This smooth and fruity apple butter is delicious spread on toasts, mixed in porridge, or eaten with sweet potatoes or in sandwiches.
This apple butter complements both sweet and savoury dishes. Deliciously fruity, it works both as a spread and a condiment. It makes a delicious alternative to apple sauce or compote. Great to eat for breakfast, snack, in a sandwich or roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash.
Cooked in a slow cooker, this is a tasty autumn recipe that makes great use of homegrown apples.
I use our garden apples which are just standard variety. This recipe works with any kind of apples but the apple butter will cook faster with softer apples (such as Bramley, Golden Delicious etc..). To get the best flavour you can also mix different varieties of apples.
The quantity of sugar in this recipe is for medium-sweet apples. Do not hesitate to adjust how much sugar you use based on how sweet the apples you are using are.
Once made it will keep in airtight jars in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks. You can also can it in preserving jars for longer-term storage or freeze it.
Here are more apple recipes to try:
- Apple Turnovers
- Apple Crumble Muffins
- The Most Delicious Apple Cake
- French Apple Tart (Tarte Fine aux Pommes)
In this post
What is apple butter?
Apple butter is a thick, smooth, and highly concentrated spread made by slow-cooking apples with sugar and spices until the mixture becomes caramelized and flavourful. It has a texture similar to butter but is entirely fruit-based.
The apples are cooked with sugar and spices in a slow cooker for 10 hours or overnight until you have a thick and dark paste.
If you do not have a slow cooker, you can use a heavy bottom pan or a preserving pan.
Seasoned with mixed ground spices or cinnamon, apple butter has a delicious warming flavour.
How to use apple butter?
- Spread it on a sweet or savoury sandwich.
- Stir it into porridge.
- Makes a great addition to cheeseboards and a yummy alternative to quince paste (membrillo).
- Try it as a topping for pancakes or waffles.
- Makes a perfect condiment for roasted vegetables (sweet potatoes, butternut squash or even Brussels sprouts).
- Use it as a filling for pies, cinnamon rolls, scones, doughnuts, muffins etc…
- Makes an awesome low-fat alternative to butter and/or a low-sugar alternative to jam.
- Can be used in baking as a sweetener and flavour enhancer. It works well in recipes for muffins, cakes, cookies, and even bread. It can add moisture and a rich apple flavour to your baked goods.
I hope you enjoy this apple butter recipe as much as we do. If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!
This recipe was originally published in November 2021 and updated in October 2023.
Apple Butter Recipe
Equipment
Disclaimer: the equipment list above includes affiliate links to products I use and like.
Ingredients
- 2.5 kg apples
- 250 g dark muscovado sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp mixed ground spices or cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Peel and core the apples. Cut into small chunks.
- Place the apple chunks in a slow cooker. Add the sugar, salt, vanilla and spices.
- Cook covered in the slow cooker on low for around 10 hours. Stir from time to time. The apple butter should be thick and dark in colour.
- If you can see that there is too much liquid, cook uncovered in the slow cooker on low for another 2 hours.
- Blend to a smooth paste with a hand held blender.
- Transfer into sterile airtight jars and keep refrigerated for up to 2-3 weeks. Can for longer term storage.
Nutrition
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Frequently Asked Questions About This Apple Butter
No, apple butter is not the same as applesauce. While both are made from apples, applesauce is a chunky and less sweet puree, while apple butter is much thicker, sweeter, and often spiced.
Apple butter is generally considered a healthier alternative to some other spreads like jam or jelly because it typically contains fewer added sugars and preservatives. However, it is still sweet and calorie-dense, so moderation is key.
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