Ripe cherries reduce into a smooth, concentrated fruit butter with cinnamon and vanilla. This no-added-sugar recipe is intended only for refrigerator or freezer storage.
Sugar Free Cherry Butter
- Prep: 25 minutes
- Cook: 5 to 6 hours
- Setting: High, then low
- Yield: About 2 cups
- Storage: Refrigerator or freezer
Cherries naturally contain sugar. “No added sugar” means this recipe includes no sugar, syrup, or concentrated fruit sweetener.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds ripe dark sweet cherries
- 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
How to Make Cherry Butter
- Prepare: Rinse cherries under cool running water. Remove every stem and pit, then halve the fruit and inspect each cavity.
- Start: Put cherries, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt in a 4-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.
Cook the pitted cherries until completely soft before blending. - Blend: Switch off the cooker briefly. Blend until completely smooth with the immersion-blender head fully submerged.
- Reduce: Set to low. Following the appliance manual, position the lid slightly ajar and cook 3 to 4 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
Reduce until the smooth butter holds a clear spatula trail. - Test: Spoon a little onto a chilled plate. After 1 minute, it should mound softly without forming a watery ring.
- Finish: Stir in vanilla. Transfer to clean shallow containers and refrigerate promptly.
Texture Checklist
- Every pit and fragment is removed.
- The puree is completely smooth.
- Edges are scraped regularly.
- The chilled sample mounds.
- No scorched aroma develops.
Compare our cherry jam without sugar, slow-cooker plum butter, or blueberry fruit butter.
Preservation and Storage
This custom formula has not been laboratory tested for canning. Do not water-bath can, pressure-can, oven-can, vacuum-seal for pantry storage, or leave filled jars at room temperature.
USDA guidance recommends prompt refrigeration at 40°F or below. Cool the butter quickly in shallow containers and use a clean spoon for every serving.
- Refrigerate for up to 7 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Leave expansion space when freezing.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Prevent Pit and Scorching Problems
Count pits as you work and inspect each cherry cavity under good light. One overlooked fragment can damage a blender or cause injury.
As the puree thickens, scrape the bottom and corners completely. If it begins spitting, lower the heat and use a long-handled spatula.
Select and Serve the Cherries
Choose plump cherries with firm skins and fresh green stems. Discard fruit with mold, leaking flesh, fermentation odor, or extensive bruising.
A cherry pitter speeds preparation, but each cavity still needs visual inspection. Work over a light-colored tray so dark pit fragments are easier to spot.
- Spread thinly on toast.
- Spoon over plain yogurt.
- Swirl into oatmeal.
- Serve beside cottage cheese.
The butter thickens further after chilling. Judge its final consistency the next day before reheating, and freeze promptly any portion not needed within seven days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen cherries?
Yes. Use unsweetened pitted cherries and inspect them for pit fragments before cooking.
Why is my butter loose?
Cherry moisture varies. Continue on low in 20-minute intervals, stirring often, until the chilled-plate test passes.