apple butter recipe without a crock pot

Growing up in Pennsylvania, we always had apple butter in our home. It was a staple for breakfast on the weekends – apple butter on toast. YUM.

But I feel like apple butter isn’t a well-known food in other parts of the country. I’ve talked about it to people from other states, and they always ask, “Apple butter… like flavored butter?” Maybe it’s a Pennsylvania thing? 

If you’re not familiar with apple butter, it’s basically a highly concentrated form of applesauce. It’s made by cooking apples slowly on low heat. The sugars in the apples caramelize, which gives apple butter a deep brown color. 

Farmers markets are great places to buy apple butter, because the ingredient list is pretty straight forward. No nasty chemicals, artificial sugars, or preservatives. However, I know not all of you live near farmers markets. So, I wanted to create a simple and sweet apple butter recipe that you can make at home… without a Crock Pot {because I personally don’t have one!}. I feel like there aren’t many recipes online for apple butter without using a Crock Pot, so I thought it would be fun to experiment.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m really not a baker. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE sweets, as long as I don’t have to make them. I screw up chocolate chip cookies, folks. But… this apple butter recipe was spot on delicious. So if I can make it work, anyone can. 

Let’s get into the recipe. 

apple butter recipe without a crock pot

apple butter recipe without a crock pot

Simple & Sweet Apple Butter
Print
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
2 hr
Total Time
2 hr 20 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
2 hr
Total Time
2 hr 20 min
Ingredients
  1. 6 small gala apples and 2 small granny smith apples (approximately 3 pounds total)
  2. 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  3. 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  4. 2 cinnamon sticks
  5. 1/2 cup water
  6. 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. Peel, core and dice apples.
  2. Place apples in a large frying pan with all other ingredients.
  3. Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
  4. Remove the cinnamon sticks.
  5. Place apple mixture in a food processor and blend until smooth. If you're making applesauce, this is where you'd stop. But we're making apple butter, so there's another step.
  6. Add apple mixture back into pan (without lid) and let simmer for 2 hours. Stir frequently, to make sure the sauce isn't burning.
  7. The apple butter is done when the surface holds its shape when drizzled with water.
Notes
  1. This small batch will only take about 2 hours to thicken. Larger batches can take anywhere from 6-10 hours.
Nicole Raudonis https://nicoleraudonis.com/
apple butter recipe without a crock pot

apple butter recipe without a crock pot

SHOP SOME OF MY FAVORITE KITCHEN ESSENTIALS

 

Lemon and Lime Juicer Set

Lemon and Lime Juicer Set
HIC Harold Import Co.

 

Calphalon Signature™ 2-Piece Non-Stick Frying pan/Skillet Set

Calphalon Signature™ 2-Piece Non-Stick Frying pan/Skillet Set
Calphalon

 

Apple Cutter

Apple Cutter
Freshware

 

Smoothglide Potato Peeler

Smoothglide Potato Peeler
Zyliss

 

Classic 4" Paring Knife

Classic 4″ Paring Knife
Shun

 

Wayfair Basics 3 Piece Cutting Board Set

Wayfair Basics 3 Piece Cutting Board Set
Wayfair Basics

 

 

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