Slow Cooker Apple Butter Recipe

By: Wendy Kalen

A dollop of apple butter adds pizzazz to lots of foods — and it’s a breeze to make. This quick, simple recipe makes a large batch, so you can also share it with friends as a delicious, homemade gift.

Slow Cooker Apple Butter Recipe
Serves: 96 15-mL (1-tablespoon) servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 11 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Cost:

Ingredients
500 mL (2 cups) brown sugar
2 mL (1/2 tsp) ground cinnamon
2 1/4 Kg (5 pounds) apples, peeled, cored and cut in chunks 

Instructions

1. Mix sugar and cinnamon to combine
2. Put apples in slow cooker and toss with sugar mixture
3. Cook on low 10 hours
4. With an immersion or stand blender, puree the mixture
5. Cook on high 1 hour

Variations
Apple butter is really easy to personalize, so feel free to create your own unique blend.

• Choose whatever apples you love — a single variety or mix it up.
• For a tasty change, pears can be used in place of some of the apples.
• Swap out some of the brown sugar and use 125 mL (1/2 cup) honey or 250 mL (1 cup) granulated sugar instead

Add whatever warm spices you want:

• Ginger
• Star anise
• Clove
• Nutmeg
• Allspice

Tip: Cook the apple butter to the consistency you want. If you want it thicker, cook it longer and leave the lid off so moisture can evaporate.

Tip: With the exception of star anise and whole cloves, you can add the spices into the cooled apple butter.

Tip: If the apple butter is a bit too sweet for you, add some lemon zest or juice to taste.

Uses for Apple Butter
Apple butter is incredibly versatile. Use it:

• Slathered on toast
• As an accompaniment to pork chops
• Stirred into yogurt
• As a sandwich spread
• In oatmeal
• As a topping for pancakes

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