What is apple butter recipe

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Slow Cooker Apple Butter will make your entire house smell like Autumn. It also makes a great gift for the holidays, or a hostess gift at Thanksgiving. YUMMO!

Autumn is my favorite season of the year. I am a lover of all things fall – the leaves and pumpkins, cozy sweaters and Ugg boots, a roaring fire with a good book and a plate of my No Bake Cookies, I adore it all – especially apple season.

A neighboring city hosts an Apple Butter Festival every October. It’s full of holiday crafts, historical reenactments, and of course, amazing food.

Although I love meandering through the aisles of vendors, I really go for two very important reasons: caramel slathered apples and homemade apple butter.

Unfortunately, I’ve missed this festival two years in a row – last year because I was in San Francisco and this year because I simply forgot about it. I sulked for a hot minute, but decided that I’d get my yearly apple butter fix by making my own in the slow cooker.

WHAT IS APPLE BUTTER?

If you have never had apple butter before, you might be confused by the name.

No, it’s not apple-flavored butter. That would be weird. There’s actually no butter in apple butter at all.

Apple butter is basically just super concentrated, super smooth applesauce. It’s cooked for longer, which gives it that caramelized color and rich apple flavor, but the ingredients are nearly identical.

Apple butter is not just perfect on your morning toast or served on Potato Rolls at Thanksgiving, you can even bake with it.

Try subbing in Slow Cooker Apple Butter in place of jam or another fruit filling in crumb bars, such as in my Peach Crumb Bars recipe.

HOW TO MAKE APPLE BUTTER IN A CROCK POT

At first I was little bit intimidated by the whole homemade fruit butter thing, but really it could not have been easier thanks to my apple peeler and slow cooker.

The peeler allowed me to peel, core, and slice 6 1/2 pounds of apples in a matter of minutes. I tossed everything into the slow cooker, set the timer for 10 hours and went about my day.

The autumnal scents of apples, cinnamon and vanilla wafted around the whole place for an entire day, which improved my mood immensely. I’ll tell you – if you’re having a rough day, just make some slow cooker apple butter.

It’s impossible not to feel at ease with the entire world and people in it when you’ve got these scents enveloping you each time you walk in and out of your kitchen.

I let the apples simmer away for the allotted 10 hours, and in the meantime made chili, cornbread, and even prepped my jars for gift giving. It really is the perfect way to spend a fall Saturday, I’ll tell you that for free.

The result was a delicious, velvety smooth apple butter that definitely rivals any of the jars that I’ve purchased at the Apple Butter Festival and the best part is – I made it myself!

If you don’t have 10 hours on hand to let the apple butter simmer, don’t worry – I also have a recipe for Instant Pot Apple Butter!

BEST APPLES FOR APPLE BUTTER

Really you can use any apples you happen to have on hand for apple butter.

Generally speaking, softer varieties of apples such as Fuji, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, or Jonagold work better since they cook down faster.

I used a mix of Granny Smith, Fuji and Honeycrisp in my apple butter, and even the crisper varieties broke down well for a smooth apple butter.

The real key is to use a mix of apples to get the best flavor. You can even customize your Slow Cooker Apple butter by using apple pie spice or even pumpkin pie spice instead of the blend I have here, and you could try Mexican vanilla instead of Madagascar.

It’s really easy to make it your own, and I know your family will love slathering it on toast all year long.

I’ve been told you can preserve this recipe through canning, though I haven’t tried it myself. I’d love to know if you’ve tried!

I hope you enjoy this slow cooker apple butter as much as we do.

What are your favorite fruit butter recipes? What should I try next?

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Apple butter

less than 30 mins

30 mins to 1 hour

Makes 4–5 x 200ml/7fl oz jars

Apple butters are lower in sugar than traditional jams and, once opened, they need to be kept in the fridge. Cooking the apples in cider brings a delightful sparkle to the butter, the flavour of which will vary depending on the type of cider used (pick one you enjoy drinking).

less than 30 mins

30 mins to 1 hour

Makes 4–5 x 200ml/7fl oz jars

Ingredients

• 1kg/2lb 4oz cooking apples, plus a few extra if using windfalls, no need to peel or core
• 500ml/18fl oz cider
• 400–500g/14oz–1lb 2oz granulated sugar
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Method

If using windfall apples, cut away any damaged or bruised bits, ensuring there are 1kg/2lb 4oz cooking apples at the end. Rinse and roughly chop the apples into chunks. Place in a large saucepan with the cider and cook gently until soft and fluffy. Remove from the heat.

