Here’s a simple homemade apple butter recipe 🍎✨
(Thick, smooth, and spreadable—no actual butter involved!)
Ingredients
- 4 lb (about 8–10) apples (Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith)
- 1 cup apple cider or water
- ¾–1 cup sugar (white, brown, or mix—adjust to taste)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cloves or allspice (optional)
- ½ tsp vanilla (optional)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions (Stovetop)
- Prep apples
- Peel, core, and chop apples.
- Cook apples
- Put apples and cider/water in a large pot.
- Simmer covered on medium-low for 20–30 minutes until very soft.
- Blend
- Mash or blend until smooth.
- Slow cook
- Add sugar, spices, salt, and vanilla.
- Simmer uncovered on low, stirring often, for 1½–2 hours until dark, thick, and glossy.
- Cool & store
- Let cool. Store in the fridge up to 2 weeks or freeze for longer.
Slow Cooker Method (Easy!)
- Cook apples + liquid on LOW 6–8 hours
- Blend, then cook uncovered on LOW another 2–3 hours until thick
How to tell it’s done
- Spoonful holds its shape
- No watery liquid around edges
- Deep brown color
Ways to use it
- Toast, biscuits, pancakes
- Swirl into oatmeal or yogurt
- Spread on sandwiches or grilled cheese
- As a filling for pastries
If you want a no-sugar, cinnamon-only, or super-fast version, I can tweak it for you 😊