Julie Clark
Posted: Updated:
Homemade Apple Butter Recipe
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A simple Homemade Apple Butter recipe 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.
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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 crockpot 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.
What apples are best for apple butter?
For apple butter, we like to use Mcintosh, Fuji, 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
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.
How to Make Apple Butter Smooth
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 until it is your desired consistency.
We made two batches. One we left chunky and made one batch perfectly smooth. You know…for those picky texture eaters.
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 or toast, 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 or waffles. You can even put a spoonful on top of yogurt or over oven baked pork chops. Because, why not?
- Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls
- Apple Butter Streusel Muffins
- Apple Butter Pie
- Apple Butter Buttercream Cupcakes
- Apple Butter Sheet Cake
Storage Instructions
Refrigerate the apple butter in an airtight container after it has cooled.
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!
I’ve never canned this apple butter before, but if you know how to can, I’m sure it would work well.
How much does this recipe make?
This recipe ends up making between 2-3 pints of apple butter. The difference is how much you cook it down.
Homemade Apple Butter Recipe
A simple Homemade Apple Butter recipe 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.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook 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 blend the apple butter into a purée until smooth.
- Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or freeze in small containers.
Video
Notes
Adjust the sugar to your liking.
For different flavor variations, add ground cloves or ground nutmeg along wit the cinnamon.
Many people have left reviews that they leave the peels on the apples. Feel free to do that if you’d like. We prefer the apples peeled.
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
Do you not add any water or any other liquid to the crock pot?
Do you cut and core the apples or put them in whole?
Do you add any water to this recipe or just let the apples create the necessary liquid?
Can I can the applebutter made with this receipe?
Can I can this when it’s done?
Can u add caramels to this recipe? Amount and when?
I am trying this recipe for the first time today, my apples are in the crock pot and tomorrow we will know if my Apple Butter is worthy of our Charity Bake Sale. Some folks were asking if we would have Apple Butter and my thoughts were, ‘what the heck, I will give it a try.” I found this recipe and was wondering why there was no call for ‘butter’ in the recipe. LOL! I am a newbie to the world of baking.
Can you can this recipe? If so, how long does it last being canned?
I made this recipe with organic apples from a friends orchard. We’re not sure of the variety but they have a sweet and tart flavor; beautiful red and green skins. I left the skins on. I puréed them in my Vitamix which yielded a beautiful rose color. I finished it off in a crock pot for 6 hours to thicken. The butter turned out thick and awesomely flavored! I’ll be making an other batch next weekend.
I would never peel the apples; the peels add nutrients, flavor and color. An immersion blender takes care of the peels. Very smooth and tasty.
Recipe says one and one-half TABLESPOONS cinnamon. Video says one and one-half TEASPOONS cinnamon.
Of course I did not discover this until after adding the 1 & 1/2 TABLESPOON amount to my apple butter ingredients.
Aargh.
I am horrible at conversion: I only have 4lbs of apples. Does anyone know the conversion of the other ingredients?
I just tried my first batch and I must say, it is absolutely amazing. I have an apple tree full of apples waiting to made into this lovely Apple Butter. Not making any apple sauce, this is so so so much better. Thank you!
I made this yesterday and it came out perfect. It was so perfect I went back to the store and bought a case of apples . Thanks. I wont ever be making jelly again. I love that it doesn’t have a ton of sugar .
The printed recipe lists Tbsp for the cinnamon but your video lists tsp. Which is correct?