Fruit butter is my favorite way to preserve. The simplicity and the fact that it uses the whole fruit. Fruit butter is fruit that has been cooked to a paste, condensed significantly, and sweetened. Apple butter is one of the most common, but I also love to make apricot, peach, and grape butter.
Years ago, apple butter was often made on farms amongst neighbors. Locals would gather together and use up all their extra apples, especially the ones that didn’t look as good. Back then, they cooked large quantities of the mixture over an outdoor fire in large brass kettles outside. It took hours to condense the fruit to a paste-like spread.
Apple butter still needs to be cooked for hours before it’s ready, but in these modern times (ha!), we’re lucky to have more options for cooking. For a long time, I would use the stove to make my apple butter. But this was often rather cumbersome: the mixture had to be constantly watched and could easily burn.
The light bulb moment was when I started using my slow cooker. By nature, slow cookers allow you the freedom to walk away without the need to babysit the mixture. The necessary hours of cooking can be done overnight and you’re likely to wake up to an amazing fragrance that fills the house, a welcome by-product.
Soon after publishing my slow cooker apple butter recipe, I started receiving requests for pumpkin butter. So I gladly made my version so everyone could enjoy it! While I love pumpkin butter, I find that pumpkin alone doesn’t have as much flavor and needs some additional sweetness. Mixing in apples with the pumpkin gives a richer consistency and acts as a natural sweetener.
Like most slow cooker recipes, this really is a set-it-and-forget recipe. To bring out the pumpkin, the spices are a bit different than traditional apple butter, harkening towards the flavors of pumpkin pie: spicy ginger, warm cinnamon, and bright allspice.
After the mixture cooks and is ready to blend, I add a little maple extract. While you may be tempted to swap out the extract for maple syrup, I’ve found that syrup is lost in the long cooking time and doesn’t lend any flavor. Extract adds a condensed flavor and mixes with the spices to create a full-flavored fall treat.
Watch how to make this pumpkin apple butter
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 8 cups chopped apples
- 6 cups peeled and cubed squash or pumpkin (I use kabocha squash)
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 3 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Pour all apples and squash into a 7-quart slow cooker.
- Add sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, and salt. Stir to incorporate everything.
- Turn slow cooker on high for 8 hours.
- After the 8 hours, stir and continue to cook until the excess liquid has cooked off, about 2-4 hours.
- After the liquid has reduced and the butter has cooked at least 12 hours blend in a high-powered blender. Be sure to let the steam release while blending
- Let cool. Freeze or can the mixture
This looks so delicious! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
What type of apples did you use ?
Outstanding !!! Can not thank you enough this is delicious and nutritious to boot 👍 fantastic alternative to processed spreads 💕
You are my hero🦸♀️ My go to pumpkin butter from Trader Joe’s was completely sold out ☹️. I am so excited to make this recipe. I live in Illinois and appreciate the fact we are in the same zone so all of you tips and tricks are perfect for a novice like me. I look forward to seeing your beautiful smiling face every day. Keep up the fabulous posts.
Sincerely a fan forever.
I am so excited! I made your slow cooker apple butter a few weeks ago and it was unbelievable. So much so I had to make a second batch. It is all gone with the exception of half of a mason jar. Now I just have everything together and I’m going to put all the ingredients in the slow cooker which is actually on slow cooker mode on my instant pot and make the unbelievable apple pumpkin butter! Thank you so much Kaleb. I am a huge fan and have been watching you since I discovered you a few months ago and have learned so much. Although I am a transplant from New York City I grew up in the country which originally was a farm. This reminds me so much of my early days as a kid being in the grass is smelling all the divine flowers roses and fruit trees and fruits that we had. I love it. Thank you again❤️
I made this yesterday and it’s delicious! Kaleb, I have a question…I think the farmers market where I went was wrong… I asked for the kobocha squash like you used…and they sold me a orange ones…which they said were more more ripe, and would be sweeter, as the sugars were more developed. I watched the Kitchen today…and low and behold…GZ was cooking with one…and his was green too…. sooo. Mine had like a crown of green at the top too… And what was funny…on their website…it showed it as green…which I showed her…but she still said this would be more developed and sweeter…. sooooooo was I sold down the river? It still tastes good… I did add more brown sugar…and probably more spices…but I’m that kind of cook… I did can it too! It’s delicious, so thank you for the wonderful recipe! I love watching your posts! I hope you answer… as I am dying to know!
