Slow Cooker Apple Butter & Apple Butter Pull Apart Bread

Appetizers, Breakfast, Desserts, Hungry, Sauces, , , , , , , , , 19 Comments

Hey Y’all!

There is something about this time of year that just makes me crave apple everything.  Apple Pie, Apple Cider, Apple Turn-Overs, or a crisp granny smith apple. One thing I’ve always wanted to try making is homemade apple butter. Then a couple of weeks ago a video recipe from the Brown Eyed Baker popped up on my Facebook Page for Slow Cooker Apple Butter.  Now you know I RARELY use the Slow Cooker because we just don’t get along, but I was willing to put things aside and give this recipe a whirl.

So this past weekend I climbed to the top of the pantry pulled, out the Slow Cooker, and made Apple Butter.  Now don’t get me wrong this isn’t a FAST recipe but it’s a very EASY recipe.  All in all it will take about 12-13 hours depending on how thick you want your apple butter and how quickly you can peel, core, and slice 6-1/2 pounds of apples. But think of it this way that’s 12-13 hours that your house will smell absolutely INCREDIBLE!!

Here’s what I did….

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Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Adapted from the Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients:

6-1/2 Pounds Apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced*

1 Cup granulated sugar

1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cloves

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger

1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg (freshly grated if you’ve got it)

1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon

1 Vanilla Bean, split in half lengthwise

1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest (about 1 lemon)

*For the apples I used (3 pounds) granny smith, (2-1/2 pounds) Honey crisp, and (2 pounds) Fiji apples.

Directions:

Toss the apples in the slow cooker with all the sugar and spices. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Then add in the vanilla bean, lemon zest, and give everything a good stir. Cover and continue to cook for 7 hours.  After 7 hours, remove the vanilla bean and scrap out any remaining seeds. Pureé until smooth (an  immersion blender works great for this). Once puréed continue to cook on low uncovered for another 2 hours.  The apple butter can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or stored in the freezer.

Now that you’ve got all that DELICIOUS Apple Butter what are you going to do with it?  Of course you can give it to your friends as a gift. Or serve it up on a Ritz cracker and I swear it tastes just like Homemade Apple Pie. You can never go wrong with a dollop of Apple Butter on a hot buttermilk biscuit.  Or you could stir it into you morning oatmeal.  Or even better…. If you just happen to have an extra ball of pizza dough in the fridge you could make a tasty Apple Butter Pull Apart Bread… with pecans of course 😉

Apple Butter Pecan Pull Apart Bread

Apple Butter Pull Apart Bread

Ingredients:

1 ball of Pizza Dough (homemade (makes 2 dough balls) or store-bought)

2/3 cup Apple Butter

1 Teaspoon Cornstarch

1 Cup chopped Pecans

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

2 Tablespoons Butter, melted

Apple Butter Icing

3/4 cups powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons Apple Butter

1/2 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1 Teaspoon Melted Butter

2 Tablespoons Water

Directions:

Place the pizza dough in a bowl, in a warm location, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 – 1-1/2 hours. With a little butter grease the inside of a 8 x 4 loaf pan.  In a small bowl whisk together the 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and the apple butter. Then on a well floured surface roll the pizza dough out to about a 16 x 8 rectangle.  Brush the pizza dough with the 2 tablespoons melted butter, then spread on the apple butter in an even layer.  Sprinkle on the pecans, brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.  Cut the dough into fairly even pieces about 3×3 square (they don’t have to be prefect) then stack up all the dough pieces into the loaf pan. Making sure the end pieces are dough side out.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow the bread to rise for 1 hour.  Uncover and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, until golden brown. (Be sure to place a sheet pan underneath the loaf pan just in case of over flow.)

Apple Butter Pull Apart Bread

Meanwhile make the Apple Butter Icing.  In a small bowl whisk together the powdered sugar 2 Tablespoons Apple Butter, Vanilla Extract, Melted Butter and 1 Tablespoon of Water (adding extra water as needed). Remove the cooled pull apart bread from the pan and drizzle on the Apple Butter Drizzle.

