The arrival of fall means it’s time to break out the pumpkin spice lattes and apple pies. And one of our favorite seasonal treats to make is apple butter in the slow cooker.
What is apple butter?
Apple butter is a fruit spread produced from cooked-down apples into a thick, creamy paste. It has a rich amber color and a pleasantly sweet taste.
Apple butter adds a deliciously autumnal taste to toast, biscuits, waffles, and pancakes. And you can even use it in muffin recipes to add moisture and spice.
Ingredients in Apple Butter
Typically, apple butter is made using apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Some recipes also call for cider vinegar or lemon juice to enhance acidity and flavor depth.
There are many variations available, in case you need to change an ingredient. You can use any sweetener you choose in place of sugar, and you can use pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice instead of the combination of spices if you’re in a hurry.
To make apple butter in a slow cooker, you will need:
- 8-10 apples
- 1/4 water
- 1/2 brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 lemon, juiced
Instructions for Slow Cooker Apple Butter
You can make delicious apple butter in a slow cooker in a matter of minutes.
The steps are as follows:
Peel, core, and slice the apples and set them in the slow cooker.
Put apples in the slow cooker and add water, sugar, and spices. Stir to mix.
Cook on high for 4 hours, checking and stirring occasionally. (Or keep it on low for 6 hours.)
When the apples are done cooking, add lemon juice.
Using an immersion blender, blend until the desired consistency is reached.
How to Can Apple Butter
To preserve your apple butter for later use, spoon warm apple butter into clean, sterilized jars, leaving an inch of head space. Make sure the jars’ tops are clean and washed down before you put on the lids and rings. Cook the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Take canning jars out of the water once they’ve reached a rolling boil, and let them cool on their own overnight. (Be sure to listen for the pop indicating that they have sealed.) You should name each jar with a sharpie so you know what’s inside.
How to Freeze Apple Butter?
If you’d like to store your apple butter in the freezer, simply transfer it to freezer-safe containers and leave some headroom at the top. As soon as the apple butter has cooled, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the freezer.
Keep frozen until it’s time to use it!