Push the apple mixture through a large sieve into a bowl. Weigh the fruit purée and place in a clean saucepan, adding 400–450g/14–15oz sugar to 1 litre/1¾ pint fruit purée. Add the cloves and cinnamon. Slowly bring to the boil over a low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture begins to thicken.

Remove from the heat and pour into sterilised jars. Seal immediately with the lids. Keep in the fridge once opened and use within 3–4 weeks.

Recipe Tips

Apple butter is amazingly versatile. It is delicious spread on hot toast or crumpets and is equally scrumptious spooned into porridge, muesli or rice pudding. It can also be enjoyed with cheese or a plate of charcuterie.

A variation on this recipe would be to replace the cider with 100ml/3½fl oz elderflower cordial mixed with 400ml/14fl oz water.

Due to the lower sugar content, it is best to pot the butter into fairly small jars.

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What Is Apple Butter and How Do You Make It At Home?

Hint: There’s no butter involved.

There are few things cozier than toast or biscuits with apple butter on a chilly fall day. Nicole McLaughlin shows you what you need to know about everybody’s favorite autumnal fruit spread, including how to make it at home:

What Is Apple Butter?

Contrary to its name, there is no butter involved in the making of apple butter. The fruity spread, which is essentially highly concentrated applesauce, is made by cooking apples with spices (like cinnamon and cloves) or ciders until the sugars are caramelized. This process leaves you with a thick, brown, rich, and powerfully apple-flavored spread.

Apple Butter vs. Applesauce

Since apple butter is cooked much longer than applesauce, it has a totally different consistency. The extra time over the heat makes apple butter thicker and glossier than applesauce. While applesauce is soft and mushy, apple butter has a rich, spreadable texture that’s somewhere between jam and peanut butter.

Also, the sugars in apple butter are more concentrated than applesauce. This gives the spread a longer shelf life than the sauce.

Apple Butter Uses

Use apple butter the way you’d use any fruit spread: Spread it on toast or biscuits, dollop it onto pancakes or waffles, stir it into your oatmeal, or use it to give your baked goods a burst of fruitiness. You can even use apple butter in savory recipes — brush it onto meats (such as pork, chicken, or turkey) before cooking to add delicious fall flavor.

How to Make Apple Butter

If you’ve ever made applesauce, congratulations! You know exactly how to make apple butter: Just cook cored apples with sugar and warm spices like cinnamon and allspice. The only difference? Apple butter cooks longer to achieve its brown color, rich texture, and deep flavor.

It’s traditionally cooked on the stove, but you can also make apple butter with your slow cooker or Instant Pot. «I love Chef John’s recipe,» shares Nicole. «It’s super smooth and spreadable.»

Get Chef John’s Apple Butter Recipe here

For step-by-step instructions, learn How to Make Apple Butter 4 Easy Ways. Plus, check our Beginner’s Guide to Canning and Preserving for expert canning, food safety, and storage tips.

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Apple Butter (3-Ways!)

Jessica Gavin
Published on October 14, 2020

Learn how to make apple butter 3 different ways –stovetop, slow cooker, and pressure cooker. The recipe is easy, and this is a delicious spreadable condiment boosts the flavor of your favorite foods.

Making a big batch of apple butter is one of the best ways to enjoy the taste of fall. And with so many varieties of apples, you can use your favorite or customize the flavor with a mixture of types. The ingredients are simple; fresh-chopped apples, apple cider, warm spices, and sweetener. That’s it!

The process is similar to making apple sauce, but the extended cooking time takes this recipe to the next level. Apple butter is a great addition to add as a spreadable topping or even filling. I also like to place them in jars and send them to the family as edible gifts.

What is apple butter?

Apple butter is a condiment that cooks fresh apples until incredibly soft and then further processes them until very smooth. Slow-cooking the fruit with some apple cider concentrates the flavors while evaporating the moisture. The heat caramelizes the sugars, creating a deep golden-brown hue. You can add spices and sugar to complement the fruit to make it sweeter. The spread can be filled into sterilized jars and sealed for longer shelf life.

Apple selection

The beauty of this recipe is that you can use any type of apple. I like a combination of Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Fuji (making up half). It’s the right balance of sweet and tart. These varieties’ texture is crisper and not mealy, which works well since the fruit cooks for a long time. Fuji tends to hold it’s shape better and takes longer to soften. Four pounds of apples yields about 3 ½ to 4 cups of apple butter.

Skin-on vs. skin-off

No matter what, I cook the diced apples with the peel on. The reason is that both the pulp and skin contain pectin. The complex carbohydrates (pectic polysaccharides) are naturally found in the cell walls and non-woody parts of plants, acting as cement to hold the fruit or vegetable’s shape. When heated and combined with sugar and acid, the molecules start to bind together and trap water. This stabilizes fruit purees like jams and jellies due to their gelling capability.

