This Healthy Apple Butter Is The Perfect Spread For Fall Meals
This apple butter is a fall favorite. It is made in the crockpot—so you can set it and forget it—and is the perfect spread for any meal.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
*Recipe courtesy of AceFitness.org
Both healthy and delicious, this apple butter can be spread onto warm toast or pancakes, swirled into vanilla yogurt or oatmeal, or even used as a condiment on a fresh cut turkey breast sandwich. It truly is the item that goes well with just about everything!
Healthy Apple Butter
Serving size: 1 oz. (2 Tbsp.)
Serves: 24
Ingredients:
- 10 medium-sized apples, cored and sliced, not peeled (we like Fuji or Gala)
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups of unsweetened apple juice (or about 5 apples juiced)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. cinnamon (We often add 1½ Tbsp. of cinnamon, because we really love that cinnamon kick—plus cinnamon has blood sugar benefits!)
- ¼ tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. ground cloves (optional)
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg (optional)
- ¼ tsp. ground ginger (optional)
Directions:
1. Place apples into a large crock-pot or slow cooker.
2. Pour water, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice over the apples. Add apple juice and spices. Using a large spoon, stir the ingredients together.
3. Cover pot and let it cook on low for 15 hours. You can set the slow cooker on high for as little as four hours, but you will need to stir several times so that the apples don’t stick to the bottom. The apples should be soft enough to be mashed up with a spoon.
4. Turn the crock-pot off and let the apples cool for about 30 minutes.
5. Transfer the mixture into a blender and blend until completely smooth or until desired thickness.
6. Allow the apple butter to cool completely before transferring to containers, where it can be stored up to three weeks in the refrigerator.
This recipe makes approximately 8 cups. We love to freeze some of it and give some of it away—it makes a great gift!
Nutrition Facts Per 2 Tbsp. Serving: Calories 51; Carbohydrates 13 g; Protein 0 g; Fiber 2 g; Sugar 10 g; Sodium 2 mg
For an extra seasonal bonus:
Try mixing 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple butter with 1 to 2 tablespoons of canned pumpkin and stir in oatmeal or yogurt. If you have more of a sweet tooth, you may want to swirl a teaspoon of brown sugar in the apple and pumpkin mixture before adding to oatmeal or yogurt.
About the Author: Tammy Lakatos Shames and Elysse (“Lyssie”) Lakatos, The Nutrition Twins®, share a passion to teach people how to eat healthfully and exercise so they’ll have energy to live happy lives. Tammy and Lyssie are ACE CPTs, members of the American Dietetic Association and active members of the following Dietetic Practice Groups: Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN), Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine DPG (DIFM), Nutrition Entrepreneurs (NE), Dietitians in Business and Communications (DBC).