Slow Cooker Apple Butter


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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!

slow cooker half full of cooked apple butter

I rarely buy apple butter at the store; the price is always through the roof! With my easy recipe for apple butter in the crockpot, you will never have to buy it again! This recipe freezes great and makes a great gift.

Ingredients for apple butter, apples, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and brown sugar.

Key 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.

How to Make Slow Cooker Apple Butter

  1. Chop up your apples and toss them in the crockpot with cozy spices.
  2. Give everything a good mix.
  3. Let it all cook low and slow until the apples are melt-in-your-mouth soft.
  4. Blend it up into sweet, buttery perfection!

What is the difference between applesauce and apple butter?

  • Slow Cooker 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.
finished apple butter in crockpot

My apple butter is too thin; how can I thicken it?

Some apples release more juice than others, so you may need to thicken your apple butter after blending. To do this, simply leave the apple butter in the slow cooker, turn it to HIGH, and cook uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring often until it reaches your desired consistency.

apple butter in jars

How to use Apple Butter

Apple butter isn’t just for toast (though it’s amazing on that too!). Try spreading it on croissants or biscuits, swirl it into ice cream, or blend it into milkshakes for a fall-inspired treat.

Use it in savory favorites like Apple Butter Little Smokies, Apple Butter Meatballs. Or Try my popular recipe for Apple Butter Pork Chops.

Apple butter on grain toast
close-up overhead of slow cooker apple butter.

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

4.95 from 34 votes
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 15
Thick and cinnamon spiced apple butter made in the slow cooker. Rich and flavorful, great on just about anything!
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How to Video

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).

Sarah’s Notes

You can use apple pie spice instead of these individual spices. Use 1 Tablespoon plus one teaspoon of apple pie spice.

Nutrition

Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 181mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 82IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

Made this recipe? Leave a comment below!

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).

Try another one of my fruit recipes:

Cinnamon Applesauce and Pumpkin Butter are classic, comforting spreads perfect for toast or baking.

Strawberry Applesauce and Banana Jam bring a fruity twist to your slow cooker favorites.

For something extra sweet, try Caramel Apple Butter or Blueberry Butter—you’ll want to spread them on everything!

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Recipe Rating




123 Comments

  1. Patricia says:

    5 stars
    Your recipe is SOoo Easy!! Sooooo Good! BIG KEEPER!!

  2. Jo says:

    5 stars
    This recipe is perfect, not too sweet but nice and spicy.
    I did not peel my apples; just scrubbed, cored and roughly chopped them. I used an immersion blender to puree after they were soft, and let if cook down a bit more uncovered. I then canned it, boiling 20 minutes (per my altitude). Beautiful!

  3. Jeanine says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! I have used quick a few apple butter recipes, but this one was a real winner with only 1 cup of sugar, the blend of spices and amount of time in the crockpot. Thank you!

  4. Celeste says:

    I would like to know what in the recipe makes it unsuitable for canning?