Find the right one for snacking, baking and more.
Browse varietiesFind the right one for snacking, baking and more.
Browse varieties
Apple butter is applesauce cooked low and slow until it turns thick, dark and deeply spiced. There is no butter in it; the name comes from its smooth, spreadable texture.
A slow cooker does almost all the work. Spread it on toast, swirl it into oatmeal or serve it with pork chops.
Prep
20 min
Cook
11 to 12 hr
Total
About 12 hr
Makes
About 4 cups
Use about 5 pounds of apples. Sweet, soft apples melt down best, and a tart one adds depth.
Apples, peeled, cored and sliced
5 lb
Brown sugar, packed
1 cup
Granulated sugar
½ cup
Ground cinnamon
1 tbsp
Ground cloves
¼ tsp
Ground nutmeg
¼ tsp
Salt
¼ tsp
Lemon juice
2 tbsp
Vanilla extract
1 tbsp
Fill the slow cooker
20 minutes
Add the apples to the slow cooker. Mix the sugars, spices and salt, sprinkle over the apples and stir in the lemon juice.
Cook low and slow
10 hours
Cover and cook on low for about 10 hours, stirring once or twice if you can, until the apples are very soft and dark.
Blend
5 minutes
Stir in the vanilla, then blend until smooth with an immersion blender.
Thicken
1 to 2 hours
Cook uncovered on low, stirring now and then, until thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon.
Cool and store
1 hour
Let it cool, then spoon into clean jars and refrigerate.
About 35
calories
9 g
carbs
0 g
fat
0 g
protein
Estimated from the ingredients. Makes about 64 tablespoons.
Refrigerator
Keep in covered jars in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Freezer and canning
Freeze for up to 3 months. For shelf-stable jars, follow a tested canning recipe such as those from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
