Description
Homemade Apple Butter is a thick, smooth fruit spread made by slow-cooking apples with spices until deeply caramelized and flavorful. Perfect on toast, in oatmeal, or as a baking ingredient, it’s a cozy, dairy-free fall staple.
Ingredients
- 6 pounds apples (Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, or a mix), peeled, cored, and chopped
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup water or apple cider
Instructions
- Peel, core, and chop apples into small pieces.
- Add apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and water (or cider) to a slow cooker or large pot.
- Cook on low for 8–10 hours in a slow cooker (or 2–3 hours on stovetop), stirring occasionally, until apples are very soft and darkened.
- Use an immersion blender (or regular blender in batches) to puree the mixture until smooth.
- If needed, cook uncovered for 1–2 more hours to thicken, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in vanilla extract.
- Let cool completely before transferring to jars or containers for storage.
Notes
- Use a variety of apples for balanced sweetness and acidity.
- To make sugar-free, omit sugar and rely on naturally sweet apples.
- Try maple syrup instead of sugar for a richer flavor.
- For a flavor twist, add a splash of bourbon or cardamom.
- Apple butter thickens as it cools, so don’t overcook at the end.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 25
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
