Oven-Roasted Apple Butter

 Oven-Roasted Apple Butter

Of course! Making apple butter in the oven is a wonderful, hands-off method that slowly caramelizes the sugars in the apples, resulting in a deep, dark, and incredibly flavorful spread. The slow roasting concentrates the apple flavor in a way that stovetop methods can't quite replicate.

Deep & Rich Oven-Roasted Apple Butter

This recipe fills your home with the incredible aroma of autumn. The result is a thick, smooth, and luscious apple butter that is far superior to anything you can buy at the store.

Yields: About 4-5 pints

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 3-4 hours

Ingredients

• 6 lbs (about 3 kg) apples (a mix of tart and sweet is best, e.g., Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Fuji)
• 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar (or ¾ cup maple syrup)
• 1 cup (240ml) apple cider
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves (or 2 whole cloves)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

Prep the Apples: Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Wash, core, and quarter the apples. There is no need to peel them! The skins will break down during cooking and add wonderful color and pectin.

Initial Cook Down: Place all the prepared apples in a large Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the apple cider, brown sugar, spices, lemon juice, and salt. Stir everything together. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat on the stovetop, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are very soft and starting to break down.

Begin the Roasting: Remove the pot from the stovetop. Using a potato masher, roughly mash the softened apples in the pot. Uncover the pot and transfer it to the preheated oven.

Slow Roast and Reduce: Roast the apples, uncovered, for 2.5 to 3.5 hours. Every 45 minutes or so, stir the mixture from the bottom up. The apple butter will slowly thicken and darken in color. You're looking for it to transform from a light applesauce to a deep, rich, mahogany brown. It's done when it's very thick and holds its shape on a spoon. If it starts to splatter or brown too quickly on the edges, you can reduce the oven temperature to 275°F (135°C).

Blend Until Smooth: Remove the pot from the oven. Let it cool for about 15-20 minutes. For an ultra-smooth texture, use an immersion blender directly in the pot to puree the apple butter until completely silky. Alternatively, carefully transfer the apple butter in batches to a standard blender (remember to never fill a hot blender more than halfway and remove the center cap from the lid to allow steam to escape).

Final Seasoning: Taste the blended apple butter. This is the time to adjust the flavor. Add more brown sugar if it's not sweet enough, another squeeze of lemon juice for brightness, or a pinch more cinnamon if desired.

Cool and Store: Let the apple butter cool completely before transferring it to airtight jars or containers.

How to Tell It's Done

The apple butter is ready when it has:

A deep, dark brown/mahogany color.

A thick, spreadable consistency. To test, place a small spoonful on a chilled plate. If no watery liquid seeps out around the edges, it's ready.

A concentrated, caramelized apple aroma.

Tips for Success & Variations

The Best Apples: A mix is key! Tart apples like Granny Smith provide acidity, while sweet apples like Fuji or Honeycrisp provide sugar and complexity.

Slow Cooker Method: After the initial 20-minute stovetop cook-down, transfer everything to a slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours, with the lid slightly ajar to let steam escape. Stir occasionally.

Storage: The apple butter will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. It also freezes beautifully for up to a year.

For Canning: This recipe is suitable for water-bath canning. Process half-pint or pint jars for 10 minutes (adjusting for altitude). Please consult a trusted, up-to-date canning resource for full safety guidelines.

Flavor Boost: Add a vanilla bean, split lengthwise, to the pot at the beginning of the roasting process for a lovely floral note.

Enjoy your incredibly rich and homemade apple butter on toast, scones, pork chops, or straight from the spoon

Oven-Roasted Apple Butter Video :