Easy Homemade Apple Butter (Slow Cooker and Instant Pot)
The perfect compliment to toast, muffins or a sandwich, this Easy Homemade Apple Butter can be made in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot and it keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks!
I’ve come to love Fall way more than when I was a kid. Probably because back then fall meant back to school. I did like school growing up, but what kid doesn’t love summer vacation! I’m less of a fan of summer now because it generally means I’m hot and uncomfortable and there are kids running everywhere around our neighborhood, ha.
Fall, on the other hand, now means perfect running weather, cozy sweaters, hiking, warm boots, apple orchards, pumpkin patches, beautiful changing foliage and most importantly it’s the season with the BEST food! It means warm soups and cider, delicious comfort food generally involving cheese and sweet, cinnamon aromas filling up the house! Things like this Easy Homemade Apple Butter are why I love Fall!
Slow Cooker vs. Instant Pot
This recipe first appeared on the blog last fall as a Slow Cooker Apple Butter, this year I’ve edited it to include an Instant Pot version!
There is only 1 difference in the ingredients between the 2 recipes. For the Instant Pot version there is 1 cup of apple cider added to make sure the Instant Pot has enough liquid so it does not “burn”. This makes the apple butter slightly thinner than the Slow Cooker version, but it’s still easily spreadable.
The biggest difference is obvious, the time! The Slow Cooker recipe cooks for 6 hours on low, while the Instant Pot version cooks for 5 minutes under high pressure. Of course, there is the building of the pressure to factor in, but the Instant Pot version takes about 30 minutes, while the Slow Cooker version cooks most of the day. I will say though, the slow cooker recipe slowly seeps a delicious fall scent into your home that is cozy and relaxing.
Bottom line, no matter which recipe you decide works best for you, you won’t be disappointed!
What do you put Apple Butter on?
Toast – it’s especially good on cinnamon raisin
Sandwiches – Hold the mustard and add apple butter instead! I slathered it in grilled cheeses over the weekend and it was amazing :), I also used it in this Maple Glazed BLT.
Ice Cream – Over vanilla ice cream when it’s warm… need I say more?!
Yogurt – Mix it into plain or vanilla yogurt, sprinkle some granola on top 🙂
Graham Crackers – Use it as a dip for graham crackers.
Easy Homemade Apple Butter – Slow Cooker
Description
The perfect compliment to toast, muffins or a sandwich, this apple butter is easy to make and keeps in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks!
Ingredients
4 cups apples, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
dash of sea salt
Instructions
Peel and chop 4 cups worth of apples
To the bowl of your slow cooker add honey and brown sugar
Add apples, stir to coat in honey and brown sugar
Add vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice and salt, mix
Set the slow cooker to “low” and cook for 6 hours
Turn the slow cooker off and remove the lid
Allow the apple butter to cool for about 10 minutes
Using an immersion blender* blend apple butter until smooth or desired consistency is reached
Put in a jar and store in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks
Notes
*If you don’t have an immersion blender you can transfer the apple butter to a blender or food processor for this step
- Method: Slow Cooker
Keywords: #slowcookerrecipes, #slowcookerapplebutter, #applebutterrecipes
Easy Homemade Apple Butter – Instant Pot
Description
The perfect compliment to toast, muffins or a sandwich, this apple butter is easy to make and keeps in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks!
Ingredients
1 cup apple cider
4 cups apples, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
dash of sea salt
Instructions
Peel and chop 4 cups worth of apples
Pour the apple cider into the pot of your Instant Pot
Add apple the apples, honey, brown sugar, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice and sea salt, stir
Lock the lid of the Instant Pot and set the pressure valve to “sealing”
Set the Instant Pot to “Pressure Cook” high for 5 minutes
The Instant Pot will come to temperature, beep and then do a 5 minute countdown
When it beeps again the cooking process is over, you may now quick release the pressure by switching the pressure valve to “venting”*
Remove the lid and turn off the Instant Pot
Allow the apple butter to cool for about 10 minutes
Using an immersion blender* blend the apple butter until smooth or desired consistency is reached
Put in a jar and store in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks
Notes
*Be careful, the steam released comes out fast and hot. You may also wait about 20 minutes for the pressure to release naturally
*If you don’t have an immersion blender you can transfer the apple butter to a blender or food processor for this step
- Method: Instant Pot
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If you make this Easy Homemade Apple Butter, let me know how you like it! Leave a comment here and/or give it a star rating! If you snap a photo I’d love to see it – share it over on Instagram and tag me @sprinklesandseasalt!