The Best Apple Butter Recipe
This apple butter is rich, smooth, and perfectly spiced, making it the ultimate spread for toast, biscuits, or even as a topping for desserts.
Ingredients
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the apples
Start by peeling, coring, and quartering your apples. If you have an apple corer, it’ll make this step even faster. You can cut the quarters into smaller chunks if you’d like, but I find it’s not necessary since they’ll soften as they cook.
Step 2: Cook the apples
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place your apple chunks, apple cider, and spices into a heavy-bottom, oven-safe pot. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure the apples don’t stick or scorch. By the end of this step, your apples should be soft and fragrant.
Step 3: Blend the apples
Remove the pot from the heat and let the apples cool slightly—about 10 minutes. Then, use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until it’s completely smooth. If you’re using a standard blender, work in batches, being cautious with the hot mixture.
Step 4: Bake the apple butter
Transfer the pot to the oven and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. After the first 30 minutes, stir the mixture thoroughly, scraping down the edges to incorporate any darker spots back into the apple butter. Bake for an additional hour, stirring every 30 minutes. If you prefer a thicker consistency, you can bake it for another 30 minutes. Just remember, the apple butter will thicken further as it cools.
