This Slow Cooker Apple Butter is the ultimate fall snack. It pairs perfectly with toast, crackers, fruit or veggies. Throw it all in the slow cooker and you’ll have a low-sugar vegan fall snack in no time!
Have you ever made something so good that you want to put it on everything? This Slow Cooker Apple Butter is one of those recipes. After making this and slathering it on crackers, I said to myself, “What else can I put this on?”
Turns out, the answer is EVERYTHING. Seriously, I’ve been putting this apple butter on anything I can get my hands on, from crackers to pretzels to toast to carrots to oatmeal to apple slices (apples on apples). Bill even suggested using it as a topper for popcorn, and I think that’s an amazing idea.
Let me back up a second. This recipe was created because we went apple picking and came home with about 20 apples for just two people. I was eating apples for breakfast, lunch and dinner (seriously), and I figured I better find a way to cook with them. I threw some in a slow cooker with some sugar and spices, and this apple butter was born.
I recently wrote an article for NBC News on the different types of apples, and I learned that certain types of apples work best for certain types of dishes. Since this recipe calls for a decent amount of sugar, the type of apple you use doesn’t matter all that much. I opted for Macouns because that’s what I had on hand, but I think any type of red apple would work.
So if you’ve recently come back from the orchard or farmer’s market with a major apple haul, add this Slow Cooker Apple Butter to your weekly meal plan. You won’t be disappointed!
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Slow Cooker Apple Butter
A delicious vegan slow-cooker apple butter.
Ingredients
- 2 apples peeled, cored and roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
Instructions
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Combine the apples, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, brown sugar, maple syrup and sugar in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5 hours.
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Turn off the slow cooker and add the fresh lemon zest to the mixture. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. (If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth).
I can’t wait to make this later this week! Thank you!
It’s so yummy and makes your house smell amazing!
Love apple butter in the slow cooker, so good!
The easiest yet best thing I have made all week! Love adding it to my toast in the morning!
I love how recipes like this get you to eat more whole foods and also provide an option to reduce food waste when you have more produce than you can handle. Well done, you!
Made this after apple picking last week – soooooo good! I’m with you, wanting to put it on everything and anything!
Current situation, house smells soooooo incredible!
how long does this keep or how do you store it?
It should stay for 2-3 weeks in the fridge. I stored mine in a mason jar, but I think any airtight container would work!
This is a great quick recipe, thank you for taking the time to write the article.