Homemade Apple Butter Recipe
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This homemade apple butter needs to be on your morning toast. It’s perfectly sweetened, spreads better than jam, and has no processed sugar added.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Your slow cooker does all the cooking, so there’s no standing at the stove to stir.
- It makes a bigger batch, so you can freeze some or share some with ease.
- You can feel good about enjoying this sweet treat made with all-natural ingredients.
What You’ll Need To Make Apple Butter
Apples – Of any variety. But consider what you’ll use it for. Consider how tart you want it.
Apple grape juice – 100% juice – no sugar added.
Unsulphured molasses
Honey – Any type you prefer.
Ground cinnamon
Ground nutmeg
Ground allspice
Ground cloves
Salt
How To Make Apple Butter
Gather and measure all your ingredients.
Cut and core all your apples and place them in the slow cooker.
Add your juice.
Add your honey.
Add the molasses.
Add your spices.
Add the salt.
Mix everything up and turn the heat on high.
After 2 hours, the juice should be boiling. Once it boils, turn the heat to low and continue cooking for 10 more hours.
When done, transfer to a fine-meshed sieve in small batches and press it through with a rubber spatula.
You’ll end up with a smooth butter.
Transfer this to heat-safe glass jars.
Cool on the countertop, then transfer to the fridge with tight-fitting lids.
Storage
Store this in food-safe containers and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Canning
This recipe has not been formulated for canning. If you wish to can it, please take the recipe to a master canner for further instructions
Freezing
This can be frozen. Pack it well so it’s airtight, and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More Toast Topper Recipes
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This recipe is adapted from Eclectic Recipes.
Apple Butter
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker (5-6 quarts is ideal)
Ingredients
- 12 small apples (of any variety)
- 2 cups apple grape juice blend (100% juice – no sugar added – Or two cups of one OR the other, depending on what you can find)
- 2 tbsp. unsulphured molasses
- ½ cup honey
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. ground allspice
- ¼ tsp. ground cloves
- ¼ tsp. salt
Instructions
- Gather and measure all your ingredients.
- Cut and core all your apples and place them in the slow cooker.
- Add your juice.
- Add your honey.
- Add the molasses.
- Add your spices.
- Add the salt.
- Mix everything up and turn the heat on high.
- After 2 hours, the juice should be boiling. Once it boils, turn the heat to low and continue cooking for 10 more hours.
- When done, transfer to a fine-meshed sieve in small batches and press it through with a rubber spatula.
- You'll end up with a smooth butter.
- Transfer this to heat-safe glass jars.
- Cool on the countertop, then transfer to the fridge with tight-fitting lids.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe from the Gracious Pantry® archives, originally posted on 10/21/09.
2 Questions:
1 – Do any changes need to be made to this recipe for HOMECANNING?
2 – WHERE do I find agave? Which type of store would carry this and in what aisle?
Questianna – I’m afraid I don’t know the first thing about home canning. Wish I could be more help there.
Agave is typically sold in the same isle as honey and maple syrup. I buy mine at Costco, but you can get it at just about any health food store these days. Even Trader Joe’s carry’s it.
And one more question on this…
Since your recipe calls for either honey or agave, how are the flavors different? What does Agave taste like and from where does it come?
Questianna – Thanks for the canning info! I’m just always worried if I do one thing wrong, I’ll end up making my little boy sick with botulism. I’m a worry wart when it comes to him.
Honey adds a definite honey flavor. Agave is more mild flavored, allowing the flavors of the fruit (or whatever you’re putting it in) to come through more. Hope that helps!
Thanks so much for this recipe! I’m with you on the canning thing – it makes me, nervous, too! Could this be frozen, do you think?
Carrie – I don’t see why not! You might want to freeze a small batch for a couple days to see how it holds up. Honestly, it’s never lasted long enough around here to freeze!
I am almost ready to begin making this recipe and canning it. Could you clarify if it is 2 cups apple juice AND 2 cups grape juice OR is it only 1 cup of each?
Questianna – It was a blended juice that I used that had apple and grape juice in it. If you can’t find a blend, then go for 1 cup of each.
We just made this and the whole house smells amazing!! Ours has been on low for about 16 hours, but is still fairly liquid-y. Us it suppose to be smooth like commercial apple butter? What about the skins?
How does the 30 grams/ 90 grams convert to say tablespoons or cups?
Anna – I just updated the recipe for you. Enjoy!
Thanks Tiffany!
I’m wondering about the canning. Did it work? Questianna come back! 🙂 I’m going to a you-pick orchard this fall, and would LOVE to make a huge batch of this to can. 🙂
Amanda – If you know how to can, it will definitely work.
This is fantastic! I’ve made apple butter for the last few years, but have just started down the clean eating path and now can continue to make it (was a big part of homemade Christmas gifts for friends and family). Do you know if it will can just as good with the agave as the hot water bath canning with the full-on-sugar?
Anna – If you are canning, I would be more likely to use honey because it is a natural preservative. But that said, you should know I know nothing about canning, so it might be better for you to ask somebody who knows more. Sorry! Wish I could be more help on that one!
have this in the crock pot right now, smells delicious! thanks for the cleanup on this one!
Sarah – You’re welcome! Hope you enjoy it!
Kelly – I’ve always treated it like jam. I spread it on toast or english muffins. You can also mix it in with some non-fat greek yogurt or mix it into your cereal or oatmeal in the morning. Yummy stuff!
Question – is it 2 cups apple juice AND 2 cups grape juice??
Jmitchell – No, it was a combination juice I bought. So it was 2 cups total. If you buy the juices separately, just do 1 cup of each.
my slow cooker is one if the big oval ones, is that too big?
Well, I would have to know how many quarts it is. But you should be fine. Just be sure you have enough apples to fill at least 1/2 to 3/4 of the pot.
how do you store it? freezer?
Shari – It can be in the fridge for up to about 2 weeks. Other than that, yes, the freezer is perfect. It freezes quite well. Enjoy!
Runnyingdeer – It sounds like the apples may have had more water in them than mine. You may just need to cook longer. Put them in a pot on the stove and gently boil them down until they thicken. You can add cornstarch if you want, but it’s really not necessary. They just need to be boiled down more. Let me know how it turns out!
Kassandrah – I keep it in the fridge or freeze it. Sometimes I freeze it in ice cube trays so I can take it out in small portions.
It was and apple/grape combination juice that I bought. So it’s 2 cups total. Not each.
I used unsulphured molasses.
I didn’t. But you can if you prefer.
Sure!