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Holding up a spoonful of apple butter from a jar

Easy Homemade Apple Butter (Gluten-Free, Vegan)


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  • Author: Felicia Lim
  • Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 16 servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

Rich, creamy and silky smooth, this easy homemade apple butter is made in the slow cooker in just 5 hours. Slow cooked until caramelized, this gluten-free apple butter has a beautiful fall flavor from the spices used. Naturally dairy-free and vegan too.


Ingredients

Units Scale

Instructions

  1. Peel, Core and Cube Apples: Peel and core the apples, before cutting them into into small cubes.
  2. Place Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Place apples in the slow cooker, add sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and vanilla, stir to combine.
  3. Cook Until Tender: Cook the apples and the other ingredients on the high setting for 4 hours (or on the low setting for 8 hours). Make sure to stir the ingredients a couple times during this time.
  4. Puree Until Smooth: Once the apples are done cooking, puree the apples in a blender until smooth.
  5. Return to Slow Cooker: Return the apple butter to the slow cooker and cook on high for another 1 hour. 
  6. Enjoy or Store: You can either enjoy the apple butter or cool it before transferring it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

Apples: I recommend a mix of both red and green apples for a combination of tart and sweet flavor. Feel free to use the type of apples you like (Granny Smith apples, Gala apples, Pink Lady apples, Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp apples, Fuji apples, etc.).

Brown Sugar: I used brown sugar to give it a deeper flavor. If you are diabetic or insulin-resistant, I highly recommend using brown granulated monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 brown sugar substitute that is zero glycemic index and will not raise your blood sugar).

White Sugar: I used white sugar, but cane sugar will work too. If you are diabetic or insulin-resistant, I highly recommend using granulated monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 white sugar substitute that is zero glycemic index and will not raise your blood sugar).

Spices: I used a mix of ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg to give this apple butter fall flavors. Alternatively, you may also replace them with 2/3 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice instead.

Vanilla Extract: I like adding a bit of vanilla extract for flavor, and highly recommend that you add it too.

Storing/Freezing: You can either enjoy the apple butter or cool it before transferring it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.If you don’t plan on using the apple butter within a week, freeze whatever amount you are not using in freezer-safe jars (leaving 1 inch of space empty as the apple butter will expand once frozen). Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the frozen apple butter completely overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 hours
  • Category: Snacks
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: American