Description
This traditional apple butter recipe offers an irresistibly delicious spread made from slow-cooked apples and warm spices. Perfect for enhancing toast, oatmeal, or desserts, it’s naturally sweetened and infused with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, delivering cozy autumnal flavors in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Apple Butter Ingredients
- 6 lbs apples (Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and sliced
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup apple cider (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Apples: Peel, core, and slice the apples carefully to ensure uniform cooking. This preps the fruit for the slow cooking process and helps release their natural sweetness.
- Combine Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Place the sliced apples into a large 6-quart slow cooker. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and optional apple cider. Stir everything gently to coat the apples evenly with the spices and sugars, ensuring balanced flavors throughout.
- Cook the Apple Butter: Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook on low heat for 10 to 12 hours. Stir the mixture occasionally during cooking to prevent sticking and to help even caramelization. The apples should become soft and develop a dark brown color.
- Evaporate Excess Liquid: If the mixture appears too watery towards the end, remove the slow cooker lid for the last hour of cooking. This allows excess liquid to evaporate, concentrating the flavors and thickening the apple butter.
- Blend to Smooth Consistency: Use an immersion blender directly in the slow cooker to puree the apple mixture until smooth. This step ensures a creamy texture characteristic of traditional apple butter.
- Thicken Further if Needed: For a thicker consistency, continue cooking the pureed apple butter with the lid ajar for 1 to 2 additional hours, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Finalize with Vanilla and Store: Stir in the tablespoon of vanilla extract to enhance the depth of flavor. Let the apple butter cool completely before transferring it into sterilized jars or airtight containers. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze for extended storage.
Notes
- Choosing sweeter apple varieties like Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp enhances the natural sweetness without needing excessive added sugar.
- Adjust cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves according to your spice preference, but be cautious as cloves are strong and can overpower.
- Removing the slow cooker lid toward the end helps achieve the perfect thick texture by reducing excess moisture.
- This recipe can be halved or doubled depending on batch size and slow cooker capacity.
- Use sterilized jars to preserve freshness and prevent spoilage when storing the apple butter.
- Apple cider is optional but adds a subtle depth and slight tartness, balancing the sweetness of the sugars.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 hours
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
