, sweet-tart flavor, and a beautiful rich orange color. It's made with just 3 simple ingredients and is naturally dairy-free.

Apricots are one of the rare fruits whose flavor enhances once cooked. If you've ever eaten a raw apricot and then tasted apricot jam, the raw fruit likely tasted bland in comparison to the rich apricot flavor of the jam.

Because of this and its short shelf life, a great way to both improve the flavor and extend the shelf life, is to cook them. Whether that's in the form of a fruit butter like this recipe, or to make apricot jam, apricot preserves, or grilled apricots.

What is Fruit Butter?

Apple butter is the most common type of fruit butter, but you can make fruit butter with just about any of your favorite fruits.

It involves cooking the whole fruit down until very soft, then pureeing it and cooking it down further to thicken. Contrary to what the name suggests, there's no actual "butter" in fruit butter. It gets its name from its silky texture that's smooth like butter.

Ingredients

• Fresh apricots - use ripe apricots for the best flavor. This post explains how to ripen apricots if yours are too firm/underripe.
• Sweetener - you can use just about any kind of sugar such as maple syrup, honey, organic cane sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar, etc., or a combination of sweeteners.
• Fresh lemon juice - adds brightness and balances out the flavor.

For the full list of ingredients, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How to Make Apricot Butter

Step 1. Add the halved and pitted apricots, water, sweetener of choice, and lemon juice to a large pot or Dutch oven. Stir.

Step 2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce to a lively simmer. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until the fruit is very soft, stirring occasionally.

Step 3. Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender (or food processor) to puree the fruit mixture.

Step 4. Return the apricot mixture to the stove and cook over medium-low heat for 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until it thickens. You can test to see if it's done by putting a spoonful of apricot butter on a plate. If no liquid seeps from the edges, it’s done.

Step 5. Ladle the fruit butter into glass jars leaving about an inch of room at the top. Wipe the rims clean. Let it cool to room temperature before tightly sealing them with a lid. Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks or the freezer for up to 1 year.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.

How can you make this apricot butter using what you already have? Here are some ideas...

• Add-ins - lemon zest, vegan butter for extra richness (or unsalted butter if not dairy free)

Variations

• Peach butter - use fresh peaches in place of the apricots.
• Blueberry butter - use fresh blueberries or another berry or a combination of berries.
• Citrus butters - use any type of citrus such as lemons, limes, grapefruit, oranges, or a combination of citrus fruits. Remove the rind and white pith, and increase the amount of sweetener if needed. Once blended, push the mixture through a fine mesh strainer before cooking it down to remove the pulp.

Helpful Tips

For a super smooth texture, once the fruit is pureed, push it through a food mill or fine mesh strainer before cooking it down to thicken. This will give it a super smooth and silky butter texture.

How to store - Store the apricot butter in tightly sealed jars in the fridge for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 1 year.

Like This Recipe? Try These Next

• Easy Raspberry Compote Sauce
• Apple Curd
• Easy Pineapple Jam (No Pectin!)
• 10 Minute Blueberry Chia Jam