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4.9 from 117 votes

How to Make Apple Butter (No Added Sugar)

Homemade apple butter tastes like Fall in a jar, without any added sugar!

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
12 hrs 30 mins
Total Time
12 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 16
Calories: 44 kcal
Course: Snacks
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs . apples (I used Fuji)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 cup water

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Core and chop the apples (I used this handy apple slicer to do it quickly) and place them in the bowl of your slow cooker. Add in the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and water then cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the apples are tender enough to fall apart with mashed with a fork. (If you're using a VitaClay, this process only takes 2 hours.)
  2. To make applesauce, use an immersion blender to puree the cooked apples. (If you chose to peel your apples, you can just use a fork or potato masher to break down the apples.) You could stop here, and enjoy this delicious spiced applesauce, but you'll need to keep cooking it down to create apple butter.
  3. Loosely cover the pot with the lid, leaving a vent for steam to escape, and set the slow cooker to cook for another 6 to 8 hours on low, or until the applesauce has reduced by nearly half. Alternatively, you could heat the applesauce on high 45 minutes, then reduce the heat to low to quicken the process, but be sure to not leave it on high too long, or you'll risk burning the apples on the bottom. (I cooked mine in the VitaClay for 45 minutes on the "stew" setting-- which is high heat-- then transferred the applesauce to a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat to finish the thickening process, stirring every few minutes to prevent burning.)
  4. Once the apple butter is nice and thick, transfer it to a glass jar and store it in the fridge for up to two weeks. (You can also freeze any extra for a longer shelf life!) Serve the apple butter over your favorite toast, pancakes, meats, salads, or simply enjoy it by the spoonful!

Notes

  • *Since you have to leave the pot slightly uncovered while cooking, you may want to place some towels around your slow cooker to catch any splattering.

Nutrition Information

Calories 44kcal (2%) Carbohydrates 11g (4%) Sodium 1mg (0%) Potassium 91mg (3%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 8g (16%) Vitamin A 45IU (1%) Vitamin C 3.9mg (4%) Calcium 6mg (1%) Iron 0.1mg (1%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 44

% Daily Value*

Calories 44kcal 2%
Carbohydrates 11g 4%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Potassium 91mg 2%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 8g 16%
Vitamin A 45IU 1%
Vitamin C 3.9mg 4%
Calcium 6mg 1%
Iron 0.1mg 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.