Having jars of apple butter on hand is such a fun thing when you have a lot of apples on hand. You can whip up a big batch and enjoy the amazing smell of apples and cinnamon wafting through the house, then jar your apple butter and have a delicious spread that lasts for quite a while! For more apple recipes, try my homemade applesauce recipe, recipe for apple cobbler, and apple muffins recipe.
What You’ll Need for This Recipe
Apples: Since you’ll be cooking this down for quite a while you don’t have to worry about baking consistency like you would for an apple pie. Instead choose sweet apples or whatever kind of apples you have on hand and enjoy the flavors of. I like using some Granny Smith apples for acidity but you can also use honeycrisp apples, golden delicious apples, or fuji apples.
Spices: Cinnamon, cloves, and freshly grated nutmeg are a wonderful addition to the recipe but you can use apple pie spice, or your favorite fall spices.
How to Make Apple Butter
1. Peel, core and slice your fresh apples. Pieces should be around half and inch or so but you don’t have to be persnickety, it’s all going to break down into a concentrated apple sauce.
2. Add granulated white sugar and brown sugars along with salt and spices to a medium-sized bowl and then whisk together and set aside.
3. Add the apples to your crock pot.
4. Pour the sugar mixture over the apple mixture and mix to coat then cover and set to a cooking time of 10 hours.
5. Stir in the vanilla and cook uncovered for two more hours to evaporate excess liquid.
6. For silky smooth apple butter pulse in a food processor or immersion blender. If you like chunky apple butter then use a potato masher or large fork to break down. Transfer to airtight jars and store in the refrigerator or freeze.
Pro Tips for this Recipe
- For the best flavor, taste your apples before adding them to your slow cooker. If they’re super sweet you can decrease the sugar in the recipe by 1/4 cup. If they’re very flat you can add a squeeze of lemon juice.
- You can simmer the apple butter in a pot over low heat to reduce excess water if you want to have total control over consistency.
- Make sure to refrigerate containers if you aren’t going through the canning process.
- You can make this on your stove if you don’t have a Crock Pot! See below for instructions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is it used for?
Apple butter is a condiment used to spread on toast with butter or added to sandwiches much like you would add cranberry sauce to a turkey sandwich or pork chops much like you would add cranberry sauce to a turkey sandwich. It pairs wonderfully with savory dishes.
What is the best type of apple to use?
Any apple you enjoy the flavor or will work; the long cook time will break down any apple so you don’t have to worry about consistency. Using some tart Granny Smith apples is a great way to add acidity. Try using Gala, Mitsu, Honey Crisp, Golden Delicious, or Pink Lady apples.
What does it taste like?
Apple butter has a rich sweet apple taste with lots of fall spices. Cooking the apples down for so long
How long does it last?
If stored in an airtight container then it will last up to three months in the refrigerator or one year in the freezer.
Can you make this without a slow cooker?
Yes! Add the ingredients to a large pot over medium-low heat and cook while stirring frequently for about an hour until the apples are softened then process the apples into a puree and continue to cook at medium low until they caramelize and thicken. You can also use a pressure cooker such as an instant pot.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Apple Butter
Equipment
- Crock Pot
Ingredients
- 6 pounds apples about 15 apples
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Peel and core your apples then slice into wedges.
- Combine the granulated and brown sugars along with the salt and spices in a medium bowl then mix together and set aside.
- Add the apples to your slow cooker then pour the sugar mixture over and mix to coat the apples. Cover and set slow cooker to 10 hours.
- After 10 hours pour in your vanilla and mix then set to two hours, cooking uncovered to evaporate some liquid.
- If you like chunky apple butter use a potato masher to break the apples down. For a totally smooth apple butter pulse in a food processor or immersion blender until desired consistency is reached.
Notes
- Taste your apples before adding them to your slow cooker. If they're super sweet you can decrease the sugar by 1/4 cup. If they're very flat you can add a squeeze of lemon juice.
- You can simmer the apple butter in a pot over low heat to reduce excess water if you want to have total control over consistency.
- To make this on your stove instead of a slow cooker add the ingredients to a large pot over medium-low heat and cook while stirring frequently for about an hour until the apples are softened then process the apples into a puree and continue to cook at medium low until they caramelize and thicken.
- Make sure to refrigerate containers if you aren't going through the canning process.
