Homemade Apple Butter
A simple recipe for Homemade Apple Butter that you can make in the slow cooker. Use as a spread, a syrup or in your fall recipes! It’s one of the best apple recipes to make during the fall!
Homemade Apple Butter Recipe
Is it officially fall yet? The leaves are not yet turning orange and red, but last week our whole house was filled with the aroma of baking apples and cinnamon. Who needs an official date? Fall was happening
Who needs an official date for it to be considered fall? Fall was happening a week ago on my radar.
Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. You’ll find me huddled around a campfire, drinking warm apple cider…what could be better than that?
Well, maybe this.
I really don’t know what to say about this Homemade Apple Butter besides it’s really easy and it is unbelievably good. It’s one of those things that you take a spoonful of and say, “This could go in soooo many recipes!”
What is the difference between applesauce and apple butter?
Both apple butter and apple sauce are slow cooked apples and spices. Apple butter is cooked longer than applesauce which creates a thick, smooth, intense apple flavored spread.
How to Make Apple Butter
To make homemade apple butter, all you have to do is stick some apples in a crock pot with brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and a dash of salt. Let it sit there all day, stirring occasionally, and BOOM! Apple Butter. It’s really that easy.
What do you do with apple butter?
My first bite reminded me of applesauce with a bit of tang to it. I love how when I put this homemade apple butter on a piece of white, fluffy bread, it completely changes the flavor! Instant, fall-flavored bread. You can put it in muffins & biscuits.
I also like to put this homemade apple butter on custard ice cream. Warm it slightly in the microwave and use it as a syrup on ice cream or fluffy pancakes. Because, why not?
- Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls
- Apple Butter Streusel Muffins
- Apple Butter Pie
- Apple Butter Buttercream Cupcakes
- Apple Butter Sheet Cake
What apples are best for apple butter?
For apple butter, we like to use Mcintosh, Red Delicious or Gala because they are easy to find in our stores. Although Granny Smith are great for baking, they are not recommended for apple butter. Also, some apples are sweeter than others. You can adjust how much sugar you use based on how sweet your apple is.
How to Make Apple Butter Smooth
Also, when your apple butter has slow-cooked all day, you can leave it slightly chunky, which is awesome for recipes, or you can put it through the blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree it. We made two batches. One we left chunky and made one batch perfectly smooth. You know…for those picky texture eaters.
How do you store homemade apple butter?
I’ve never canned this apple butter before, but if you know how to can, I’m sure it would work well. I like to freeze my apple butter because I have plenty of freezer space. Just spoon it into small, 1-cup freezer containers and pull them out as you need them!
Does apple butter need to be refrigerated after opening?
Yes! Make sure that you refrigerate your apple butter after you’ve opened the can or jar.
How much apple butter does this recipe make?
This recipe ends up making between 2-3 pins of apple butter. The difference is how much you cook it down.
Homemade Apple Butter
A simple recipe for Homemade Apple Butter that you can make in the slow cooker. Use as a spread, a syrup or in your fall recipes!
Servings 20
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 hours
Total Time 10 hours 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 6 1/2 pounds apples peeled, cored and sliced
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the apples in a slow cooker.
- Add the sugars, cinnamon, salt and vanilla to the crockpot. Mix well.
- Cook in slow cooker on low for about 10 hours, stirring every couple hours. The apple butter should be thick and dark brown.
- If desired, use a blender to puree the apple butter until smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze in small containers.
Video
Notes
Adjust the sugar to your liking!
Nutrition
Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Sodium: 32mg | Potassium: 167mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 6.8mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Adapted from My Baking Addiction
I have never peeled my apples and this turns out great! I just purée it with my immersion blender. Also, remember to keep your crock pot lid on sideways, letting the steam escape or it will be too runny.
Please tell me how to preserve this.
What is a good apple to usr?
I like to use Mcintosh, Red Delicious or Gala
how many apple to make 61/2 pounds
I made this recipe (8/2021) and it turned out amazing! I canned it and took some to work and my coworkers went nuts over it. I never liked apple butter, but I have an apple tree in my yard and I needed recipes to up all the apples I have, so those are the apples I used. I am constantly picking apples off this tree and so I have a lot of apples on hand all the time. I will be making it again real soon!
I made this recipe this week and was very happy with it! I cut the cinnamon in half, using 3/4 Tablespoon and it was just right. I used Gala apples and next time I might cut the sugar a little bit. It is so easy to prepare everything ahead of time, put it in the fridge and start your slow cooker in the morning and in 8 to 10 hours its ready. I let it sit to cool abit, then put it through my VitaMix (blender). I also heated it again, put it in jars and gave it a hot water bath so I could store the apple butter in my pantry. I found the flavour improves as well as it sits. Will definitely make this again!
The apple butter is delicious, my husband really enjoyed the flavor. Thank you so much for the recipe.
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I am so looking forward to trying your recipe. Watched your video and it was great and made me feel comfortable with trying this. My husband loves apple butter and you can only purchase in large jar and now that I am retired I have begun to make jellys and more so thought I’d try this. Thank you
I hope you love it!
This is the most excellent flavored applebutter! Also, easy peasy recipe, I put in the crockpot for 12 hours, overnight and just blend it up in the morning.
Just put it in the crockpot tonight…11/2/21….first time making it so praying for good results! I’m gonna cook overnight, I don’t sleep well anyway so stirring it every few hours shouldn’t be an issue….I did peel mine with an apple peel/core combo…(vintage piece belonged to my Daddy RIP) Hoping for good things!
Do I weigh the apples before peeled or after
A-1
Made it yesterday and would not change a thing! Used crimson crisp apples. Awsome! Ten times better than store bought.
it was a nice recipe and i would love to see other recipes like this it was easy to follow along.
After making do you have to put it in the refrigerator or freezer it or can you just put it in jars and leave it out on the countertop
You’ll need to refrigerate or freeze this unless you have sealed the jars in a pressure canner
How long will you cook it in a pressure cooker
This is the third time I’m making this. My husband and I have it for breakfast everything morning on our 15 grain toast. It is wonderful! We are definitely hooked. I use Swerve sugar replacement (brown & granular) which has no affect on blood sugar and it tastes delicious.