Sometimes in cooking (and in life) it’s about finding that perfect compliment. You know what I’m talking about right? The yin to your yang. The homemade applesauce to go with grandma’s pancakes. Or in today’s case, the perfect Homemade Chai Apple Butter to go on your cornbread.

You may have noticed we are big apple fans. From Instant Pot Applesauce to Apple Brie Crostini, we love it! It’s apparently a family thing. So continuing along that theme today we delve into the delicious world of apple butter.
Apple butter is different from applesauce in that you slow cook the apples with cider until they start to caramelize and turn a delicious golden brown color. So I think the usual end result is a flavor that is a little more intense, but both can be prepared in numerous ways so it’s really a matter of process. You can work both to get your own desired taste.
Since we recently made Chai Concentrate we decided we would try making Chai Apple Butter. Why not, right? One of the things we love about cooking is that there are no absolute rules and experimentation is the best way to discover new things and find recipes that you really enjoy.
We started making batches of this back in the Fall when we had an abundance of apples and our kids loved helping out with the process and loved the resulting apple aroma that filled our house. Not to mention, taste testing!
This apple butter freezes really well. We have been grabbing small containers out of the freezer, defrosting, and enjoying on everything from pancakes, cornbread, muffins, to yogurt (topped with the apple butter and toasted pecans!). Try out any of these ideas or feel free to try out your own! Let us know in the comments below what you come up with.
On to the recipe, we hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
- 1 c . cider
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 2 small chunks of fresh ginger
- 1 small chunk of fresh turmeric
- 7 cardamom pods
- 2 star anise
- 10 cloves
- 5 black pepper corns
- 1/2 tsp . nutmeg
- 20-24 apples , peeled, cored, and sliced
- 2 tsp . vanilla
- 1 tsp . cinnamon
- 2 tsp . turmeric
- 1/4 c . brown sugar
Instructions
- Add cinnamon stick through nutmeg to cider in a small pan.
- Bring to a boil.
- Cover, turn off heat, and let sit for 20 minutes.
- Strain through a small sieve.
- Add apples with remaining ingredients to crock pot/slow cooker.
- Cook for 6-8 hours on high, stirring every half an hour after 5 hours until desired consistency.
12 Comments
Platter Talk
January 19, 2016 at 8:57 amWe love the originality of this recipe, using one of our primary stables and a couple of our favorite flavors! Great idea and thank you so much for sharing!
mywifecancook
January 20, 2016 at 3:01 pmYou’re welcome!
munchies and munchkins
January 19, 2016 at 10:01 amI love the look of this! I love chai tea and all things chai!
mywifecancook
January 20, 2016 at 3:01 pmSame here!
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
January 19, 2016 at 12:41 pmI love chai….and this sounds wonderful. Great for so many things…I would love putting it in yogurt or oatmeal.
mywifecancook
January 20, 2016 at 3:02 pmWe’ve tried it in yogurt, which I loved. I didn’t think about oatmeal! Thanks for the idea!
Bam's Kitchen
January 19, 2016 at 9:48 pmI love all of your delicious warming spices in your chai apple butter. It really is all about getting the right balance and I think you nailed it perfectly. I can see this being the perfect compliment to my morning oatmeal. Love your blog and looking forward to keeping in touch. Take Care
mywifecancook
January 20, 2016 at 3:03 pmThank you! I really enjoyed discovering your blog! This is the second time someone mentioned putting this in oatmeal. Why didn’t I think of that? Definitely trying it soon!
Oana @AdoreFoods
January 21, 2016 at 10:14 amYour Chai apple butter recipe sounds amazing! Would love a toasted slice of bread with it right now!
mywifecancook
January 26, 2016 at 1:15 pmThanks! It is really good on toast!
The Steaming Pot
September 11, 2016 at 6:12 amLove the combination of flavors in this apple butter! Can’t wait to try it out.
mywifecancook
September 30, 2016 at 9:42 amThanks, I highly recommend it!