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apple butter

American

noun

apples stewed to a paste, spiced, sometimes sweetened, and served as a spread or condiment.

apple butter British

noun

a jam made from stewed spiced apples

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of apple butter

An Americanism dating back to 1765–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Dollops of apple butter melt into the warm custard during baking, creating pockets of spiced fruit that taste like fall condensed into a single slice.

From Salon • Dec. 18, 2025

It involves a few extra steps—making almond frangipane, apple butter and apple glaze—but they’re what makes this the best galette I’ve ever tasted.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

Smucker, based in Orrville, Ohio, was founded in 1897 as a maker of apple butter.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2025

Asked what her favourite preserve is she replies: "My grandmother used to make apple butter so I like that, it's connected to something sentimental."

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2025

I say, “Oh yeah. Sold plenty there. Pies and apple butter too. And we had PYO. Pick Your Own. And there was the company that came for the cider apples. The Mclntoshes and Empires mostly.”

From "The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle" by Leslie Connor

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023