Slow Cooker Apple Pumpkin Butter

This Homemade Spiced Apple Pumpkin Butter is sweet, creamy and so easy to make in your slow cooker.  ??

Fall ???? is definitely my favorite season for baking!  As my summer garden slowly comes to an end, it's time to start looking forward to fall and all it has to offer. As the season changes, fall also brings new in-season produce apples, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and winter squash. 

Oh, how I love apple and pumpkin season. For me there's nothing more comforting and satisfying than a pantry and freezer full of homemade and home canned items. Bags of summer corn and berries, jams, jellies, preserves, pickles, relishes, and homemade fall butters.  

I used to purchase store bought apple and pumpkin butter, but that was before I found out how simple it was to make from scratch. If you love apples and pumpkins as much as I do then you're going to love today's recipe for ?? Homemade Apple-Pumpkin Butter!  

This festive fall butter is sweet, creamy and so easy to make in your slow cooker. Just add sliced or diced apples a few spices into your slow cooker the night before and while you sleep your slow cooker does all the work. 

When you wake up in the morning the aroma of cinnamon and fall will linger throughout your kitchen! At this point all you will need to do is add the pumpkin, remaining ingredients and cook the butter an additional 3-4 hours to reduce and thicken.  

That's it, now you have a delicious apple, pumpkin sweet spread to enjoy on hot biscuits, toast, scones, bagels or added to desserts, quick breads, cakes and pies. You can even add a bit of the apple-pumpkin butter to pancake and french toast batter for a festive fall breakfast. Let's get started on the step-by-step instructions for this simple recipe.  

To start. peel, core and slice or dice the apples and place in a into a 4 - 6 quart slow cooker. I used an apple peeler that peels, cores and slices the apples. If you don't have one I highly recommend purchasing one, especially if you have a lot of apples or go apple picking every year. I used my casserole slow cooker and it worked out perfectly.   

Add the apple cider, 1 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. 

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours until the apples are extremely soft (I let mine cook overnight). 

Remove lid and using a potato masher or a wire whisk, remove any chunks from the apples until the mixture resembles applesauce. 

Add the pumpkin, brown sugar and remaining 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, lemon juice and salt.

 Stir until the mixture is well incorporated. 

Cook the mixture on low for an additional 3-4 hours (Tilt the lid a bit so the steam can escape) or until the mixture has reduced, thickened up and turned brown in color. Taste the butter and add additional spices if needed. If the pumpkin butter is too thick for your liking, just add a bit of apple cider and blend. If the butter is too thin, just let it cook some more with the lid off so the steam escapes. 

Transfer the apple pumpkin butter to hot sterilized half pint jars and cool completely to room temperature. Store jars in the refrigerator for up to one month or freeze for up to 6 months.

This pumpkin apple butter is the perfect fall treat and makes great holiday gifts. I hope you'll give this recipe a try. 

Slow Cooker Apple Pumpkin Butter

Ingredients: 
5 - pounds apples, peeled, cored and diced or sliced
I prefer Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Golden Delicious, Fuji or Gala)
1/4 - cup apple cider
1  - cup cane or granulated sugar  
1 - tablespoons + 1 - teaspoon cinnamon, divided 
1 - 15 ounce can solid pumpkin puree or 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree 
1/2 - cup brown sugar 
2 - teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 
1/2 - teaspoon lemon juice
pinch of salt 

Instructions: 
Peel, core and slice or dice the apples and place in a into a 4 - 6 quart slow cooker. I used my apple peeler and slicer, so my apples were not diced.

Add the apple cider, 1 cup of cane sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours until the apples are extremely soft. 

Remove lid and using a potato masher or a wire whisk, remove any chunks from the apples until the mixture resembles applesauce. 

Add the pumpkin, brown sugar and remaining 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, lemon juice and salt. Stir until the mixture is well incorporated. 

Cook the mixture on low for 3-4 hours (tilt the lid a bit so the steam escapes) or until the mixture has reduced, thickened up and turned very brown in color. Taste the butter and add additional spices if needed. 

If the pumpkin butter is too thick for your liking, just add a bit of apple cider and blend. If the butter is too thin, just let it cook some more with the lid off so the steam escapes. 

Transfer the apple pumpkin butter to hot sterilized half pint jars and cool completely to room temperature. Store jars in the refrigerator for up to one month or freeze for up to 6 months.

recipe yields: 4 - 5 half pint jars
cook time: 12 - 13 hours
slightly adapted from: Mountain Mama Cooks.   

Cook's Note: Canning is not recommended for pumpkin butter or any mashed or pureed pumpkin or winter squash. The only safe way to home can pumpkin is in cubes and a pressure can must be used. It's best to freeze pumpkin butter or mashed winter squash. 

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