Posted by

My name is Melody and I am the cook and blogger behind Meals With Mel. I have a love for traveling, I share a joy for gardening, and I have a passion for cooking. Although I do some baking, I don't consider myself a baker as I can't stand having to measure. When it comes to cooking my philosophy is add a bit of this, a dash of that, a splash of something doesn't hurt, never forget some type of pepper and always add at least one clove of garlic. Thanks for stopping by my Spicy Texas Kitchen and I hope to see you again!!! Melody

19 thoughts on “Slow Cooker Apple Butter & Apple Butter Pull Apart Bread”

  1. Oh man! Both these recipes look AMAZING! Thanks for sharing. Think I’ve got some apple butter making and apple bread baking to do this weekend!

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  5. Oh Melody!! You’ve got me on these two recipes!! First of all the pull apart bread looks amazing and happily I have 2 loaves of the frozen Bridgeford bread in the freezer! I’ll give it a try and see if mine comes out as well as yours!
    And the apple butter brings back a “tragic” memory! When I was young my aunt (favorite person of mine!) and I decided to make apple butter for friends for Christmas. We bought some fancy jars with apples embossed in the glass and borrowed my grandmother’s old steel ricer, and spent a whole Saturday peeling and stewing and canning this apple butter, paraffin on top, the whole thing.. — We tucked it away for Christmas a few weeks away and when we took it out, it was all moldy!!! ugh.
    So, all that said, I should try your more reasonable version and see if I can redeem my apple butter skills!
    You are such an amazing real home cook Melody! Fun to find these two (are you still ready after my long drawn out story??) so thanks bunches friend!!
    And what are you doing for Thanksgiving?? Are you the cook? OK, that’s all. hugs!

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    1. Hi Rhonda,
      Great to hear from you 😀. I can’t believe you and your aunt did all that work canning the Apple Butter only to have it go moldy. Did y’all ever figure out what caused it? That’s alway a fear of my with canning… it just seems like too many things can go wrong. Needless to say this Apple Butter isn’t one for the canner but it freezes beautifully.
      As for Thanksgiving… This will be my first year to actually cook dinner for my family. I though it would just be my parents, sister, my grandpa and uncle…. but my mom just called me this evening to say that she had invited my grandmothers brother and sister and their spouses. So that makes a total of 12. It’s all gods though I feel like I’ve been training for this day for the past 12 years. Even though I never actually cooked on Thanksgiving before I’ve alway made a Thanksgiving meal for me and my husband. What about you? Will you be having the family over?
      Hope you have a great week!!

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      1. Hey Melody– I have no idea where we went wrong with the apple butter– complete amateurs! Your Thanksgiving sounds grand! I know you’ll have a beautiful feast on the table. Are people bringing dishes in? Can they all fit around your table? When we have 12 people we have to add a cartable on the end to make everyone comfortable. Hope it goes well!! and you post some of your dinner for us to try… Happy Thankful Thanksgiving!! hugs.

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      2. Hey Rhonda 🙂
        I can get 12 people snugly around my dinning room table (we’re a close family). Everyone if bring a dish and/or dessert thank goodness and I’m cooking the Turkey, Ham, Rolls, Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, and a dessert (I’m thinking the Ginger Bars). I’m really excited. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. Are you hosting Thanksgiving this year? And how is the sweet little new grand-girl doing? I see pictures on Facebook and she’s just as cute as can be!
        Here’s to the start of a Happy Holiday Season!!

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      3. Sounds like a great day together Melody– I’m imaging you have a family of good cooks. We’re up at our daughter’s house with about the same number of people– so I’m doing about the same as you up there with Ani in her kitchen– And the grand-girl will be the guest of honor–We’re all thankful she’s here! Plus the other gandparents (from Hong Kong) are giving a traditional Red Egg Celebration for the baby on Sunday. That will be a sweet time. Hope you’re week ahead is full of delicious times with your family and quiet moments to enjoy it all. Hugs Melody!

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  6. I attempted to make apple butter in a slow cooker a few years ago and it was one large disappointment. Well, I’ve a different slow cooker and now your recipe. The signs all point that its time to give it another try. Fingers crossed …

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