Maple Apple Butter
Makes about 2 cups
Equipment
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 4 ½ lbs apples such as golden delicious gala, macintosh, honey-crisp or a mix!
- 1 cup apple cider
- ½ cup maple syrup*
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Peel and core apples. Cut into about 1/2 inch pieces.
- Add apples to a large heavy bottomed pot along with the apple cider.
- Cook on medium, stirring often, until apples are almost all broken down, about 30 minutes. As the apples cook, I also like to use a wooden spoon or a potato masher to help mash up the apples.
- Add in maple syrup and stir. Turn heat all the way down to low and cover. Cook covered, for 2 1/2 – 3 hours until the mixture is deep brown. Be sure to stir every 20 minutes or so to promote even browning of the apple butter.
- Once the mixture is deep brown, stir in cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. If the apple butter seems a little liquid-y, cook about another 10-20 minutes longer with the lid off, stirring constantly, until some of the excess liquid is cooked off.**
- Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.***
- Let cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge!
Notes
* Once apple butter is done, before storing, taste it to see if you like the sweetness level. Depending on the apple, and how sweet you’d like it, it may need more maple. Just add to taste at this point 🙂
**This will just depend on your apples! You are looking for a thick applesauce consistency. It will also thicken as it cools.
*** You can keep this chunky and not blend at all if desired. You can also use a traditional blender, just let the apple butter cool a bit, as the mixture will be super hot!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Can this apple butter be canned? If so, would you recommend hot water bath or pressure canner?
So delicious and easy!!