Want a little sweet and spicy heat to start your day? Try spicy apple butter on a crusty piece of bread. It’s a yummy way to wake up. Of course, breakfast isn’t the only use case. Try this spicy apple butter with pork, spread over vanilla ice cream, or use it as a unique dipper for sweet potato fries. Yeah, it’s really good.
A touch of cayenne pepper powder powers this delicious slow cooker recipe. We use 1/2 a teaspoon, but feel free to adjust that lower or higher, depending on your spicy food tolerance. Just know, a little goes a long way with cayenne. Its overall heat (30,000 to 50,000 Scoville heat units) is four to twenty times hotter than a jalapeño (2,500 to 8,000 SHU).
You can also change the eating experience through the level of food processing you do to the apples. Go completely smooth for the perfect spreading condiment, or leave it a little chunky for something more chutney-like.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Spicy Apple Chutney: If you’re looking for a true chutney recipe, this option may be better for you.
- Easy Raspberry Habanero Sauce: This sauce provides a much bolder spiciness. And berries and habaneros are always a delicious pairing.
- Spiced Apple Oats: Delicious and nutritious – this recipe is a terrific way to start the day.
Spicy Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 5 pounds apples peeled and chopped into small pieces
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract divided
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder double it if you like it spicy
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves ground
Instructions
- In a slow cooker, add the apple, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger powder, cayenne pepper powder, and salt. Stir to combine then cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Stir once or twice during that period.
- Once the apples have cooked, turn the slow cooker to low, uncover the slow cooker, and process the apples to a puree (or leave it slightly chunky – your choice) using a hand blender.
- Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine.
- Taste the apple butter and add additional spices to get your perfect flavor. This is a perfect opportunity to up the cayenne spice if not spicy enough. Note – the apple butter will get spicier as it sits, so if you plan on keeping it around for a few days, consider balancing the heat.
- Cover the apple butter again and – keeping the slow cooker on low – cook the apple butter for an additional hour, stirring once during the time.
- Remove the apple butter from the slow cooker and allow it to cool for half an hour before serving. Or for best flavor, jar the apple butter and allow it to chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours prior to serving (allowing the spices to meld).
I did not make this exact recipe, but I did add cayenne pepper to my normal apple butter recipe and the little bit of heat definitely takes this already tasty condiment to a whole new level. Apple butter is a great way to use up old apples that may have been sitting in your root cellar, or on sale at the local market. The condiment freezes and cans well and makes awesome gifts. Cheers!