Easy Slow Cooker Apple Butter

One of Zeke’s favorite condiments! This is a good recipe to do with the kids. Super easy and perfect for apple-picking season. A combination of sweet and tart apples, together with apple pie spices, makes for an intense apple pie flavor.

Apple Butter

Super easy slow cooker recipe that doesn't require peeling your apples. Super rich taste with traditional apple pie spices.

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Course Condiment

Equipment

• apple corer
• Food processor
• 6-qt slow cooker
• immersion blender

Ingredients

  

• 5.5 lbs mixed tart & sweet apples a flavorful mix is Jonathan (tart), McIntosh (tart), Gala (sweet) & Honey Crisp (sweet)
• 1 cup brown sugar firmly packed
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (or 2 packets True Lemon powder - see Notes)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1½ tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp vanilla or vanilla paste

Instructions

 

• Using an apple corer, remove apple cores from about a fourth of your apples and place in a food processor. Pulse until you have tiny cuts less than ½-¼" chunks. Place in the slow cooker. Repeat with remaining apples.
  
• In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, sugar, and spices. Pour sugar mixture over the apple pieces in the slow cooker and stir until well combined.
• Place lid on slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for 10 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Once 10 hours has elapsed, use an immersion blender to puree apples until smooth and no chunks remain. (Or if you don't have an immersion blender, use a standard blender to puree in small batches.)
• Add the vanilla and lemon juice (or powder). Continue cooking UNCOVERED for another 2 hours or until the apple butter reaches the desired consistency. Stir occasionally during this process to keep the surface from creating a thick film.
  
• Store in airtight containers and process in a boiling water bath (5 mins for half-pints) or freeze. Once opened, apple butter will keep two weeks in the fridge.

Notes

At Walmart, Target or Dollar Tree, you can purchase True Lemon powder in the drink mix aisle. It's a great substitute for lemon juice if you don't want to add more moisture to your recipes. It doesn't have any sugar in it, so it is a great way to add authentic lemon flavor without any other additives. I also use it in soft drinks to add a bit of tartness to the sweet.

Keyword jams & jellies, slow cooker