Apple Butter Recipe - Slow Cooker, Maple Sweetened (Can or Freeze)
Easy slow cooker apple butter recipe sweetened only with maple syrup for a rich, smooth lower sugar spread perfect for toast, desserts, and gifting.
Servings: 6 -7 half pint jars
Calories: 37kcal
Equipment
- 5-6 quart slow cooker
- hand-held immersion blender or food mill or blender
Ingredients
For a 5-6 quart slow cooker (halve recipe for smaller cookers):
- 8 pounds apples peeled, cored and quartered
- 3/4 to 1 ¼ cups pure maple syrup (I only use 3/4 cup syrup now)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice optional, but my favorite*
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves and/or nutmeg optional*
Instructions
- Prepare the apples, placing them right in the bowl of a 5-6 quart slow cooker as you peel, core, and quarter/slice them.
- Add all the remaining ingredients and stir well. Cook on HIGH, covered, 1 hour.
- Reduce to LOW, stir again, and cook, covered, for 8-10 hours (overnight works great).
- Uncover, stir, and cook on HIGH for 1 hour to reduce a bit, leaving the lid off (or halfway on) cooker.
- Use an immersion blender right in cooker, blending until smooth (or a food mill or transfer to a blender and return to crockpot). Continue cooking uncovered on HIGH until desired thickness, about 30 minutes up to 2 hours longer, as needed.**
- If canning, prepare canning jars, lids and canner while reducing. If freezing, let apple butter cool before adding to freezer-safe small jars.
- To freeze: Leave at least a 1-inch headspace in the jars to allow for expansion once frozen.
- To can: ladle into warm 1/2-pint jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace, wiping rims & attaching lids. Place in water bath canner, bring to a boil, lower heat to maintain a low boil and process for 10 minutes.
- Turn off burner, remove lid and jars let sit in canner for 5 minutes. Transfer to a towel-lined surface and let cool at least 12 hours without touching them. Check seals, label and store in a cool place.
Notes
*I don't like too many spices in our apple butter, preferring the flavor of the apples with cinnamon and sometimes allspice (it adds a great flavor). You can experiment and use none or all if you want - but the cinnamon is a must!
**You want a jam-like consistency. Check by letting the butter fall from a spoon - slowly is the goal - or by placing a spoonful in a small container to see if it keeps it's shape a bit.
To Cook On Stovetop:
Place the ingredients in a large 6-quart stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered for about 1-2 hours or until desired consistency, stirring every 10-15 minutes to make sure it doesn't burn. Freeze or can.
Storage:
- Canned: If it’s water-bath canned they are good for 18 months, the standard for canned foods with the two-piece lids.
- Frozen: It's best used within a year to 18 months, but it’s not for safety reasons, just the apple butter quality degrading over time.
- Refrigerated: Once opened a jar should last in the fridge 2-3 weeks.
Nutrition
Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 37kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.6g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 7.8g
