Fall is just around the corner which means it’s time to start dusting off the slow cookers, y’all! One the best things about fall is all of the warm spices – cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin pie spice – I can’t get enough! Apple butter is a staple in my fridge year round but in the fall I pretty much slather it on anything I can. My grandmother made the BEST apple butter – she’d cook and preserve big batches all throughout the fall from apples that my grandpa grew. There was always something special about cracking open a brand new jar. We actually love it so much that Tony and I spent several months before our wedding cooking and canning jars of apple butter on the weekends to give as wedding favors. I swore off apple butter making for a good two years after that project.
While this is not my grandma’s recipe (sorry – top secret!), it is a delicious adaptation and healthy version of the classic! This recipe couldn’t be easier to make – all you need is a bag of apples and a few spices from your pantry. It’ll cook away all day while you’re gone and you’ll come home to two jars of delicious spread.
You simply throw your apples in the crock pot, toss in your spices, and add some water. There’s not even a need to peel the apples – everything will cook down and blend together in the end! Once the apples are soft you’ll want to blend them up and let them cook one more hour until it’s nice and thick.
Since there’s no sugar added to the recipe make sure to use a sweeter apple – I prefer fuji apples. The recipe yields two pints of apple butter which makes 32 servings at 2 tbsp each. The entire batch of apple butter is 0 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green plans! It’s simply healthy, nutritious, cooked and spiced apples so feel free to smoother your toast and bagels until your Weight Watching heart is content! Enjoy!
- 3 lb bag of apples (use a sweeter variety such as Fuji or Gala)
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ginger powder
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ c water
- Slice apples into ⅓ inch slices. You can leave the skin on the apple but discard the apple cores.
- Place apples and all spices into your crock pot. Pour ½ c water over the apples and give everything a good stir.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 9 hours. *(See notes section for how to cook on high and in an instant pot)
- After 9 hours the apples will start to fall apart when you stir them. Carefully blend the apples using an immersion blender. (You can also transfer them in batches to a food processor but use caution as the apples are extremely hot).
- Allow the blended apples to continue cooking in the crock pot for 1 more hour.
- Carefully transfer the apple butter into glass jars. Allow to cool and place in the fridge overnight before eating. (Mixture will continue to thicken overnight and the flavors will be best after cooling). Enjoy!
Entire batch is 0 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green plans.
Apple butter should keep for about 2 weeks in the fridge. You can freeze half the batch to enjoy later or can using a hot water bath.
To cook on HIGH in the crockpot - cook apples on high heat for 4 hours. Blend with immersion blender. Cook for an additional hour on low heat, until it is nice and thick.
To cook in INSTANT POT- High pressure for 45 minutes and then allow the pressure to release naturally. Blend and continue cooking on low simmer setting until thick. I simmered mine for about 20 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Cover pot to prevent splattering. (I offset the lid just a tiny bit)
*Apple butter is meant to be cooked low and slow so I think it turns out best consistency-wise when you cook it on low. =)
*If you feel like your apple butter isn't thick enough you can cooking for a bit longer and remove the lid to help excess moisture escape. This could be due to using an apple with a higher water content. It will thicken some in the fridge. You can also reduce the amount of water to ⅓ cup water next time.
Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.
I am so excited you are making one of my recipes and I would love to see how it turns out! Make sure to share it on Instagram and tag me @rachelshealhtyplate and use #rachelshealthyplate so I can see your creation!
How is this different than apple sauce. Where is the ‘butter’ part?
Good question! Apple butter is cooked down longer than applesauce so that it becomes a super thick, spreadable consistency. There’s actually not any butter in the recipe so if you’ve never had it the name can be misleading. Apple butter is also much more heavily spiced than a cinnamon applesauce so it’s made to be used as a condiment.
I made this yesterday, it came out perfect…sweet, but not too sweet. Thanks for a great and easy recipe!
That’s great – thanks so much for coming back to let me know! So happy you liked it!
I know you show “0” points but when I use the calculator it is showing “1” point per serving. Mine would be Freestyle. What do you think?
