Apple butter
- Lucy Lord
- Sep 25
- 2 min read
Apple butter, named for its smooth, spreadable and buttery texture rather than any dairy, is a dark, glossy spread made by slow-cooking apples until they soften completely and take on a deep, caramel like colour and flavour. With minimal effort you’re rewarded with something sweet, spiced and endlessly versatile. Spoon it onto toast, crumpets or pancakes or swirl through porridge or yogurt. It's great for cake fillings and also pairs perfectly with savoury dishes such as cheeseboards, spread inside cheese toasties or served alongside roasted pork or turkey.
Time to prep: 20 minutes
Time to cook: 10 hours
Makes: 4 x 500ml jars
Ingredients
2kg apples*
200g light brown sugar
150g granulated sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
Method
Dice the apples into 2 cm chunks. I don't peel mine but it's optional, see recipe notes below*.
Place the apples into a slow cooker, then add both sugars, cinnamon and salt. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 9 hours, stirring occasionally, until the apples have completely broken down.
Use an immersion/stick blender to puree the apples until smooth*. Continue cooking on low, uncovered, for a further 1 hour, until the apple butter has thickened, turned glossy and deepened in colour. Stir in the vanilla at the end.
Turn off the heat and spoon the apple butter into sterilised jars.
Nutritional Information
(per tbsp)
20 calories
0g protein, 5g carbs, 0g fat
Good to know:
You can use any apples you like - baking, eating or homegrown varieties. Or use a mix and balance sharper, more tart apples (homegrown, bramley, granny smith) with sweet apples (gala, honeycrisp, pink lady).
Peeling is optional, I leave the skins on for a deeper flavour, richer colour and extra nutrients and fibre. Using an immersion/stick blender gets it really smooth, but if you can't blend them, peel the apples beforehand for a smoother finish.
If using steralised jars you can store them at room temperature for up to 1 year. Once opened, keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
