This Plum Butter recipe is made in the slow cooker for an incredibly deep, rich, caramelized flavor. It’s easy to make and if canned properly will keep for up to a year. It’s delicious on bread, muffins, scones, waffles, pancakes, added to cakes and pastries, and even served with grilled meats and seafood!
Plum Butter brings back memories of the time I spent with my Oma and Opa growing up in southern Germany. Â There it’s called Pflaumenmus and you can readily find it in any grocery store next to the jams and marmalades. Â My Oma used to make Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes) and we would eat them with apple sauce (Apfelmus) or Pflaumenmus. Â She would also use it as a filling for one of my favorite Swabian dishes, Dampfnudeln: Â Sweet yeast dumplings filled with fruit and served drizzled with brown butter and hot vanilla custard.
I would imagine plum butter or something similar is made wherever plums grow, but for me it will always be associated with Germany.
This version is for the slow cooker but in Germany plum butter is most commonly made by baking it in the oven in a heavy pot with lid closed, usually around 350 F for 2-3 hours.  The oven method produces a little different texture, a slightly more jam-like consistency versus the consistency of apple butter.  I’ve made it both ways and both are excellent.  For the sake of convenience I usually use the slow cooker.  I also like the deeper caramelization that takes place through the lengthy slow cooking process.
The longer you cook the plum butter the deeper the flavor will be; it will develop a rich caramelized flavor over time. Â I’ll often cook it for 20 hours on LOW (yes, 20), then remove the lid and puree the plum with an immersion blender, and leave the lid open as it simmers for another 4-5 hours until quite a bit of the liquid has evaporated and the plum butter is thickened.
Alternatively, you can cook it on HIGH for about 4 hours, blend it, and then leave the lid open (still on HIGH) for another couple of hours until thickened. Â The LOW and HIGH routes both produce excellent results.
A note on sugar: Â The plums themselves can be safely canned without the addition of any sugar (most fruits, including plums have enough acidity to be safely canned without anything added to them), so that means you can freely use as much or as little sugar as you prefer.
Really, there are no rules here and no matter which route you take – slow cooker on low vs. slow cooker on high vs. oven vs. sugar or no sugar – it’s going to taste delicious!
Italian plums (aka, European plums) are used for plum butter in Germany. Â Unlike all other varieties of plums, Italian plums are especially suitable for cooking and develop a nice, complex flavor in the process. Â Their season is very short, usually September through early October, so take advantage of them while you can.
We’re very fortunate to have 3 Italian plum trees and I’ve been working up a storm in our kitchen using the plums every which way (more plum recipes to come!). Â Making plum butter is a great way to preserve them so you can enjoy their flavor throughout the year.
Plum Butter Recipe
Let’s get started!
Slice the plums in half and remove the pits. Â Place the plums in the slow cooker.
Stir in the sugar, cinnamon and cloves.
Cook either on LOW for at least 10 hours or on HIGH for at least 4 hours until the plums are very soft.
Use an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender, puree and return to the slow cooker) to puree the plum butter until smooth. Â If you prefer it a little chunky, blend until the desired texture is achieved.
Continue to simmer the plum butter, this time with the lid opened, until the plum butter is reduced in volume to a spreadable texture, approximately 5-6 more hours on LOW or 3-4 hours on HIGH.
The longer you simmer the plum butter the more deeply caramelized it will be. Â If you’re going to simmer it for a much longer time, I recommend doing so on LOW to prevent burning.
Once it’s reached the desired consistency, taste it. Â You can add more sugar at this point if you prefer and let it simmer until the sugar is dissolved.
Enjoy!
Spread this on toast, bagels, muffins or add it to a savory glaze for chicken or incorporated in your favorite BBQ sauce.
Plum Butter (Pflaumenmus)
Ingredients
- 6 pound Italian plums ,halved and pits removed
- 4 cups sugar ,or combination of white and brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Place the plums in the slow cooker. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Cook either on LOW for at least 10 hours or on HIGH for at least 4 hours until the plums are very soft.Use an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender, puree and return to the slow cooker) to puree the plum butter until smooth. If you prefer it a little chunky, blend until the desired texture is achieved.
- Continue to simmer the plum butter, this time with the lid opened, until the plum butter is reduced in volume to a spreadable texture, approximately 5-6 more hours on LOW or 3-4 hours on HIGH. (Note: The longer you simmer the plum butter the more deeply caramelized it will be. If you're going to simmer it for a much longer time, I recommend doing so on LOW to prevent burning. I’ll often simmer it with the lid closed for up to 20 hours and then open the lid, puree it, and simmer for another 5-6 hours until thickened.) Once it's reached the desired consistency, taste it. You can add more sugar at this point if you prefer and let it simmer until the sugar is dissolved.
- For Canning: Pour the hot plum butter into sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rim and secure the lids. Boil in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Remove the jars and let them sit undisturbed for 24 hours before transferring them to a cool, dark place for long-term storage. Will keep opened in the fridge for up to 2 months.Makes approximately 4-5 pints depending on how long you cook and reduce the plum butter.
- Spread this on toast, bagels, muffins, incorporate it into your favorite BBQ sauce or savory chicken/pork glaze.
Nutrition
Be sure to also check out our Caramel Pear Butter!
Debbie says
Just puree everything? No need to peel the plums?
I can’t wait to try this. I just finished picking plums at a neighbor’s house.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Debbie, that’s correct, don’t worry about peeling the plums, just puree everything.
