Lower Sugar Spicy All Day Apple Butter

Enjoy the wonderful taste of homemade apple butter with this lower-sugar, spicy recipe. Made with fresh apples and a blend of warm spices, this apple butter is slow-cooked all day to create a smooth and flavorful spread. Perfect for breakfast toast, biscuits, or even as a topping for desserts. With less sugar than traditional recipes, you can indulge in this guilt-free treat!

Ingredients

• 8 lbs apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup unsweetened apple juice
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Place the sliced apples in a slow cooker.
2. In a bowl, mix together the apple cider vinegar, apple juice, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and salt.
3. Pour the mixture over the apples in the slow cooker and stir to coat evenly.
4. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 10 hours or until the apples are very soft.
5. Using an immersion blender or a regular blender, blend the cooked apples until smooth.
6. Return the blended apple mixture to the slow cooker and cook on low heat, uncovered, for an additional 6-8 hours, or until the apple butter has thickened to your desired consistency.
7. Taste the apple butter and adjust the spices or sweetness if needed.
8. Once the apple butter is thick and smooth, transfer it to sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
9. Seal the jars with lids and process them in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes to ensure proper canning.
10. Allow the jars to cool completely before storing them in a cool, dark place.
11. The apple butter can be stored for up to a year.

Interesting Facts