Making this homemade apple butter recipe is super easy and sure to provide wonderful smells for you to wake up to in the morning.
Life moves at lightning speed so it’s great to have quick easy recipes that will put a smile on your face without taking hours to make. This Super Easy Homemade Apple Butter recipe will do just that!
You don’t have to peel a single apple and if you have an apple corer/slicer then you don’t even need a knife.
Because this recipe is so quick and easy, you can make it anytime and what you don’t use up right away can go into the freezer or it can be canned. If you freeze it, make sure to pull it out the night before you want to use it so that it has time to defrost.
Every time that I make this I am using up apples that have been sitting around a little too long and that haven’t been eaten yet and I don’t want them going to waste. They don’t need to be perfect. It can also be a mix of whatever apples you happen to have on hand.
You should know that when I make something like this I don’t measure ANYTHING! Below is a recipe for those who like to measure everything out but this is a great recipe to try “winging it”. I’ve made this many times and every time it turns out great.
There are two things to consider while making this:
1. The apples will cook down considerably. I usually fill the crockpot with fresh apples and by the time they are done cooking the crockpot is only half full. Also, know that the apples don’t really look great at that point. This is very normal.
2. Customize this to your taste. If you don’t like cloves, you can leave that out or you can add a little more if you like a stronger clove taste, just be careful not to add too much. You can always add more but you can’t take away the amount once added. I like the strong cinnamon flavor so I add more cinnamon. If you like things sweeter, add more sugar. One time I used brown sugar instead of white sugar because it was what I had on hand. Brown sugar has molasses in it so it gave the apple butter a hint of that rich molasses flavor. It was wonderful.
Super Easy Homemade Apple Butter
The easiest way to make apple butter is in a slow cooker/crockpot.
Ingredients:
4 pounds of apples
2 cups of sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Pinch of ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup of water
Directions:
Start by coring and slicing your apples. Put them in the slow cooker. Dump in the sugar, salt, and spices over the apples.
The last thing to put in the crockpot should be the water. This helps keep the bottom of the crockpot from burning till the apples start releasing their juice. Put the lid on your crockpot and cook the mixture on high for one hour.
Turn the slow cooker too low and cook it overnight or for an additional 10 hours. Stir it occasionally. I stir it before bed and when I get up.
Depending on your slow cooker you might need more or less time. The apples should be tender and brown with the juices and the mixture thickened.
When the apples are done, let them cool.
When they have cooled considerably scope out the apples from the cooker with a slotted spoon, leaving most of the liquid in the cooker, and put them in a blender. I use a Vitamix so please note that your consistency may be slightly different if you don’t have a high-powered blender.
Blend on high until completely smooth. You may need to add some of the liquid from the apples if the mixture is too thick. Add enough to get the consistency that you want.
Once it has completely cooled, put the apple butter in an airtight container or divide it up between several containers. Keep one container out for immediate use and freeze the rest. It will last 5 days in the refrigerator.
Put this on biscuits, pancakes, waffles, cornbread, or whatever you want.
Enjoy!
Comments