
Apples are slow cooked with brown sugar and spices for hours, caramelized to make this sweet thick dark apple preserve.
It's late autumn in New York, the air is crisp, the leaves are falling off the trees and apple season is nearing it's end. A great way to preserve those apples for the winter months is to make apple butter. You can jar this to preserve for later use or you can refrigerate to use right away.
Apple butter is great on pancakes, biscuits, oatmeal, as a condiment, with pork, or you can bake with it. I'm looking forward to trying this grilled turkey, brie and apple butter sandwich from Tyler Florence with my leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Doesn't that sound amazing!
What's your favorite way to use apple butter?

Slow Cooked Apple Butter
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 16 • Serving Size: 2 tablespoons • Old Points: 1 pt • Points+: 3 pts
Servings: 16 • Serving Size: 2 tablespoons • Old Points: 1 pt • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 88.5 • Fat: 0.3 g • Protein: 0.2 g • Carb: 24.5 g • Fiber: 2.2 g
- 2.5 lbs (6 large) apples, peeled, cored, finely chopped (I used honeycrisp and gala)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
Place the apples in a slow cooker. Top with sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg and mix well.
Cover and cook on low 10 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.
Uncover and puree with an immersion blender. Cook on high uncovered 1-2 hours.
Spoon into sterile jars, or containers and refrigerate.
Makes 2 cups.


















I cannot wait to try this, if it is as amazing as your pumpkin butter, I know what I will be making and giving away as gifts to my guests on Thanksgiving!! :)
ReplyDeleteHi lady!!! This looks delicious! You are one talented mama!
ReplyDeleteXOX,
Lauren
Could I do this with a regular blender rather then an immersion blender? Looks amazing and the sandwhich sounds awesome!
ReplyDeleteI have been making apple butter all season! I don't use brown sugar but I love it either way. I just made an Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie
ReplyDeleteAmanda that sounds delicious!
ReplyDeleteSure, a regular blender works, just be careful not to burn yourself.
The recipe sounds so amazing and easy. I love my slow cooker and I think I will give this a try since I have family coming for Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteHow long does this keep? If you were to can it?
ReplyDeleteDutch- Very easy, just slow :)
ReplyDeleteAccording to the National Center for Home Food Preservation:
Properly canned food stored in a cool, dry place will retain optimum eating quality for at least 1 year. Canned food stored in a warm place near hot pipes, a range, a furnace, or in indirect sunlight may lose some of its eating quality in a few weeks or months, depending on the temperature. Dampness may corrode cans or metal lids and cause leakage so the food will spoil.
Here's the link http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/questions/FAQ_canning.html#5
I am just about to make my second batch of the pumpkin butter, which is amazing.
ReplyDeleteI will be making the apple butter later in the week.
This is my favorite time of year and all your autumn receipes are fast becoming my favorites.
Hello, I just want to make sure about something. I am planning to give some jars as gifts. Do I have to heat treat or pressure cook the jars or just fill them and put the lids on?
ReplyDeleteHi Gina,
ReplyDeleteCan you freeze this? I'm wondering if I can make it now, then give it away as Christmas presents?!! Love your website!!
Thank you!
I cooked this last night and woke up to the wonderful smell of apples. It was perfect on my oatmeal this morning!
ReplyDeleteI used Splenda brown sugar blend instead of regular brown sugar. It came out a little sweeter than I would like. Next time I will half the amount of the blend. Otherwise it was easy and tasty! Another fabulous recipe!
Bravo Gina!
Did you peel and slice the apples first, or put them in whole?
ReplyDelete:)
Valerie
Hi Valerie,
ReplyDeleteI peeled, cored, and finely chopped them.
Good to know, GIna... take a look at the post I just posted. The labels would be great for this apple butter!
ReplyDelete:)
Valerie
To jar this, you would have to follow instructions for canning. Here is a great resource for canning, freezing, etc.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_home.html
This looks delicious! And so easy. I'm definitely going to try this for my own home, and jar as gifts.
ReplyDeleteI love apple butter on toast, English Muffins, angel food cake, pancakes, waffles, etc.