I like to let the apples simmer with the flesh and skin to extract as much pectin as possible for spreadable apple butter. For an even thicker consistency, I also puree the skin. It has a deep apple flavor and provides more fiber to each serving. If you want to peel the apples first before cooking, go for it, but the taste and consistency won’t be as intense.

25 Types of Apples

These Are The Best Apples For Cooking

Slow Cooker Guide

Developing color and flavor

The goal is to create a puree that’s concentrated in apple flavor with a deep amber color. To achieve this, we need to apply moist heat to soften the fruit by steaming, developing more flavor and a darker hue.

When you remove the lid from the pot, moisture begins to evaporate. A non-enzymatic chemical reaction occurs called caramelization. The heat breaks down the sugars, creating hundreds of new flavor and aroma compounds, plus the color changes.

Adding in spices

For this recipe, I use ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Other options are ginger, allspice, or cardamom. Adding the spices at the beginning of cooking infuses the flavors together. However, if you find that you like a more intense aroma, you can use half to start, and then the rest when ready to puree.

Sweetener selection

I use two types of sweeteners; equal parts granulated and brown sugar. White sugar adds a clean sweetness that’s easy to adjust. The molasses in the brown sugar provides deeper color and caramel-like notes that become more developed as the apples cook. Depending on the kind of apples used, more or less sweetener can be added. A small amount of lemon juice and zest also helps to provide a hint of tartness for balance.

What happens when you don’t add sugar?

The apples can be left unsweetened since there’s natural fructose in the fruit. Although, depending on the variety, it can taste tangier and not as amber in hue. The added sugars help the pectin gel better for a thicker consistency.

Another option is to cook the apples first, then adjust the sweetness afterward to gauge input. There will be less caramelization since the sugars weren’t present throughout the cooking process. Select Fuji or Honeycrisp that are naturally sweeter.

Creating a smooth texture

Use a handheld immersion blender for the best control. It’s portable so it’s easy to process the softened apples right inside the cooking vessel and watch the consistency change. Alternatively, you can use a countertop blender. Just work in batches, and cover the small opening with a towel to allow steam to escape. Blend until the apple butter is smooth. The texture will thicken more as it cools down.

Stovetop method

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The stovetop is the quickest method, but more attention is needed to monitor and stir. It provides the most control for making apple butter. I like to use a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. It takes about 40 minutes to pre-cook the apples until completely soft and then about 1 hour of simmering to develop a deeper color.

Slow cooker method

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I use a 6-quart Crock-Pot to make a large batch of apple butter. The low and slow method yields a super smooth and rich texture. The apples have a very long time to soften and release the pectin in the cell walls, about 2 to 3 hours.

Then simmer over moderate heat for several hours with the lid ajar to allow the steam to escape. The air circulation allows for better browning and concentrates the flavor. This method is excellent to start the day before and cook for about 10 hours overnight.

Pressure cooker (Instant Pot) method

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I use a 6-quart Instant Pot to make the apple butter. The enclosed vessel traps moisture and the pressure cooks the apples in just 10-minutes. The apples have a lot of juice in the flesh, so you only need a small amount of apple cider to prevent the bottom of the pot from burning. This multi-function device allows you to finish cooking the apple butter in two ways.

The saute function quickly concentrates and darkens the puree in about 30 to 60 minutes. The hot puree does bubble and splatter, so make sure to keep the pot partially covered, and be very careful when stirring. Alternately, the slow cooker function takes about 4 to 6 hours. You get slow cooker taste but in less than half the time of a Crock-Pot.

Ways to use apple butter

• Use as a filling for hand pies
• Add to frosting or fill inside cupcakes
• Serve with cheeses and meats for a charcuterie board
• Spread on top of toast or on a bagel with cream cheese
• Stir into oatmeal or layer it into a yogurt parfait

Storing

Completely cool the apple butter before storing it in an airtight container. It will last about two weeks in the refrigerator or one month if stored in sterilized jars. You can freeze it for up to 1 year, just defrost when ready to use. It can also be canned in sterilized jars and last for about 1 year. However, I would keep it refrigerated. The natural acid in the apples and sugar helps to preserve and prolong the shelf life.

Sugar and time elevates caramelization

The apples contain a natural sugar called fructose, which caramelization occurs around 230ºF (110ºC). I also add in sucrose (granulated sugar) and brown sugar to intensify the browning process and increase the sweetness. Sucrose begins to caramelize at 320ºF (160ºC), which is why it takes a longer time to see a shift in appearance. Depending on the method and heat emitted, this could take 1 hour on the stovetop or up to 10 hours in a slow cooker.

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