Spiced Apple Butter Recipe

An open jar of apple butter with a spoon, next to a plate of cinnamon sugar apple cider donuts and a small pumpkin

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Spiced Apple Butter Recipe

Thick, richly spiced apple butter made in the slow cooker with sweet apple cider, brown sugar, and warm spices. Make a small batch for the refrigerator, or water bath can it for the pantry shelf. No pectin needed. Yields about 4 half-pint jars, or one quart.

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 8

Processing 15

Total Time 8 45

Servings tablespoons

Calories 33kcal

Author Jennifer

Equipment

slow cooker 5 quart or larger
food mill (or an immersion blender, if you peel the apples)
half-pint jars, lids, and bands
boiling water canner if canning

Ingredients

3 pounds apples (about 9 to 12 medium), such as Fuji, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, or a mixture
1 cup apple cider pasteurized
1.5 cups brown sugar packed
2 tablespoons lemon juice bottled
0.75 teaspoon ground cinnamon
0.25 teaspoon ground cloves
0.25 teaspoon ground allspice
0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
0.125 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Wash, core, and quarter the apples. Peel them only if you plan to puree with an immersion blender. Cut especially firm apples into eighths so they soften more quickly.
Place the apples and cider in a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 8 hours, until the apples are completely soft.
Pass the apples through a food mill or food strainer, or puree them with an immersion blender. Measure exactly 6 cups (1½ quarts) of apple pulp. Refrigerate any extra pulp for another use.
Return the 6 cups of pulp to the slow cooker. Stir in the brown sugar, bottled lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and salt until evenly combined. Taste and adjust the sugar and spices now if you want to.
Cook on LOW with the lid off or propped open, stirring occasionally, until the apple butter is dark, concentrated, and thick enough to mound on a spoon, about 3 to 5 more hours. Stir more often as it thickens so it doesn't scorch.
Test for doneness by spooning a small amount onto a cold plate. It is ready when it holds its shape and no rim of liquid separates around the edge.
Transfer the hot apple butter to clean jars or containers.

Canning Instructions

Prepare clean half-pint jars and keep them hot. Prepare a boiling water canner according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Transfer the finished apple butter to a saucepan and heat it thoroughly, stirring frequently. It should be hot and gently bubbling when packed into the jars.
Ladle the hot apple butter into hot half-pint jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, adjust the headspace if needed, wipe the rims, and apply lids and bands fingertip tight.
Place the jars in the canner. Water should cover the jars by at least 1 inch. Cover the canner and return the water to a rolling boil.
Process half-pint jars for 15 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet. Add 5 minutes for 1,001 to 3,000 feet, 10 minutes for 3,001 to 6,000 feet, and 15 minutes above 6,000 feet.
Turn off the heat, remove the canner lid, and let the jars stand in the water for 5 minutes. Remove the jars and cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Check the seals before labeling and storing.

Notes

To refrigerate, simply transfer the hot apple butter to clean jars or containers. Cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

To freeze, leave 1 inch of headspace and freeze for up to a year. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

This recipe is adapted from the tested Sweet Cider Apple Butter recipe in the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving, cut in half. Ball's original uses granulated white sugar; packed brown sugar gives a deeper caramel flavor. For a closer match to the tested recipe, use 1½ cups granulated sugar instead. Sugar and spices are safe to adjust to taste. For canning, keep the apples, cider, bottled lemon juice, measured 6 cups of pulp, jar size, headspace, and processing time exactly as written, and use bottled lemon juice rather than fresh.

Nutrition