My house smells so yummy right now as it cooks. Thanks so much. We LOVED your pumpkin butter, really looking forward to the apple butter. Peace
ReplyDeleteI love to dip baby carrots in apple butter!! Yum!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this recipe! I love your pumpkin butter recipe and my husband and I are huge apple butter fans, so I cannot wait to make this!
ReplyDeleteHi Gina! I was wondering if I need to add water to the apples while they slow cook? Thanks for the recipe!!
ReplyDeleteNo water, the apples have enough juice if you are using a crock pot.
ReplyDeleteSo good! I made this yesterday, and not only was it really easy, it was absolutely delicious. It made enough for me to fill 3 8-oz canning jars, so I even had enough to give one to my mother in law. Wonderful recipe!
ReplyDeleteI'm just getting into canning!
ReplyDeleteMy kitchen smells heavenly right now! I put the crock pot on last night and woke up to some amazing apple butter. This will be a great addition to my morning oatmeal this week. Thanks so much Gina!
ReplyDeleteI love how my house smells when this is cooking. This is also yummy with cottage cheese.
ReplyDeleteOh, my gosh! I've been wanting to try making apple butter, but it seemed like so much work! I can do this! Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteI made this and it was delicious- like spreadable apple pie. I wasn't back on plan at the time, which was probably a good thing, 'cause I'm pretty sure I ate about 10 servings all on my own. Made a very popular appetizer w/ graham crackers at an Xmas tree party last week.
ReplyDeleteI've been on the plan for a little over a year and continue to maintain my goal..I owe some of that to you Gina :) Thanks for helping me "keep it fresh" with your awesome blog. My 17 year old son is a wrestler and has to watch his weight this time of year....he LOVES the healthy, delicious foods I make from your site and this slow cooked apple butter is one of his favorites!
ReplyDeleteI googled and got your website, and I'm glad I did. I'm trying to make a menu plan for up to a month on the Points Plus Plan. Although it's hard because my husband has more points. I am just focusing on what I can have and adding a little bit more to add to his. I have lost 15 lbs through the holidays and I do believe points plus is a better plan if you follow it faithfully. I'm right now cooking your apple butter and it does give out a very lovely aroma! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWelcome Shari!
ReplyDeleteHas anyone tried making this exclusively with Splenda? Just wondering - seems like that would pretty much make it "free".
ReplyDeleteI just ran this through the Weight Watcher Recipe Builder and even when using Splenda and Splenda Brown Sugar Blend, it still comes out to 2 Points Plus points per two tablespoon serving. Sigh...
ReplyDeleteSo dang good- thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI only tried apple butter once, and hated it. For some reason I gave this a try, and it was amazing! Thank you for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteSo brave of you to try something you hated before!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to try this! I'm stuck with "soft, cool foods" for the next week (thank you, dental surgery!) and this should be a good way to get some healthy stuff into me (and the pumpkin butter :). Here's hoping the store has the apples I need!
ReplyDeleteI made this apple butter yesterday... oh so good! I had some for breakfast mixed into greek yogurt...delicious.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe.
Has anyone tried this with agave nectar?? I'd like to if it would turn out the same.
ReplyDeleteI made this today and it was heavenly. I did use sugar/splenda blend and it worked well. I used the finished prodcut on a pork chop recipe and it was so yummy on pork. Way better than buying a canned version. I will never buy canned again, thanks!!
ReplyDeleteDo you use "vailla sugar"?
ReplyDeleteI've made a batch with raw sugar and we love the extra flavor that it adds to everything. We actually use less sugar in everything because of the vanilla beans. I only added 1/3 cup of the sugar mixture to my slow cooking apples and it's tasting pretty sweet already. We'll see how it turns out.
If I make this using the Splenda Brown sugar blend, will the points go down?
ReplyDeleteVernnice I love vanilla sugar, plan on making it for Mother's day!
ReplyDeleteSarah I believe you would use half of the amount of sugar listed in the recipe. If so the points will go down slightly, use recipe builder to see for sure.
I've never canned before(although I would LOVE to learn) and don't own any of the things I would need to can. I do make freezer jam every year and I was wondering if you think this would freeze well?
ReplyDeleteYes I think this would freeze ok.
