Slow Cooker Apple Butter Recipe
This Slow Cooker Apple Butter is a warm, comforting spread made from fresh apples simmered low and slow with brown sugar and warming spices, resulting in a silky smooth and richly flavored spread perfect for toast, oatmeal, or desserts.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 hours
- Total Time: 12 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: About 4 cups
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 5 lbs fresh apples (Gala or Honeycrisp), cored and chopped into ½ inch pieces
- 1 ⅔ cups brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in slow cooker: Add the chopped apples to your slow cooker, then add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Toss everything together to ensure the apples are evenly coated with the spices and sugar.
- Cook on low: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 10 hours, allowing the apples to soften and the flavors to meld together slowly over time.
- Blend until smooth: After 10 hours, use an immersion blender to puree the apple mixture directly in the slow cooker. Blend for 5-10 minutes until the apple butter reaches a silky smooth consistency.
- Cook uncovered: Leave the slow cooker uncovered and continue to cook on low for an additional 2 hours to thicken the apple butter and intensify the flavor.
- Add vanilla and store: Stir in the vanilla extract thoroughly. Then transfer the apple butter to a mason jar or airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 7 days or freeze for up to 3 months to preserve freshness.
Notes
- Use apples like Gala or Honeycrisp for a naturally sweet and flavorful apple butter.
- The slow cooking time allows the natural sugars in the apples to caramelize and deepen the flavor.
- Adjust spices to taste if you prefer more or less cinnamon or nutmeg.
- Use an immersion blender for easiest blending right in the slow cooker, or transfer in batches to a regular blender if needed.
- Cool apple butter completely before freezing to preserve quality.
- This recipe yields a naturally sweet spread but can be adjusted for less sugar if desired.
Find it online: https://recipethrive.com/slow-cooker-apple-butter-recipe/
