Slow Cooker Apple Butter
This slow cooker homemade apple butter recipe couldn't be simpler to make! This recipe uses only simple ingredients and takes little time to prep, this delicious apple butter is packed full of yummy fall flavors! And it is the perfect way to use up any leftover apples!
Equipment
- slow cooker
- immersion blender
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Fresh apples of choice I like to use McIntosh apples, but you can use whatever kind you prefer
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- Sweetener of choice You can sweeten your apple butter with brown sugar, white sugar, maple syrup, or even honey! I like to sweeten mine with Pure Maple Syrup
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Peel, and core, your apples. Then chop the apples into roughly 1-inch pieces and place them in the slow cooker.
- Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to the slow cooker, and stir to coat the apples in the spices.
- Put the cover on, then turn on your slow cooker. Cook the apple butter for 8-10 hours on low OR 3-4 hours on high, stirring one-half through the cooking time.
- After this time the apples should be brown and very soft.
- Keeping your slow cooker on, uncover the apple butter, then using an immersion blender* carefully blend the apples until they reach your desired consistency.
- Continue to cook the apple butter uncovered for another 2 hours, or until thickened, stirring often.
- Turn your slow cooker off, and add the salt and vanilla extract. If your apple butter has thickened too much at this point you can thin it out with a little water or apple juice.
- Sweeten to taste and Enjoy!
Notes
*You can also use a regular blender to blend your apple butter, just be sure to be careful and blend it in batches to avoid getting burned! Place the blended apple butter back into the slow cooker OR into a large pot and follow the remaining directions.
The amount of apple butter you get varies slightly from batch to batch. It also depends on the thickness of your apple butter, how many pounds of apples you used, and what kind of apples.
As far as sweetening apple butter goes, it really depends on a lot, the sweetness of the apples you use, gala apples will need a lot less added sweetener than granny smith apples. It also depends a lot on personal preference, I don't like my apple butter to be overly sweet, so more often the not I don't put in any added sweetener at all! So feel free to play around with the measurements and adjust them to your personal liking.
You can also add more of the spices depending on how flavorful and spicey you like your apple butter!
Refrigerator storage. Homemade apple butter can be stored in an airtight container or mason jar in the fridge for up to 6 months!
Freezer Storage. You can freeze homemade apple butter in mason jars, freezer bags, or ice cube trays. Apple butter with last in the freezer for up to 1 year. Thaw frozen apple butter in the fridge overnight before using it. -I usually freeze mine.
Long-term storage. Apple butter can also be canned, You can, can apple butter in half-pint jars, quart jars, or whatever size you like, using either the water bath canning method or the European canning method. Properly home-canned apple butter has a shelf life of about 2 years.
Nutrition
Calories: 756kcalCarbohydrates: 192gProtein: 4gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 16mgPotassium: 1495mgFiber: 34gSugar: 143gVitamin A: 747IUVitamin C: 63mgCalcium: 117mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!