ReplyDeleteSo excited to try this! I love your pumpkin butter. I made a big batch of it last fall and froze it in ice cube trays then popped them out into a plastic bag for easy storage. Worked great! Just grab a cube and add it to whatever! I'll be doing the same with the apple butter!
ReplyDeletewhat size slow cooker?
ReplyDeleteMine is pretty large. Large enough to hold all those apples.
ReplyDeleteI made this last weekend, and it is delicious. Plus the house smells so good when it is cooking!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to go apple picking and make this again!
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine made this and considering that I don't even like apple butter....this was one of the best things EVER!! My family and I are going to the orchard to pick apples today and I can't wait to make my own!! :)
ReplyDeleteWe just went apple picking yesterday and I would love to make this, but I don't have a crock pot. Is there another alternative? Could I slow roast it in the oven?
ReplyDeleteI'm in the process of making this right now... it could not be easier and my apartment smells amazing!! Apple butter & cottage cheese is my favorite!
ReplyDeleteI am going to make this ovwer the weekend with the apples that I picked. I can't wait to try it. I would love to see some more crockpot recipes for us working women. :-) Your recipes are amazing! Thank you and keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteI just made this last night. I doubled the batch, added a little bit of ground cloves, and then canned it. I have 9 adorable 4 oz jars full of apple butter and I can't wait to eat it!
ReplyDeleteMy coworkers and I are OBSESSED with this recipe!!!! I even made a huge batch and canned it for the winter. It turns cottage cheese into something magical. Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteOh this looks delicious!!! Once I make it, if I don't can it, how long will it stay good in the refrigerator?
ReplyDeleteinterestingly, I make my own 'Apfelmuss' - it's not apple sauce nor is it apple puree... so we call it by the German name... however I just use pink lady apples (and if i can't get them, then i'll go for any eating apples) - peel, quarter and core them, and into the slow cooker... which I just leave going until they have turned a deep caramel colour.... I don't use sugar at all... if you leave them long enough, they don't need it!!!!
ReplyDeletealso don't use any spices - my DDs get to choose which spice/s they want, when they eat it!
Oh... and as a lapsed WWer this comment may not surprise... it's utterly divine with homemade lemon custard (in a Thermomix, if you have one!)
thanks for your recipes!!! I'd like to think I'll climb back on the wagon.... my hips would really prefer to be there!!
Love love love this recipe!
ReplyDeleteEasy and great tasting.. So good in the morning with toast!
Ever since I was a little girl we had apple butter with our breakfast sausage, my daughter now will not have it any other way. Of coarse we use turkey sausage to skinny it up. Looking forward to trying this recipe.
ReplyDeleteI made this Friday night and have been enjoying it on toast, but I found a new use for it today.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to make my Dijon lime chicken but noticed that we were out of Dijon mustard. I remembered the apple butter in the fridge and decided to go a different route. I threw this together for dinner tonight with sweet potato fries, and applesauce cake for dessert and received great reviews from my family and in-laws. Hopefully you will like it too.
Apple Chicken
4 Chicken Breasts
2 T Oil
½ C Marsala Wine
2 T Butter or Margarine (for creaminess)
4 T Apple Butter
Water (to thin as needed)
Pound chicken breasts thin (cut and remove fat and gristle). Salt and pepper both sides. Saute for 4-5 min on each side, until just done (remove from heat).
Deglaze pan with Marsala wine. Add butter, apple butter and water, whisk until smooth. Turn pan to low, return chicken back to pan to coat with sauce and warm chicken.
Serve immediately.
Hi Gina!!! I love love love this recipe! Can you tell me how long it will stay good in the refrigerator?
ReplyDeletei just wanted to comment on the anon poster who complained the points were wrong. i just rechecked the recipe. the 2pts calculation is right on for a 2 tbsp serving on Points Plus as the recipe is written (with brown and white sugar). I'll be making this soon! Thanks so much. your site is inspiring!
ReplyDeleteHi Gina! I would like to only use turbinado sugar. Do you think it will taste good if I do that? Also, how much should I use? Your site is my go to for all dinners, thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteIncredible! This was so easy to make! I used pears instead of apples and also added a freshly squeezed orange and some orange zest to it. It turned out wonderful. Now I know what I'm giving away for the holidays this year!
