Mini Slow Cooker Apple Butter
This small batch apple butter is a thick, spiced spread made from scratch in a slow cooker. It cooks a few apples down into a single ¾-cup jar, the right amount for one or two.
Servings: 12 tablespoons
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds apples
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Peel, core, and chop the apples, then add them to a 1.5-quart slow cooker.
- Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, and stir until the apples are evenly coated.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours, until the apples are very soft.
- Remove the lid and cook uncovered on low for 1 more hour, until the apple butter looks thick and darker.
- Blend with an immersion blender until completely smooth. To use a regular blender, let it cool slightly first, then vent the lid and cover it with a towel.
- Let the apple butter cool, then transfer it to a clean glass jar and refrigerate. It makes about ¾ cup (96 g, 3.38 oz.).
Notes
Use a small slow cooker. A small amount of apples spread thin in a large cooker heats too fast and can scorch at the edges. A 1.5-quart slow cooker holds this batch at the right depth so it cooks evenly.
Cook it uncovered at the end. Taking the lid off for the last hour lets steam escape so the butter thickens. Some apples are juicier than others, so if yours still looks thin, keep cooking uncovered and check every 20 minutes.
Stop while it still looks spreadable. Apple butter firms up as it cools, so take it off the heat once it mounds softly on a spoon. It sets up more in the fridge.
Start with fresh, firm apples. Soft or overripe apples hold more water and make a thinner butter. Fresh, firm apples cook down to a thicker spread.
If possible, chill it overnight before serving. The flavor deepens and rounds out after a night in the fridge.
If doubling the recipe, double the ingredients and use a 3.5 or 4-quart slow cooker.
Nutrition
Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.004g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 31IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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