Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Now that fall is officially here apples are in abundance.  When my kids were younger we used to take them to the apple farms and pick our very own apples. We’d bring them home to make Apple Butter among many other recipes, and simply eat them raw. 

If you’ve done the same thing with your kids or alone, you know that you never just come home with one basket of apples.  More likely, so many, that you can’t imagine how you’ll use all of them.

Finding recipes using apples becomes a massive hunt to spare yourself having to dispose of rotten apples. That’s why I love making recipes like Apple Butter, requiring the use of many apples at a time.

At the beginning of the month I shared with you a 40 minute Homemade Apple Butter that many might say looks more like chunky applesauce.  That Apple Butter in my opinion had more the flavor of real apples rather than loaded with spices, and sugar.  I loved the pure fresh taste of the 40 minute Homemade Apple Butter. However, I also love the warm spicy flavor of this Slow Cooker Apple Butter.  Each has its place at the table.

The recipe below requires approximately 10 hours in a slow cooker, followed up with an additional 2-3 hours on high heat in the slow cooker. Giving it a grand total of approximately 13 hours.

Once cooked down to a creamy liquid base, it’s ready to spread on whatever you care to smear it on. Or you can add the Apple Butter to recipes,  to enhance the flavor and moisture content.  It adds a whole new dimension to recipes.

I’ve never quite understood why they call this Apple Butter, when in reality there’s no butter in it.  However, it’s smooth and silky just like butter, guilt-free, and can be stored for several weeks in the refrigerator without much of a fuss.

For this recipe I chose 3 varieties of apples from tart to sweet, for a nice balance:

• Granny Smith – sharp in flavor, acidic and crisp
• Honeycrisp – sweet & crisp
• Golden Delicious – exceptionally sweet & crisp

If you have a slow cooker you’ll love waking up to this in the morning after it’s been slowly cooking all night. Enjoy on whatever comforts you.  We like it on our Apple Pie Bread.  On a chilly day, Apple Butter simply soothes the soul!

Print Recipe

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Yield: 5 (6oz.) Mason Jars

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: approximately 12-13 hours

Total Time: 13 1/2 hours

Why spread real butter on your bread when you can spread a spoonful of apples, laced with warm spices, that have been cooked down all day to create an amazing spread called Apple Butter?

Ingredients:

• 6 1/2  lbs. of Apples, peeled, cored and cut into large chunks (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, & Honeycrisp)
• 1/2  cup of Granulated Sugar
• 1/2  cup of Brown Sugar
• 1 ½ Tbsp of Pumpkin Pie Spice
•  1/2  tsp of Salt
•  2 tsp of Pure Vanilla Bean Paste*

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a slow cooker, cook on low for approximately 8 to 10 hours.

2. Puree with an immersion blender, and continue to cook vented (partially covered) for about 2-3 hours or until thickened. While still hot spoon or             funnel into Mason jars, and seal with lid.  Allow to cool on counter, then refrigerate.

3. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or freeze for a few months.

   

Note: *If you don't have Pure Vanilla Bean Paste you can add Pure Vanilla Extract.  However, be sure if substituting extract in place of the paste, to add it after you're done cooking.  Otherwise, the alcohol content along with the aromatics of the vanilla will burn off in the cooking process.  This will not happen if using Pure Vanilla Bean Paste which is alcohol free.  

Hungry for more fall recipes? Savor these!

Pumpkin Spice Crackers

Brandied Apple Brioche Pudding

Apple Pie Roses