Description
Thick, smooth, and warmly spiced apple butter made with fresh apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in the slow cooker.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 small dashes fine salt
Instructions
- Wash, peel, core, and evenly slice the apples.
- Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a small bowl.
- Place the apple slices in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Sprinkle the sugar and spice mixture over the apples, then toss until evenly coated.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 hours or LOW for 8 to 10 hours, stirring once or twice when convenient.
- When the apples look very soft and deeply browned, turn off the slow cooker.
- Blend directly in the slow cooker with an immersion blender until completely smooth.
- Alternatively, carefully transfer the hot apple mixture to a countertop blender, vent the lid, cover it with a folded towel, and blend until smooth.
- For thicker apple butter, cook the blended mixture uncovered on HIGH for 30 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cool slightly before serving or transferring to airtight containers.
Notes
- Any flavorful apple variety works, although a combination of sweet and tart apples creates a more balanced flavor.
- Replace the individual spices with 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon apple pie spice when preferred.
- Do not add water because the apples release enough liquid during cooking.
- Use caution when blending hot apples.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to two weeks or freeze for up to three months.
- This recipe does not include tested instructions for room-temperature canning.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Category: Condiments and Spreads
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 136
- Sugar: 30
- Sodium: 57
- Fat: 1
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 36
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 1
- Cholesterol: 0