I made this yesterday and it’s delicious! Kaleb, I have a question…I think the farmers market where I went was wrong… I asked for the kobocha squash like you used…and they sold me a orange ones…which they said were more more ripe, and would be sweeter, as the sugars were more developed. I watched the Kitchen today…and low and behold…GZ was cooking with one…and his was green too…. sooo. Mine had like a crown of green at the top too… And what was funny…on their website…it showed it as green…which I showed her…but she still said this would be more developed and sweeter…. sooooooo was I sold down the river? It still tastes good… I did add more brown sugar…and probably more spices…but I’m that kind of cook… I did can it too! It’s delicious, so thank you for the wonderful recipe! I love watching your posts! I hope you answer… as I am dying to know! I forgot to rate it!!! It’s a five for sure!!!
Reading this recipe is making me think of my grandmother, fabulous smells always coming from her kitchin. I will cook this recipe. Thank you.
Love your show. Enjoy learning your recipes. I am 81 yrs old and all ways wanted to learn to Can . Thank you again . God Bless . Grandma TonTon
Maple extract is mentioned in the tutorial, but not in the list of ingrediencies? How much should be added?
Mmmm going to try recepie
I tried your pumpkin apple butter today.. it was delicious. But I think I put in a little to much all spice.
I’m impressed with this recipe video. Anxious to try a new butter after making pear butter for so many years
I’m hopi go to be able to find the squash. .
What type apples do you use? Or does it matter?
Thank you
OMGEE! Kaleb this is the best Pumpkin Apple Butter recipe ever! I know because I live in Apple country USA! I had to use a Buttercup squash due to that being easier to find then the Kabocha around here in Aspers, PA (Near Gettysburg). However, it made an amazing batch, and the smells were absolute heaven around here. I had the windows open and my neighbors were all wondering what I was up too as they love when my kitchen is going full tilt with home cooking or canning. Keep these wonderful recipes coming my good sir! They are yummy and very easy to follow!
I tried this recipe and it came out yummy. I was going to add the maple extract but was hesitant as it was my first time making this and there is no amount listed. How much maple should I add?
Hey Kaleb, I loved the Apple Butter recipe…so I am trying this one tonight. Your instructions say High for 8 hrs for this recipe??? Is this correct..seems like it should be low 8 hrs overnight. Thanks…love your videos
Luv this my stoves broke so cook a lot in my crock potty 😎😊☕🙏thanKs🎄☃️🎄🎅🎄
Looking forward to making this. Love you programs.
Love your cooking videos!! Thank you so much I am trying new things thanks to you.
I tried this recipe it’s Superb
Can Pumpkin purée be used in place of the squash?
I love all you’re recipes
Kaleb, it would be very helpful to give an approximate weight (in addition to cups) of apples, squash, etc. I haven’t a clue as to how many apples I would need to buy for 8 cups, but I have to buy them by weight. I made your pear butter where you called for 10 lbs of pears. I bought about 12 lbs which gave me about 10 lbs after trimming-coring the pears. Love your videos!!
Any recommendations for an apple type
Do you peal the squash with a potato peeler.?
SO DELICIOUS! I made this a little thicker than when I made the Pear Butter. I used butternut squash and Honey Crisp apples. 8 cups of apples came to about 3 lbs. 6 cups of butternut squash was a good medium to large squash (I already had it and forgot to weigh it before peeling). I had a little bit harder time getting all the apple peel to disintegrate when blending, but it’s still great! This was a very yummy recipe but only yielded me 5+ 1/2 pint/8-oz jars not 5 pints! But my 8 qt slow cooker couldn’t have held more than this recipe. I will make it again. Loved the squash in it!
Can canned pumpkin be used and if yes – how many cans? TY
This has become one of my most favorite fall recipes. Wish you could come to my house for Thanksgiving. I start cooking a week in advance, I try to cook something special for each my children, grandchildren, and great grand children. They love to coming to grandma’s in the country on the holidays, but who doesn’t.
I made this last night, I had a bit of a panic moment because mine didn’t take as long to cook down as the recipes calls for so I wondered if I did something wrong. But then I realized our slow cookers could heat differently, the apples and squash could have been different, etc. So I just stopped panicking and made it happen. It is SO delicious. It even prompted me to throw together a 12 hour no knead bread so I could have it for breakfast. Nummy. Thanks Wyse Guide!
I made this last night, I had a bit of a panic moment because mine didn’t take as long to cook down as the recipes calls for so I wondered if I did something wrong. But then I realized our slow cookers could heat differently, the apples and squash could have been different, etc. So I just stopped panicking and made it happen. It is SO delicious. It even prompted me to throw together a 12 hour no knead bread so I could have it for breakfast. Nummy. Thanks Wyse Guide!