Linda says
Just found your recipe and am so excited to be able to try it. Curious if I can freeze it. There are no jar lids to be found!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Linda, yes you can freeze it! :)
Sherry A says
I totally lucked out by seeing this recipe before others that specify things like baking for 8 hours. Who wants the oven on for so long on a warm day? I have been wanting Plfaumenmus ever since my college roommate brought some home after a visit to her old auntie. She called it prune jam, and I never found a recipe until, years later, I cruised the Web and landed here. It tastes just as I remember! Now I’ve looked at other recipes and believe this one is the best because it’s easy.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Sherry, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Sherry says
I’m making a second batch and now have a question. The first batch thickened up perfectly but this second one is still too sauce-like after six hours of the second stage, cooking with the top of the cooker off. A couple of hours ago, I increased the setting from low to high but am still not making much progress. Would this problem be due to my using less sugar? I used the full recommended amount in my first batch but prefer it to be more tart. Do you have any advice for when this happens? I don’t want to ruin the flavor with overcooking.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sherry, depending on how much less sugar you used, yes, that could be slowing down the thickening process. I would either continue simmering it low and slow with the lid off until it’s thickened or if you want to speed things up you can add some pectin.
Rosemarie says
Thank you Kimberly, I had overripe plums, Santa Rosa, no freestone. I used your recipe and it worked great. I do love your website. I am from Wurzburg and my Sister
and I have been looking for a recipe our Oma used every christmas. She never wrote it
down. Called Gewuerzkuchen and it was baked in a flat form, perhaps a 9×13. I know
it had coffee in it and she drizzled a sugar Glasure over it. Any ideas? Thank you!
Rosemarie
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Rosemarie! :) And I’m happy you enjoyed the Pflaumenmus. Yes, there are a number of variations of Gewürzkuchen, some baked in loaf pans, some in bundt pans, and some as sheet cakes like you mentioned. The version I’m most familiar with is the sheet cake version and made with a chocolate glaze. I haven’t seen any versions that include coffee, only cocoa powder, but the coffee may have been your Oma’s own special touch.
Susan Dalton says
I too love Pflaumenmuss, my mother was German and I lived there for 45 years. I buy several jars of it whenever I go over to visit. Now living in England and the plums are different. I am wondering if I could still use them? I do believe they are more watery than the Zwetchen.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Susan, yes you can use other plum varieties. If they have more water content you’ll just need to simmer plum butter longer to allow the water to evaporate until you reach the desired consistency. A crock pot/slow cooker would work well – that way you can let it cook around the clock and take the lid off for the last while to let the moisture evaporate.
Kathy Goebel says
I have a bumper crop of plums that are purple and on the tree there are grafted peaches and another plum type. I also have a plum tree that has yellow green plums and this year they are as big as a Granny Smith apple. The trees may have cross pallenated. I had clusters of large plums that hung down in clusters. Some are purple and green, or purple yellow some green have red meat. They are so juicy and sweet. I made the yellow like regular plum jam and it is really good. Then since I have 3 crock pots. I made the purple and green using your method. Wow! I may never make jam any other way. I have probably 75 lbs of peaches. I am going to try that method for the peaches.
Kathy Goebel
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Kathy, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And your “new variety” of plums sound fabulous!
Cindy says
I love this! To me it tastes like Christmas!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Cindy, and I agree! :)
Melinda says
This is a wonderful way to use a large crop of plums from the tree and is also without doubt the very best plum butter recipe I have tried and tasted. Like Susan above, I too have a pluot tree and the results were DIVINE. Made a double batch last summer and gave away quite a few jars. Am just about to start another batch now so my family forgives me for giving away much of the last lot. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It and is one of my all-time faves!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Melinda! :)
Mariceli Bornemann says
I would like to make this recipe with Dried Plums/Prunes. How much would I need?
It is nearly impossible to find fresh where I live. I lived in Germany and I LOVE Pflaumenmus, I can eat the whole jar, especially with fresh rolls.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Mariceli, I have only made this with fresh plums so I don’t know how many reconstituted dried plums you would need. If you give it a try please let us know how it goes.
Shurrie Jensen says
I have been blessed this year with over 100 pounds of Sand Hill Plums.. I am making wine and jelly/jam as I type- but, I did not want to waste the meat of these amazing plums… so, in searching for a PLUM BUTTER recipe, I found yours- I am going to try it using the Sand Hill Plums… I really appreciate your taking the time to publish a real recipe that one can follow easily.. I believe the size of the plums will be fairly close.. which means I won’t have to do math today LOL… I have marked this page and will let you know how it comes out!
Shurrie
Michelle says
Thanks for the recipe. I made a batch but not sure if I cooked it long enough? Should the consistency be more like applesauce or jam?
Sara says
Have you by any chance tried half plums and half apples to make a butter? I am wondering what both would be like, but only have enough plums to try one recipe or the other.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sara, I haven’t tried it but I think they would go really well together!
Anna says
I made this recipe several days ago and didn’t can them. Is it too late to can them now? What happens if I don’t can them at all? Thanks in advance
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Anna, you can store the jars in the fridge and they’ll keep for at least 2 months. If you want to can the jars you’ll have to dump everything back into the pot, bring it to boiling and pour them into freshly sterilized jars, then proceed with the water bath canning.
Anna says
Thank you so much Kimberly :)
Jocelyn says
If I made a smaller batch and didn’t can them, would the expiration still be 2 months? Sounds lovely! As convenient as a slow cooker is, the flavor that my Dutch oven would create is much more tempting…a predicament indeed.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jocelyn, yes, the shelf life in the fridge would be the same.
Janet says
I would like to make this recipe. Can I put the plum butter in plastic preserving jars and freeze rather than use a hot water bath?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Janet, yes, you can freeze it.