Description

Whether you are cooking fast or slow, we have the very best apple butter recipe to share for both Instant Pot and Slow Cooker methods.

Ingredients

Scale

5 lbs soft, sweet apples – cored and chopped into small pieces, about ¼” (No need to peel!)

1 cup brown sugar, packed (200g)

¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* Sometimes, I will cut the sugar in half for personal preference. If you are looking for that quintessential rich taste of apple butter, then don’t halve the sugar amounts. *

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

SLOW COOKER METHOD

Slice apples into small pieces (about ¼”) and dispose of cores (you do not need to peel the apples).

Place apples in the basin of large slow cooker

In a medium-sized bowl stir together sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cloves until well-combined.

Pour sugar mixture over apple pieces and stir until well combined.

Place lid on crockpot and cook on low heat for 10 hours.

Once 10 hours has elapsed, use an immersion blender to puree apples until smooth and no chunks remain (If you do not have an immersion blender, a regular blender will work. You may need to blend in small batches, depending on the size of the blender).

Stir in vanilla extract

Turn crockpot to low heat and cook another 2 hours uncovered, stirring occasionally.

INSTANT POT METHOD

Place the sliced apples into the Instant Pot. (No need to peel them)

In a bowl, mix together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples in the Instant Pot and stir until the apples are evenly coated.

Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and set the venting knob to ‘Sealing’.

Cook on ‘Manual’ or ‘Pressure Cook’ mode on high pressure for 15 minutes. After the cooking cycle is complete, let the pot naturally release pressure for 20 minutes.

Once all the pressure is released and it’s safe to open, remove the lid. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Use an immersion blender to puree the apple mixture until smooth. If you like a thicker apple butter, you can set the Instant Pot to ‘Sauté’ mode and cook, stirring frequently, until it reaches your desired consistency.
Allow the apple butter to cool before transferring it to a clean jar. Store in the refrigerator.

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container, where it will keep about 2 weeks. Remember, homemade apple butter, like applesauce, does not contain preservatives. Therefore, proper handling and storage is paramount to maintain its quality and safety.

Use it as a spread on scones, toast, muffins, pancakes, or stir it into oatmeal. Enjoy the rich, concentrated apple flavor!