A fun DIY foodie gift, this 4 ingredient spiced Ambrosia apple butter is quick and easy to make in the slow cooker and fun to dress up as a festive gift!
An apple a day…
IS THE BEST SNACK EVER. Hands down.
It’s crunchy. It’s sweet. It’s got fiber (hello satiety factor!). It’s packed with vitamins and minerals. And there’s ZERO prep time involved. Grab n’ go at it’s best.
I seriously eat apples erryday in the fall like it’s my job. In my next life, I hope to work at an apple orchard so it can quite literally be my job.
If I’m feeling really ambitious, I’ll spread some almond butter or PB on my apple. And if I’m feeling wild and crazy, I’ll dip ’em in my salted caramel peanut butter apple dip.
I typically gravitate towards Gala apples as my snack variety go-to but I recently was able to try a new-to-me variety called Ambrosia apples.
Ambrosia apples are a relatively new variety at only 10 years old, but they’re already on their way to becoming a top 10 apple variety in the U.S. They are naturally sweet and actually happen to be one of the sweetest varieties on the market. This means you can cut back on the added sugar when baking with them! They are visually beautiful – bright red blush meets a yellow background. Plus, they’re juicy and crisp which means every bite will be satisfying.
They’re awesome to cook with too. Not only are they naturally sweet, but they are also slow to brown so you don’t have to worry about adding slices to your salad or cheese plate. This seriously saved me some anxiety when chopping. I always feel like I’m on hyper speed mode when chopping apples, hurrying as fast as I can before they brown. Anyone else feel me on the apple browning anxiety? They also retain their shape well, making them an ideal choice for baking in pies or tarts.
So what I did I do with my Ambrosia apples? I made BUTTER, BABY.
Spiced Ambrosia Apple Butter, that is.
Print
Spiced Ambrosia Apple Butter
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...
- Yield: 4 1/2 pint jars 1x
Ingredients
- 6 lbs Ambrosia apples (about 12 apples)
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Peel, core, and roughly chop apples.
- In a slow cooker, add apples, apple cider, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Stir and let sit uncovered on low for an additional 2 hours.
- Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth consistency.
- Let cool and transfer to mason jars for storing/gifting!
I love apple butter. I could just eat this out of the jar with a spoon and call it a day. But to avoid strange looks from Steve, I spread it on toast with almond butter, mix it into oatmeal or yogurt, and top off any dessert with it. Like my vegan gluten-free pumpkin pie from last week. Golden.
This time of year, I’m always thinking about fun foodie DIY gifts to give loved ones for the holidays. This apple butter packs perfectly in mason jars and a little twine and bow goes a long way to make this a festive gift.
Tell me, have you ever made apple butter? What’s your favorite apple butter pairing?
You May Also like
For more apple inspired recipes, check out the recipes below:
has anyone made this recipe? on my computer there’s a note saying not to make these
and if you have was it good. it looks great.
Hi Deanna! There are a few comments here from readers who have made this apple butter and enjoyed it. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Does this make 4 half pint jars or 4 and a 1/2 pints? Also, can you butter regular toast and use this like jam?
Hi Tamara! It makes four half pint jars. And yes you can use this like jam – it’s delicious on regular buttered toast.
Such a great gift idea! I love DIY foodie gifts. I did granola one year and homemade nut butter another year. Maybe this year will be apple butter!
Woot woot! Hope your DIY gift was a hit!
I love DIY gifts! I’ve started knitting scarves for friends, but this is a MUCH more delicious surprise ;). I’m currently obsessed with ambrosia apples as well! So sweet and yes, I’d love to work at an orchard in my next life too. Let’s join forces 😉
Knitting scarves?! That is the cutest and most thoughtful thing I’ve heard all day. One more reason to add to my why I love Min Kwon list. Oh, and our shared aspirations for orchard living can be another reason 🙂
This looks great! I love healthy and easy holiday gift ideas!!! Pinned it 🙂
Thanks for sharing, Elizabeth! Loved your round up 🙂
DIY gifts are the BEST! What a cute idea! Plus I could make enough to gift to myself! I think a jar of this and homemade bread would be the perfect gift!
YES! Obsessed with DIY for the holidays. Thanks, lady!
I want to make this! Do you use a hot water bath to seal jars? Store them in refrigerator?
You can can these if you’d like to extend the shelf life. But I just stored mine in the refrigerator and use within 2-3 weeks.
Apple butter is my all-time favorite condiment! Your version looks so delicious 🙂
Awe, thanks, Whitney! It’s quickly becoming mine too 🙂
I LOVE how easy this is. I’m determined this Christmas to make some of my gifts. This tops the list of Must Make 🙂
YAY! Thanks, Regan. I’m seriously contemplating making a big ol’ vat of apple butter in the crockpot and dishing it out as gifts this year. It was so easy AND SO delicious.
i love apple butter and DIY gifts for christmas… looks like the perfect recipe.
Thanks, Gretchen! I’m a little obsessed with DIY foodie gifts right now. Can’t get enough.
This is such an easy, but elegant idea for Christmas gifts! Love it and pinned!
Thanks for sharing, Linda!!
I LOVE apple butter (any fruit butter really), so I may just make this for myself…haha a gift to me 😉
Bahaha. Those are the best kind of gifts!
Oh yum! I’m not going to lie, when I saw the title I thought you were making ambrosia salad with apple butter and I was like what?!? haha.
That said, I love the sound of this apple butter. Apple butter is good on everything. 🙂
Haha. Now that could get interesting.
Thanks, Brittany! Agreed. I feel compelled to spread it on ALL THE THINGS.
I can only imagine how tasty this apple butter is with the sweet apples…we love it on so many things. Pinning!
Thanks! Oh my gosh. It’s the best, right?!