Slow Cooker Apple Butter (Old-Fashioned Spiced Spread)

Why you’ll love it

• Hands-off: about 30 minutes of chopping, then the slow cooker does the rest.
• Deep, caramel-like flavor with warm fall spices and no pectin needed.
• Makes about 5 cups, enough for breakfast all week and a few jars to share.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the apples

• 5 lb (2.3 kg) apples (about 12 medium), a mix of sweet and tart such as Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji and Granny Smith
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider or unsweetened apple juice
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

For the sugar and spices

• 3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp salt

To finish

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Step-by-step method

1. Prepare the apples. Peel and core the apples and cut them into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks. Put them in a 6-quart (6 liter) slow cooker and toss with the apple cider and lemon juice.

2. Add the sugar and spices. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and salt. Sprinkle over the apples and stir until evenly coated.

3. Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW 10 hours, stirring once or twice if you are around, until the apples are very soft and have turned a deep caramel brown.

4. Blend until smooth. Purée the apples right in the slow cooker with an immersion blender until silky. Or carefully transfer them in batches to a countertop blender, filling it no more than halfway, remove the center of the lid, cover the opening with a folded towel and blend; return to the slow cooker.

5. Thicken. Cook uncovered (or with the lid propped open with a wooden spoon) on LOW 1 to 2 hours more, stirring every 30 minutes, until the apple butter is thick, dark and glossy.

6. Finish and taste. Stir in the vanilla. Taste and add a little more sugar or cinnamon if you like.

7. Jar and cool. Let the apple butter cool 30 minutes, then spoon it into clean glass jars, leaving a little space at the top. Cool completely, cover and refrigerate.

How to know it is done

Apple butter is ready when it is a deep reddish-brown, thick enough to mound on a spoon and holds a clear trail when you drag the spoon across the bottom of the slow cooker. For an easy test, put a spoonful on a cold plate: if no ring of liquid forms around the edge after a minute, it is done. It thickens a bit more as it cools.

Tips for the best result

• Use a mix of apples: sweet varieties give flavor and body, and a few tart ones add brightness.
• Do not worry if the apples look watery after a few hours; they release a lot of juice and cook down later.
• Stir and scrape the sides during the uncovered stage so the edges do not scorch.
• Start in the evening and blend in the morning for an easy, overnight batch.

Variations and substitutions

• Less sugar: use only 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar and skip the white sugar; it will be tarter and a little lighter in color.
• Maple apple butter: replace the granulated sugar with 1/4 cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup.
• Pear and apple: replace up to half of the apples with ripe pears.
• Bourbon: stir in 2 tbsp bourbon with the vanilla for a warm, grown-up flavor.
• Stovetop: simmer everything covered in a heavy pot over low heat 1 hour, blend, then cook uncovered 1–1 1/2 hours, stirring often, until thick.

Make ahead

Apple butter is a perfect make-ahead spread for holiday breakfasts and gifts. Make it up to 3 weeks before you need it and keep it in the refrigerator, or freeze it for longer storage. For gifts, pack it into small jars, add a label and a ribbon, and tell the recipients to keep it refrigerated.

Storage and reheating

Keep apple butter in covered jars in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks. To freeze, pack it in freezer-safe jars or containers, leaving 1/2 inch (1 cm) of headspace, for up to 6 months, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. It is served cold or at room temperature; to warm it for pancakes, heat it briefly in a small saucepan or the microwave. For shelf-stable jars, follow a tested water-bath canning method.