I went the first 33 years of my life without apple butter. I didn’t quite know what it was. Was it butter with apples in it? Was it jelly? What did you do with it? What did you eat it on? I was skeptical. It was new. Then one day, curiosity won out, and I made my first ever batch of apple butter.

Apple butter, which has nothing to do with butter whatsoever, is delicious. It is like uber-thick applesauce with extra cinnamon. It is delicious warm or cold. I enjoyed it on biscuits, graham crackers, as a dip for other apples, or straight out of the bowl. (Or you know, off of my finger…)It’s GOOD. Don’t wait 33 years to find out!

This recipe is EASY. You make it in the crock pot, don’t even have to peel the apples, and get the added bonus of an amazing smelling house. Win win win.

apple butter

 

 

Ingredients

5-7 apples (just about any variety except Red Delicious, which I find decidedly not delicious, will work!)

1 T cinnamon

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1-2 t vanilla

To Prepare

1. Chop your apples. You can choose to peel the apples or simply leave them as is. I left the skins on to save time.

2. Add the chopped apples, cinnamon, water, and sugars to your crock pot. Stir.

3. Allow the apple mixture to cook on high for 3-4 hours. (Exact time will vary, depending on individual crock pots.

You are wanting to cook your apples until they are a nice, deep brown color. As the mix cooks, check once in awhile to see if the apples are still moist, and added more water if necessary. (I didn’t need to add any water.)

4. Remove the lid and blend with an immersion blender, or scoop into a food processor or traditional blender, and blend until you reach desired consistency. I like my apple butter to be nice and smooth. It will be THICK.

5. Stir in vanilla.

This apple butter is wonderful served hot or cold. Enjoy!