Cinnamon Apple Butter
slow-cooked homemade apple butter hinted with sweet cinnamon and brown sugar
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 lbs honeycrisp apples, cored + cut into ¾” chunks
- 2 cups apple cider
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
Instructions
- Add the apples, apple cider, water, apple cider vinegar, and cinnamon sticks to a 6-7qt Dutch oven (or heavy-bottomed pot). Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the cinnamon sticks and set them aside. Transfer the apple mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the pot and add the cinnamon sticks again.
- Cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour, stirring often, or until the apple butter has thickened (when you dollop a small amount onto a plate, it should hold its shape fairly well).
- Turn off the heat and allow to cool for about 45 minutes, continuing to stir. Transfer the apple butter to an air-tight container (or into jars) and store in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 months.
Notes
When the apple butter is cooking on the stove for the last hour after it’s been blended, it will splatter…a lot. Stirring often will help. Unfortunately, you can’t quite put a lid on the pot or else the liquid won’t evaporate like it needs to for the apple butter to thicken. It can be sticky and annoying, but I’d say the finished product is worth it. Be careful, though, because the apple butter will be very hot when it splatters.