Make a big batch of Slow Cooker Apple Butter for a fraction of what it costs at the store. Makes plenty to give as gifts and enough to stock your freezer. All you need is apples, brown sugar, and spices!
We love making this apple butter and putting on toast in the morning or using it in Apple Butter Pork Chops!
I rarely buy apple butter at the store; the price is always through the roof. With my easy recipe for apple butter in the slow cooker, you will never have to buy it again! This recipe freezes great and makes a great gift. This is not a canning recipe, so be sure to refrigerate or freeze.
What is the difference between applesauce and apple butter?
- Applesauce is runnier and not blended up to a smooth consistency like apple butter.
- Apple butter has a richer dark color and is spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Apple butter is similar to a jam and great on toast or recipes.
Recipe Ingredients
- Apples – You can use any variety; my favorite is variety is gala or Fuji. I like to use fresh juicy apples; it makes for better apple butter.
- Brown sugar – I add the brown sugar at the beginning of the cooking time. This will deepen the color of the apple butter as it cooks.
- Spices – This is the key to flavorful apple butter. We use cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg in this recipe.
Step-by-step directions
Step 1 – Start with 5 pounds of apples. You can use any variety; I use gala.
Step 2 – Peel, core, slice five pounds of apples and add to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
Step 3 – Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
Step 4 – Stir to coat the apples with the seasonings and brown sugar.
Step 5 – Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 5 hours or LOW for 8-10 hours.
Step 6 – When the cooking time is up, place the apple butter into a blender and place on the lid. Also, place a towel over the top of the cover in case the blender lid leaks. Hold the lid and pulse until smooth. Or, if you have an immersion blender, place it right into the slow cooker and blend until smooth. OR use an immersion blender right in the slow cooker to blend the apple butter.
My apple butter is too thin; how can I thicken it?
- Some apples are juicier than others, and I sometimes have to thicken my apple butter.
- After blending, leave the apple butter in the slow cooker.
- Turn the slow cooker to HIGH and leave the lid off.
- Cook for 45-60 more minutes, stirring often.
How do I serve apple butter?
- Toast or croissants
- Biscuits
- Ice-cream
- Use in milkshakes
Recipes to use up your apple butter:
- Apple Butter Little Smokies
- Slow Cooker Apple Butter Pork Chops
- Slow Cooker Cider Braised Pork Roast
- Apple Butter Snickerdoodles Recipe by Crazy for Crust
- Slow Cooker Apple Butter Meatballs
- Apple Butter Bread recipe by Don’t Sweat the recipe
How to store Apple Butter:
- This is not a canning recipe; canning requires a special recipe and precautions.
- You can store it in small plastic or glass containers and refrigerate it for up to a week.
- Freeze what you know you won’t use right away, leave about an inch of room at the top of your containers or jars. Freeze for up to a year. Straight sided mason jars are freezer safe (not ones with rounded shoulders).
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Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Equipment Needed:
- Blender or an immersion blender
Ingredients:
- 5 lbs. apples Any variety works fine! (I use gala)
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 2 dashes salt
Instructions:
- Peel, core and slice the apples.
- Add the apples to the slow cooker. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
- Stir.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 hours or LOW for 8-10 hours.
- After the apples have cooked, place them and any liquid that the apples made into a blender, cover with lid, and a towel on top of that (to prevent burns, in case the lid flies off). Hold the lid on while the blender is on. Pulse for about a minute, until very smooth.OR use an immersion blender right in the slow cooker (as shown in the video).
How to Video:
Recipe Notes:
- Toast or croissants
- Biscuits
- On ice-cream
- Use in milkshakes
- Some apples are juicier than others and I sometimes have to thicken my apple butter.
- After blending leave the apple butter in the slow cooker.
- Turn the slow cooker to HIGH and leave the lid off.
- Cook for 45-60 more minutes, stirring often.
- This is not a canning recipe, canning requires a special recipe and precautions.
- You can store in small plastic or glass containers and refrigerate for up to a week.
- Freeze what you know you won’t use right away, leave about an inch of room at the top of your containers or jars. Freeze for up to a year. Straight-sided mason jars are freezer safe (not ones with rounded shoulders).
- Thaw in the fridge the day before you need to use it.
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Perfect recipe!!
Great recipe. My aging father brought me apples from his tree. The first thing I thought of was Apple Butter. I’d never made it before. But remember when my mom made it when I was a kid. Of course she did the whole canning thing. I went online to look for recipes and found yours. I was intrigued. I love my crock pot and this recipe seem so simple and easy. When it was finished I was very pleased with the results and of course shared the Apple Butter with my dad. He loved it. I also shared with my BFF and her husband loved it as well. Highly recommend.
This was the best recipe I have tried. It is perfect and my go to from now on.
The best.. one question. Is one serving equal to 1 or 2 Tbs? Thank you for sharing this treasurew.
Thanks for this great recipe.
If you blend in a food processor, you don’t need to peel and the peeling adds vitamins. I have an apple tree and it bloomed late this year because of a cold spring and then got hit by extreme heat, so the apples are small. So not having to peel is helpful. I made this and sent some home with a friend. She said she wrapped her arm around it to keep her family out! I told her it was apple butter, not sauce, and she said “well, I ate it with a spoon!”
Yes recipe is so delicious put in your sterile jars and process 10 minutes after it starts to boil
This recipe is amazing thank you so much. The only thing I like to add is a tsp of vanilla extract. I love that I can prep this in the morning and when I get home from work all I have to do is blend it.
Absolutely delicious! Made it for Thanksgiving – whole family loved it! Definitely planning on making again.
Turned out lovely and very tasty … Thank you
My grandma (like mom) Beverly got me hooked on apple butter when I was younger, and I still eat it every chance I can get. It’s one of my comfort foods along with malt o meal/cream of wheat.
I use this recipe and have two crocks cooking overnight 8-10 hours. I just use a whisk since I’m okay with very no small chunks of apples in my butter. I do can mine. I’ve found that if I pack my crock to the top w apples, I get about 5 pints per crock. I place the jars on a rack in the canner and boil for about 10 minutes. Great Christmas gifts.