ReplyDeleteI gave this recipe a try and it is wonderful! Reminds me of my childhood.
ReplyDeleteI'm definately going to try this apple butter recipe its sounds so divine and yummy!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you posted this!! I made it and liked it so much I decided to make a bunch to go in my gift baskets (already loaded with breads) for Christmas gifts!!
ReplyDeleteTHANKS!
xox jen
I made this yesterday and it's so good! I had a few left over apples and I'm so glad I came across your website. I'm constantly searching for easy and tasty vegan recipes. I did reduce the amount of sugar a bit and it still turned out pretty sweet and delicious! I've canned some and plan to serve it Christmas morning with biscuits. Thanks for the recipe!!
ReplyDelete*I'm currently baking the Apple/Cranberry crisps (sub vegan butter for diary) and it smells yum!!
Question for you - I'm not actually "canning" this (since I don't know how), however, I do plan on making a large batch, and putting them into little cute jars and giving them to family members. Does the apple butter need to cool to room temperature BEFORE I put it in the fridge? Also, do you know how long these will last in the fridge since I'm not canning and will just have them in jars? Thank you!! Love your site!
ReplyDeleteJust an idea: Splenda makes a Splenda and brown sugar mixture that would lower the sugar intake for this recipe. Not to mention, regular Splenda would work on many more recipes :) My mom and I substitute white sugar for Splenda all the time and nobody can ever tell the difference!
ReplyDeleteI was going to ask about the substitution.. Is it the same measurments?
DeleteCottage cheese - apple butter - crushed pineapples makes the best snack or dessert
ReplyDeleteGina ia there anyway to substitute the sugsr with agve? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteCan I use green apples? Will it change the taste too much?
ReplyDeleteThis might be a dumb question but...
ReplyDeleteDo I have to use a jar? How long will it last without a jar??
If I do use a jar how long will it last??
Thanks
Very cool. The thing that makes it that much more fun for me is the mason jar, being such a fanatic about them. I'm not usually into apple butter, but this weekend I ended up at Cracker Barrel and was made to try it and I was sold! It was delicious on their biscuits. Thanks for the share here.
ReplyDeleteI freeze both applesauce and apple butter. They are both fine preserved this way.
ReplyDeleteJust made this, but left the skin on. It tastes amazing!! IMO, better then peeling them. So if you're lazy (like me) and don't want to peel, just know, you don't have to!
ReplyDeleteWhen you make this, and it calls for 2.5 pounds apples, is it ok to weigh the cut apples to get 2.5 cut apples going into crockpot?
ReplyDeleteA lady up the road just gave me a bunch of apples, im going to try this for the first time tonight after dinner (our dinner is cuurently in the crockpot lol) Im really hoping it turns out, i've never canned anything before and hope I don't kill someone LOL
ReplyDeletesounds so yummy
ReplyDeleteWould it work to put it in the food processor if I don't have an immersion blender? Thanks! LOVE your site! I'm on it several times a day using your amazing recipes!
ReplyDeleteI made this last night, and it is delicious! I don't have an immersion blender so I just scooped it into a regular one and it worked (immersion would've been better). Thanks so much for the awesome recipe. It's a keeper in our house now!
ReplyDeleteI don't have any jars and am wondering if I can just store it in the fridge with Tupperware.
ReplyDeleteWould it work to use honey instead of sugar?
ReplyDeleteDo you think you could use Agave instead of white sugar?
ReplyDeleteCan anyone tell me what is allspice? In Hungary it is not known; can I substitue it with any other spices?
ReplyDeleteGina, if I am going to be canning this up for family and friends for Christmas do I need to put any pectin in it? Also how big is your slow cooker? I wanted to triple this recipe, mine is pretty big. I think 7 Qt.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get great pictures but I made this and it was great! Check it out here:
ReplyDeletehttp://imake2.blogspot.fr/2012/12/apple-butter.html
Thanks!
I'm so excited to try it! It's cooling off right now and looks so yummy. I'm also quite pleased that the color/consistency looks exactly like your picture. :) WOOT!
ReplyDelete