A traditional and easy homemade crockpot apple butter recipe using fresh apples or ready-made applesauce. A delicious and healthful alternative to jelly or jam
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword Crockpot Apple Butter, Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 6 hourshours
Total Time 6 hourshours20 minutesminutes
Servings 48servings
Calories 36kcal
Author Michelle
Ingredients
6poundsapples
½cupbrown sugar(optional)
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1tablespoonground cinnamon
½teaspoonground nutmeg
a pinch or 2 of ground cloves
Instructions
Peel, core, and slice all 6 pounds of apples.
Place prepared apples in slow cooker with remaining ingredients. Toss apples gently to incorporate all ingredients.
Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until apples are very soft.
When apples are soft, turn off crockpot, remove lid and allow to cool slightly before pureeing (about an hour).
Puree apples in a blender or food processor, or using an immersion blender (as seen in the video). Depending on the size of your processor, you may need to puree in several batches.
Then just put it all in a container with a lid (such as a mason jar), and put in the refrigerator or freezer. Or immediately slather generously on toast.
Video
Notes
Makes about 6 cups.
Crockpot apple butter is naturally gluten free, dairy free, and vegan.
You can reduce the amount of sugar by omitting the brown sugar. If you do omit the sugar, consider using a sweeter variety of apple, such as Gala or Red Delicious, as Granny Smith apples will make pretty sour apple butter without the sugar.
Typically, I will use half Granny Smith apples, and half of a sweeter variety, usually Gala or Red Delicious. Fuji or Golden apples will also work. You can also choose to use all of one kind.
Allow to cool with the slow cooker lid off for at least an hour or until cool enough to handle before pureeing to prevent burns.
To make your apple butter silky smooth, make sure they are cooked long enough to be broken down. They should be so soft that they fall apart when you stir them. Then puree them thoroughly using your food processor, blender, or immersion blender.
To store, place in a container with a lid (I use mason jars.) in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze, place in a freezer safe container, covered for up to 3-6 months.
Stovetop directions: Place all ingredients plus 1 cup apple juice in a large heavy bottom pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 2 hours until apples are soft and broken down. Then follow steps 4-6 of the recipe to finish your apple butter.