Healthy Apple Butter
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This healthy homemade apple butter is made in the slow cooker without any added sugar. Enjoy as a spread on toast or stir into a warm bowl of oatmeal.
As soon as the weather turns, I am rapidly making as many fall flavored treats I can think of! I typically make at least one batch of apple butter each year. If you’ve never made or tried it, it is super versatile, naturally sweet and absolutely delicious! And despite its name, there’s no actual butter involved! If you’re looking for a way to use up quite a few apples, here’s your recipe.
Apple Butter Ingredients:
- apples – I recommend a sweeter variety like Gala or Honeycrisp.
- apple cider vinegar or water – I used apple cider vinegar and really liked the tanginess it added to the apple butter but you can simply use water if you don’t have ACV or don’t want your apple butter to be tangy at all.
- cinnamon
- vanilla extract
- ground cloves
- ground nutmeg
- sea salt
The Difference Between Apple Butter and Applesauce
Both apple butter and applesauce are made by cooking apples with water, spices and sugar (if using). The main difference between the two is that apple butter is cooked longer so the mixture becomes a thick, caramelized consistency. Applesauce is soft and creamy too, but is typically a thinner, lighter consistency. The other difference is that apple butter is usually spiced with an array of spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla. Occasionally you’ll see cinnamon applesauce, but most of the time applesauce is plain.
So basically, you start making applesauce and just keep on cookin’ it down to get to apple butter!
How to Make Apple Butter
Core and slice: Core and slice your apples. You can peel them if you’d like, but there’s no need. The peels will soften as the apples cook and blend right up! Add your apples to a slow cooker or crock-pot.
Mix and cook: Add the apple cider vinegar or water and spices into the slow cooker. Stir all ingredients together, cover the pot and set to cook on low. Cook for 5-6 hours.
Blend: Once the apples cook down and are a dark brown color, turn off the crockpot and use an immersion blender to puree the apples until smooth. Another option is to transfer the mixture into a blender and blend until completely smooth.
Cook again: Once the apples are puréed, turn your crock pot on high and cook for 1-2 more hours. This will help thicken and caramelize the apples.
How to Eat Apple Butter
Apple butter is similar to a preserve or jam. Here are some ways I like to enjoy it:
- On bread or toast
- Mixed into overnight oats
- As a topping for pancakes or waffles
- Swirled into baked goods before baking or just a spread after they’re done baking
- As a sandwich spread
- As a spread for a charcuterie board
- Brushed on chicken for the last few minutes of cooking
- Serve it up as baby food – I didn’t know if Olivia would be keen on apple butter because of the spices but she LOVED it. I gave it to her straight up and stirred some into her oatmeal.
How to Store Apple Butter
After letting the apple butter cool completely, portion into airtight storage containers. I filled 2 8 oz canning jars with this recipe. Homemade apple butter lasts about three weeks in the fridge and for up to a year in the freezer. I usually keep one jar in the fridge and put the rest in the freezer to enjoy at a later time or to give as a gift!
More Apple Recipes to Try:
- Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
- Healthy Apple Crisp with Oatmeal Pecan Topping
- Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
- Date Caramel Apple Slices
- Healthy Apple Crumble Bars
- Fuji Apple Salad
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Healthy Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 6 medium apples, choose a sweet variety like Gala or Honeycrisp
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, or water
- 1/2 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Place cored and sliced apples (not peeled) into a large slow cooker or crock-pot.
- Add apple cider vinegar (or water) and spices. Stir all ingredients together, cover and let it cook for 5-6 hours on low.
- The liquid will reduce and the apples will be very soft, dark in color and smell heavenly. Turn the slow cooker off and then use an immersion blender to puree the apples until smooth. Another option is to carefully transfer the apples to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Once the apples are pureed, turn the slow cooker on high and heat the apple butter for 1-2 hours, uncovered. This will help it thicken and caramelize.
- Once the apple butter is the consistency you like, turn off the slow cooker and let the apple butter cool for 30 minutes before transferring into airtight containers for storage. Let the apple butter cool completely in the containers or jars before placing in the fridge.
- For storage: apple butter will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks or up to a year the freezer.
Notes
- If you want to make canned apple butter, I recommend doubling this recipe and following these apple butter canning instructions.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
Can you can these to preserve them without having to freeze?
My mom brought over a bunch of apples from her trip to the orchard this week and I can’t wait to make this! It sounds like the best recipe of all the ones I’ve looked up. I know it says to refrigerate it, but is that necessary? I really don’t need more than one jar of it for my husband and I, and I have some friends & family that recently moved away that I would LOVE to mail a jar to if possible. Do you think that is possible or would it go bad on its way there?
You could try shipping it but I’ve only ever stored it in the fridge or freezer.
Just put mine in the crockpot! It smells so good:) I’m curious if the skin on the apples will make it have a lumpy consistency..
This may sound silly… but do you have any idea how much of the apple butter would be equal to one apple?
Thanks,
Angela
Sorry, I don’t.
Thanks for a great recipe, I just finished making it and not only does it taste great but my house smells amazing. One question though, my butter seems more runny than it should. This is my first time making apple butter so I don’t know if it will thicken as it cools or if there’s something I’m doing wrong. Any insight would be appreciated, thanks!
You probably didn’t do anything wrong Katrina. Some apples tend to be juicier than others so maybe yours released a lot of juice making it more runny. Hopefully it thickened up as it cooled. Let me know. 🙂
I have been having so much fun with this recipe!! It’s delicious and healthy. I’ve made it 4 times now, trying different apples each time. I put them up in little disposable tupperware-style plastic containers you get at the grocery store. This keeps the cost down. A recipe yields about 7 or 8 of the little 1 and 3/16 cup tubs put out by Glad, or Raley’s brand. They have been wonderful little hostess, thank-you, or “just because” gifts. Once I put a couple of chopped fresh mangoes in with the apples. It was good, but I really like 100% apples better, so that is what I’m sticking with now.
Hi! I really want to try this, but I’m afraid of leaving my slow cooker on over night (its REALLY old and tends to over heat!) If I wanted to do this on high, how long should I leave it in for? Also, does it need to refridgerated or kept out? I can’t wait to try this!
Thanks so much 🙂
I’ve never made it on high, but I’d say 6-7 hours. You’ll just have to test it out and see if it’s done by then and if not, let it go for longer.
And yes, it does need to be refrigerated.
This really is good. I have made it several times and even added blueberries to it! Have not had ONE person say they did not like it! 🙂
YAY! So glad that you like it Enid!
Made this last night and pureed it this afternoon, and it turned out great! I accidentally doubled the amount of cloves & nutmeg, so it had more of a punch, but still tasted delicious. Thanks! 🙂
So glad you liked the apple butter Angela!
I have never had homemade apple butter, only store bought but this recipe sounds so natural and delicious. Also a better alternative to jelly/jams which can be filled with sugar. Definitely going to have to try this with my mom when I go home next weekend. I have also never thought of mixing the apple butter into my oatmeal in the morning, such a great idea and probably taste fantastic. Loving the fact that it’s no sugar added, apples have plenty of natural sugar already. I was wondering if you have any other recipes for other fruit butters?