Crabapple Butter Recipe

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Some may debate whether this recipe is apple butter or applesauce but with either label it is delicious on toast.

Apple butter is often cooked longer, which makes a nice texture at the cost of nutrient retention. A shorter cook time retains more vitamin C, antioxidants, and a decent amount of fiber.

I wanted this to taste like crabapples, not sugar. If you want it to be super sweet, just add more sugar.

When to Pick Crabapples

Crabapples are ripe when the seed is brown and fruit is easy to pick. 

Soak them in saltwater overnight and rinse well to remove bugs.

Remove Blossoms

Cut blossoms and stems off. Rinse. Cover with water just to the top of the crabapples. Simmer 1 hour or until very soft. 

Take 1 cup of simmer water from the pot and add as much cinnamon and ginger as you’d like.

Add Coconut Sugar

Add 1 cup coconut sugar.

I used blonde coconut sugar (from Thrive Market) instead of white sugar. Coconut sugar has about half the glycemic index of white sugar. It is a little less sweet, but has more flavor.

Blend Until Smooth

Blend with equal amounts of cooked crabapple without the core.

When the crabapples are cooked until they’re easy to smoosh with a spoon, it’s easy to just scoop out the core rather than using a food mill. I froze the cores and leftovers to let the chickens pick through this winter.