Picture this…a schmear of your own slow cooker apple butter on toast, plus a container stored in the freezer so you can serve it on top of Brie with toasted walnuts as a holiday appetizer!
Maybe it was a Puritan’s sense of humor, or poor marketing on the Pilgrims’ part, but there isn’t any butter in apple butter; it’s really thick apple sauce made in the crock pot overnight with spices and honey. You can serve it on a pork chop, with morning pancakes, or fold it into loaf bread. Our recipe, adapted from one we like on Food.com is really easy. It’s the perfect make-ahead for Thanksgiving or any holiday brunch.
— Faith Middleton
Photo: Stef Noble/Flicker, creative commons
- 6 pounds local apples combining several varieties for complexity, peeled and chopped fine
- 3 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup local honey
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl mix together the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour it over the diced apples, add the honey and mix well.
- Place the apple mixture in a slow cooker and cook it, covered, on high, for 45 minutes. Taste the mixture and add more sugar or honey, if necessary. Recover it, set the crock pot temperature to low, and cook it overnight for 9-11 hours. (It will darken in color.)
- In the morning, remove the crock pot lid and cook it in low for an hour, which thickens it.
Once cool, the apple butter can be frozen and served later, defrosted.
Elizabeth Rivera says
Oh
My
Goodness.
Making it this weekend!! ????
Robyn Doyon-Aitken says
Let us know how it turns out. Thanks for listening!
Linda Carreno says
I was listening to NPR when I heard this recipe. Let me just say, I couldn’t wait to make it and it turned out fabulous! I use it on toast and even used it as a filling in a Pull-Apart bread recipe … Delicious! I love this recipe and look forward to making this a Fall tradition with my kids as they get old enough to help me pick the apples at our local orchard. Thank you!
Robyn Doyon-Aitken says
You are SO welcome. Glad you liked it. Also, thanks for listening; we appreciate it!
Rosi says
I love apple butter. This seems like a lot of sugar. Possible to use less and more honey or agave?
Robyn Doyon-Aitken says
Only one way to find out. If you try it, report back. Thanks!
Dona says
Just heard last week’s podcast and, as usual, I want to try several recipes discussed. For this one, how can I convert the recipe for a conventional oven? I’m thinking of using a lidded cast iron dutch oven at 225 degrees overnight….sound do-able?
Robyn Doyon-Aitken says
There are many, many overnight apple butter recipes on the web. . .all of them seem to use a slow cooker. We haven’t tried this recipe in the oven, so while it does sound do-able at the low temperature, we’re sticking with the ease and reliability of the slow cooker.
Mary T Cesar says
My kids went crazy over this Apple Butter and wanted to eat it by the heaping spoonful 🙂 I covered it and cooked it on high for 1 hour and on low for 12 hours, uncovered it and cooked it on low for an additional 2 hours. Added bonus, our house smelled sensational for days!!
Megan says
It’s delicious! I will say that I use my food processor to grate the apples and I leave the skin on. It makes the prep go SO much faster and by the time you use the immersion blender it is perfect!
Kathy says
Can the sugar be reduced?
Robyn Doyon-Aitken says
Sure. It just won’t be as sweet.
Kathy Jennings says
Has anyone tried halving this recipe? 6 pounds of apples is ALOT of apples.