Description
Slow cooker apple butter is super easy to make. It’s a thick spread that’s packed with intense apple flavor, and warming spices. It’s the perfect way to use up apples about to go bad. Spread it onto bread, biscuits, or stir it into warm oatmeal – so good.
Ingredients
- 5 to 6 pounds apples (any kind of sweet apples – see notes)
- 2.5 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar (the amount depends on how sweet your apples are)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Peel and chop apples: Peel, core and chop your apples. The smaller you cut the apples, the quicker they will cook up. I like to use a countertop apple/peeler/corer to make this step faster. Once the apples are chopped you can place them in your slow cooker as you go.
- Add the flavors: Once the apples are all chopped and added to the slow cooker you can add the sugar, and spices, and salt. Keep them handy, because you may want to add more to taste at the end.
- Cook the apples: Cover the slow cooker and cook the apples on low for 9 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours, or until the apples are nice and tender. You will want to stir the mixture occasionally towards the end of the cook time.
- Puree the apples: Once the apples look nice and soft you can blend them up by either using a stick immersion blender (recommended), or by transferring the apples to a regular blender. Careful if your blender isn’t built for blending hot items. Puree until smooth. Return to the slow cooker, if you removed the apples.
- Thicken it up: Turn the slow cooker on high and allow the apple butter to cook without the lid for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The mixture will bubble, this is good. We want to reduce the liquid in the apple butter further so that it’s a nice and thick consistency. Plus, this helps to make the apple butter sweeter, and more apple-y.
- Taste and adjust: Stir in the vanilla. And taste – careful it’s hot – and add more sugar if needed, or more spices if needed. I often spoon a small amount into a small bowl and place it in my freezer to allow it to cool down so I can taste it easier, especially since it’s usually served cold.
- Cool: Allow the apple butter cool down quite a bit in the slow cooker. It doesn’t need to be cold, just not piping hot anymore.
- Store: Once the apple butter is no longer piping hot, transfer it to air tight containers. I like to use mason jars. Allow it to cool completely before putting the lid on it – this reduces condensation, keeping the apple butter thicker. Once cooled completely, cover and store it in the fridge for up to 1 month (maybe more if no containments get in the jar).
- To serve: Apple butter is typically served cold. The most common way to enjoy it is on a piece of buttered toast, biscuit, or English muffin – so good. I also like to dollop mine into hot oatmeal. It’s delicious on peanut butter sandwiches in place of the jelly. You can also bake with it in place of applesauce for a more intense apple flavor.
Notes
Apples: You can use a variety of apples, any kind you like, or that you can get your hands on. This is a good time to use up apples that are about to go bad, or are bruised, not the best looking, or are on sale. I would recommend sticking with sweeter varieties of apples, rather then tart ones, because the sweeter the apples are naturally, the less sweetener you need to add to the apple butter.
Sugar: I have done half coconut sugar and half maple syrup. The maple syrup cooks down so it’s not too runny. All options are delicious.
Apple butter muffins: I made a recipe for apple butter muffins using this apple butter as the star. They’re delicious. Click here to get the recipe!
