Homemade apple butter in the Crockpot, Instant Pot or on the stovetop!
This easy crockpot apple butter recipe will be on of your fall favorites! Autumn spices and apples simmer in the crockpot all day and makes your home smell fantastic! This easy recipe is perfect on toast or biscuits, for canning, or for gift gifting! The recipe also includes the methods to make it on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker!
Servings: 4 cups
Calories: 756kcal
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- Slow Cooker
- Dutch Oven
- immersion blender
Ingredients
- 6 pounds apples (usually 2 bags)
- ¼-1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
To make homemade apple butter in the slow cooker:
- Remove skin from apples. This is the most time intensive part! Cut flesh into ½ inch cubes. (I usually try to fill my crockpot half full, so 2 large bags of apples).
- Place in slow cooker with ¼-1/2 cup apple juice (the more apples, the more juice)
- Cook on high, covered, for 4 hours
- After apples are nice and soft, mash with a potato masher. If you want it lumpier, leave lumps, if you want it more smooth-mash more
- add ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup white sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of each: nutmeg, cloves, ginger and salt. Add 1 tsp. vanilla
- Stir really well to combine. Let cook, UNCOVERED, for 2-4 hours, stirring throughout. The apple butter will become nice and dark. Enjoy!
To make homemade apple butter in the Instant Pot:
- Peel and dice the apples into ½ inch cubes. Place in pressure cooker.
- Add the apple juice or cider - this works as the liquid which will allow the pressure cooker to come to pressure.
- Set pressure cooker to the high setting, with a time of 10 minutes
- Allow to come to pressure. Once done, do a slow natural release. Once the pressure is gone, remove the lid and stir in the spice mixture.
- Change pressure cooker to the saute setting and allow to cook down, stirring often for about 5-8 minutes. It will get nice and dark, and thicken up!
homemade apple butter on the stove top:
- Peel and cube the apple pieces as instructed above. Place apple pieces and juice or cider in a large saucepan, such as a dutch oven.
- Allow to come to a boil, and then switch to simmer. Cook until the apples are soft.
- Mash the apples as you would if you were making mashed potatoes. Then stir in the spices
- Continue to simmer on a low heat, stirring every so often until dark and thick- about 8 hours.
- ENJOY!
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 756kcal | Carbohydrates: 198g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 165mg | Potassium: 1265mg | Fiber: 27g | Sugar: 158g | Vitamin A: 610IU | Vitamin C: 52.1mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 1.6mg