Spiced Apple Butter Recipe

When you make this apple butter recipe, prepare to be in awe of the heavenly aroma cascading

throughout your home. The scent of it is almost as amazing as its taste. ALMOST!

Our guests at the Historic Smithton love this apple butter, and I'm sure you will, too.

Make a batch for yourself and don’t forget to put some in pretty jars with ribbon as gifts for your friends and neighbors.

Crock Pot Spiced Apple Butter Recipe

What You’ll Need:

• 1 dozen medium apples*, peeled, cored, and quartered
• 1½ cups white sugar. (Reduce by ½ cup if your apples are super-sweet.)
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1½ T vanilla
• 1 cup apple cider (or flavored brandy if you’re feeling adventurous!)

How to Make It:


1. Combine all the ingredients in your crockpot and cook on high for 8 hours.

2. Use a hand blender to puree the mixture in the crockpot.

3. Turn the crockpot to low and cook another 8 hours.

Voila, you’ve got apple butter!

You can freeze it or can it after you make it, or put it in a jar in the fridge so you can use it right away. (It will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks when refrigerated.)

Most importantly, enjoy it. Try it on cottage cheese, crackers, toasted bread, French toast, pancakes, and whatever else sounds delicious to you.

About the Apples
The key ingredient in this recipe is APPLES! Fall in Lancaster County brings with it a mouth-watering variety of apples. I recommend buying them at one of our area farmers markets or local Amish roadside stands.

Better yet, pick your own! Cherry Hill Orchards (only 40 minutes from our inn) has autumn “Pick Your Own Fruit” hours Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Trust me, your entire family will love the experience. Be sure to bring your camera as you start a new family tradition.

By Rebecca Gallagher

Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography at FreeDigitalPhotos.net