This is an easy apple butter recipe made in the slow cooker or crockpot. This delicious spread tastes amazing - it is sweet, subtly tart, and has warm spices like cinnamon and cloves. Just dump all the ingredients into a slow cooker and enjoy the aroma that fills your house when the apple butter is getting ready.
If you thought apples are only good to snack, or for baking, try these dishes from the Indian cuisine - apple pulissery & apple pickle. I also use apples (the sweeter varieties) to make this filling apple milkshake.
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Quick Ingredient & Equipment Rundown
INGREDIENTS
- Apples
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
EQUIPMENT
- Slow cooker
- Hand blender (see below)
- Canning jars (optional)
- Cooking spoon
- Measuring cups/spoons
- Peeler
- Chopping Board & Knife
No hand blender?
If you don't have a hand blender, you can use a potato masher instead. The apple pieces would be extremely tender after the hours of cooking and can be easily pureed using a potato masher (which is what I do). Fish out the cinnamon sticks and cloves. Mash well using the potato masher. Sieve using a mesh strainer to remove any pieces that did not get mashed. This ensures smooth apple butter.
Apple Varieties To Use
I usually use a mix of apples in the recipe - Fuji, Gala apples are delicious. Also, use a few Granny Smith apples. They add a hint of tartness in the apple butter which is amazing in my opinion.
How to Store Apple Butter?
Use the prepared apple butter in 7-10 days. You can freeze this in freezer-safe containers.
If you are into canning jams and sauces, this recipe works well to preserve it for later use. Refer to this guide if you are planning to preserve the butter.
Serving Suggestions
- You can eat it with a spoon - it is so delicious on its own, that we eat it as a dessert.
- Spread some on a warm buttered toast.
- Top overnight oats with a little bit of apple butter.
- Serve apple butter with waffles/pancakes
- Here is a simple quesadilla that you can try - spread some apple butter on a tortilla, sprinkle some read chilli flakes and cheddar cheese. Fold the tortilla in half (or you can top it another tortilla). Heat the tortilla on a griddle (medium heat) until the cheese melts. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.
Apple Butter
Equipment
- slow cooker
- hand blender
- cooking spoons
- measuring cups & spoons
- chopping board and knife
- peeler
Ingredients
- 5-6 lb (2.2kg-2.7kg) apples use a combination of gala, Fuji, granny smith apples
- 1½ cups granulated sugar See Recipe Notes
- 1½ cups brown sugar See Recipe Notes
- 2 3-inch cinnamon sticks
- 4-5 numbers cloves
Instructions
- Wash, peel, core, and dice apples into pieces.
- Add apples, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, and cloves to the slow cooker. Cover with the lid and cook on LOW for 10 hours.
- After 10 hours of cooking, fish out the cinnamon sticks and cloves (as much as possible). puree the tender apple pieces using a hand blender. [See recipe notes]
- Do a taste test and see if you need more sugar. Add the required sugar and cook on LOW for another 2-3 hours to thicken the apple butter. [Keep an eye out to see whether your desired thickness is reached during the last 1-2 hours of cooking] Once your desired thickness is reached, turn off the slow cooker and allow the butter to cool down.
- Transfer to storage containers. Refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
- 1 CUP = 250 ML. (US cups are typically 240 ml. You can use US cups with no significant change to the dish). 1 TEASPOON = 5ML; 1 TABLESPOON= 15 ML
- You can use cinnamon powder (ground cinnamon) instead of cinnamon sticks.
- If you don't have a hand blender, use a potato masher to mash the apple pieces. You can use a mesh strainer to sieve the butter to ensure a smooth texture.
- The actual quantity of sugar needed will depend on the tartness of the apples you have used and your desired sweetness. Start with 1 cup of granulated sugar and brown sugar each and once the apples are cooked for 10 hours, do a taste test and add more sugar if needed.
INSPIRATION FOR THIS RECIPE
I found this recipe on reddit.com and gave it a try and we loved it. It is super simple and easy to make and tastes amazing. Later on, I found that a similar recipe is shared on mybakingaddiction.com. My recipe is adapted from these two.
Muktha says
Hi Sree , found your insta account from my Instagram suggestions ..... loved your feed instantly and sneaked into your blog. Loved all the content on your home page and this recipe really caught me. Will give a try , shortly. Thank you