All the ingredients used are 0 points so if you build the recipe on WW website it should show 0 points. If you are calculating points based on the nutritional info I provided it’ll give it a point because the WW app doesn’t know that the ingredients are 0 points if you are only entering in calories .. could be anything! Does that make sense?
Thanks, and YES that does make sense. I cooked mine over night AND OMG it is delicious. I can’t wait to try it on my #2ingredient bagel in the morning. Thanks for all your hard work .
Awesome – thanks so much for letting me know! I’m so happy to hear you are enjoying it!
How long will it keep?
Keeps two weeks or so in the fridge – you can also freeze a portion!
How long will it keep if you properly can it?
I’ve always kept my canned apple butter for a year or so – never canned this one but seems like it would be the same!
Could I make this in an instant pot? And is so, how long would I cook the apples for?
Yes – my friend tried it out in the instant pot! She did manual, high pressure for 60 minutes then natural release. She blended it and then cooked it down a few more minutes on the saute setting. Another person told me they did it in the instant pot in 45 minutes! Seems to work =)
Can you double the recipe in the crock pot? I can’t wait to make it!
I haven’t tried doubling it yet but I think it should work just fine! There’s plenty of room – might have to cook a smidge longer in the end. Enjoy!
Can you cook it on high in the crockpot for less time?
Yes- high for 4 hours and then blend it up. After that leave it on low for 1 hour. Tested it this week and going to update the recipe now! Enjoy!
I do not have a immersion blender or food processor. Can I use a regular beater blender?
Yes – just do small batches and be very careful because it’s going to be so hot. If your blender has one of those middle inserts for adding liquids I’d leave it open and cover with a kitchen towel so that the steam has a place to escape!
Just made it using golden delicious apples and wow, it’s amazing!!!! Thank you for sharing recipe!
Oooh yum glad it turned out! I want to try it with that variety too!
Have you ever made on the stove?
I haven’t made this version on the stove but my grandma’s was baked in the oven – low and slow. I’m sure it will work on the stove but apple butter really likes to be cooked slow so the flavors develop and it becomes nice and thick =) Hard to go wrong with this combo of flavors though so I’m sure it’ll be tasty either way.
Hello- Can you then “can” this recipe so it keeps longer? I am thinking Christmas presents.
Absolutely! I love canning apple butter – we made canned apple butter as our wedding favors =)
OMG this is BETTER then the sugared variety!! I will never be without it in my frig. My sister was amazed the skins blend to pulp and NO pieces – I used my Vitamix blender- the whole batch fit in at one time came out PERFECT.
I can’t wait for future recipes you do, love the 0 points. I thought I might try the crockpot liner but then I might miss some in the wrinkles- nevermind.
That makes me so happy to hear and I completely agree! I was kinda of amazed the first time too lol – I love that I can leave the skins on which helps keep it thick and leaves in all the good fiber and nutrients. Thanks for letting me know!
Hi Rachel – I just made this for the first time and it’s delicious! However I ended up with a lot of little pieces of rolled up skins in mine after pureeing in the food processor. Any ideas on why that might have happened? It’s amazing regardless I’m just curious if I did something wrong!
Hmm… I’ve only used an immersion blender on mine and haven’t had that issue. A friend did hers in the blender and it worked okay too. Should be just the same in the food processor. I’d think maybe just puree it longer? You could also peel the apples next time and skip the blending step all together. The apples will break down on their own without the peels but I like leaving them in for the added nutrients and fiber plus it’s a lot easier than peeling! 😉
Can I use a hand mixer instead of an immersion blender?
I don’t think a hand mixer would be enough to blend up the apple skin. You could peel the apples and a handmixer should be okay. I think the skins help thicken it a little at the end so you might need to cook it down longer to get the right consistency.
I followed the recipe exactly and mine is rather thin. Do you have any experience with adding something after cooking that might thicken it?
I’m not sure of anything that you could add but you could certainly cook it down longer. It does seem to thicken a little after it refrigerates. If you want to try to thicken this batch I’d simmer it on the stove and reduce it a bit more, just be careful not to burn it!