Name: Amish Apple Butter Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 6 h 15 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6 medium apples (cored and diced); 1/4 -1/2 cup water or apple juice; ½ cup granulated sugar; 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract; 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon; ½ tsp. ground nutmeg; ¼ tsp. ground allspice; ¼ tsp. ground cloves; ½ tsp. salt

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This simple Amish apple butter recipe makes the perfect autumn treat. Learn how to make it on the stove top or in the crock pot!

a jar of apple butter with apples and cinnamon sticks

The scent of cinnamon apples always evokes memories of my childhood, especially the fall. I can still remember the taste of a slice of toast covered with apple butter while watching the first snow of the season out our back door.

My family would get Amish apple butter from a local vendor, and I’ve struggled to find the same kind of taste from the options available where we live now. This traditional Amish apple butter recipe was given to me by my friend Sarah, and it’s pretty close to perfect.

I also love that you can make it on the stove top OR in your slow cooker. Crockpot apple butter is a wonderful way to make your entire house smell perfect for fall, too.

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What is Apple Butter?

Apple butter is a traditional product made by the Pennsylvania Dutch and Amish in the area. Pennsylvania is full of apple-producing land, and apple dishes are well known as part of the landscape of this part of the country.

Apple butter is a rich apple spread. It’s made in a similar way as apple sauce, except with a longer cooking time and more spices.

Unlike apple butter purchased at the grocery store that might contain corn syrup and other preservatives, homemade apple butter can be made in a pretty healthy way using whole, natural ingredients.

Ingredients Needed for Amish Apple Butter Recipe

All of the ingredients needed for this Amish apple butter recipe can be easily found at your local grocery store. Remember that you can also scroll down to the full recipe card at the end of this post will all of the measurements you will need.

Apples
Apple juice (or water)
Sweetener
Pure vanilla extract
Ground cinnamon
Ground nutmeg
Ground allspice
Ground cloves
Salt

You’ll also need:

A large pot or 4-6 quarter slow cooker
An immersion blender
Wooden spoon
Jars with lids

When it comes to making the best apple butter, it starts with making sure you are using the sweetest apples you can find. Honeycrisp, pink lady, fuji, gala, golden delicious, red delicious and abrosia are all great options for this dish. You can also combine a few options for more depth of flavor! No matter which apples you choose, you’ll need to peel and core each apple, and then dice them.

For this recipe I use traditional granulated white sugar. However, there are healthier options if you prefer, like honey, coconut sugar, Sucanat or maple syrup. I use sugar because it’s what we usually have at home, and granulated sugar is what the Amish also use.

You can use apple juice or water for this recipe. Apple juice will provide a deeper apple flavor, but in a pinch water will be fine.

How to Make Amish Apple Butter on the Stove Top

Making Amish apple butter on the stove top is a great way to make this dish.

Place all the ingredient in a large pot and add ½ cup of apple juice. Cover, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cook while covered until the apples are soft.

Using an immersion blender like this, blend the apples directly in the pot. Remove the immersion blender and continue to simmer until the apple butter thickens. The apple butter will continue to thicken further as it cools.

How to Make Amish Apple Butter in the Slow Cooker

Place all the ingredients into a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Using the immersion blender, blend the apples in the slow cooker and continue to cook uncovered for up to 2 hours on low. The apple butter will thicken more as it cools.

Allow the apple butter to cool completely and transfer to a jar with a lid. Store your apple butter in a jar in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

You can also free apple butter in ice cube trays! Let the apple butter set in the tray, and then pop out the individual pieces of frozen apple butter and transfer to a freezer safe bag or airtight container. Frozen apple butter will last in the freezer up to one year.

Apple butter tastes great on toast or an English muffin!

It’s important to also note that this recipe is not designed for canning, as I am not a canner. This recipe is only designed to be cooked and eaten in the near future!

You might also enjoy these fall recipes:

Easy Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Rice

Spiked Hot Chocolate with Vodka