Slow Cooker Apple Butter
123 Comments Oct 15, 2021
Updated Jun 20, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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!
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.
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
- Chop up your apples and toss them in the crockpot with cozy spices.
- Give everything a good mix.
- Let it all cook low and slow until the apples are melt-in-your-mouth soft.
- 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.
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.
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.
Featured Comment
“This is a fabulous recipe. I lost track of all the batches I made last fall/winter. Gave it away & now I’m being begged to make it this season. You can bet I will. I use Gala apples & like to let it cook on low over night. Smells so good and so easy. Thank you.”
– Author Name
Slow Cooker Apple Butter
How to Video
Equipment
- 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).
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
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!
How do you freeze it if you aren’t canning it . What container would you use ?
I’ve always froze my jams in glass jars, leave a good inch on the top. They do sell freezer jam Tupperware (plastic) in the canning section though.
Three litre ice cream containers or 500 ml takeaway cartons
Definitely going to make this! Instead of putting the hot apple butter in a blender, I’m going to use my handy immersion blender…one of my favorite kitchen gadgets!
Hi Sara. I am using mostly green, tart apples from my garden. How much more sugar would you suggest I add to sweeten? Thank you!
Hi Brianna! It’s so hard to tell. If it was me I would do the recipe as is, then taste after blending it and add more sugar to taste then.
Hi there! I’m making only half of your recipe, but am wondering if I should cut the time down?
Thanks, Angie.
Yes, I think 8 hours would be plenty!
Best wishes to you. Thank you for recipe
How much does this recipe make? I’d like to be prepared with as many has as necessary.
I want to say it was about 5-6 half pints.
This looks nice and easy! Do you think it might work for fresh figs? Maybe a little less time in the slow cooker because it’s a softer fruit than an apple? Just letting my mind wander and brainstorm!!
I think you could use anything you would like. I’ve made peach butter, and cooked it the same amount of time 🙂
Darn! I just bought apple butter yesterday but I really want to make this! I made fresh cherry freezer jam this week and I’m really in the mood!
Question, can this be canned in jars? It is low in acidity so it will have to be PC’ed. Just wondering if you or if you know someone who has done this.
Roger, I was thinking the same thing. So, I researched “canning crockpot apple butter” on Google. I found a recipe on www. Simply canning.com that is almost identical to this one. I figure this recipe must be canning safe too then. When Apple picking time comes here in Illinois, I’ll give it a try.
Yes you can can this apple butter. You need to have your jars rings and Lids ready use hot Cars 2 Ladle the hot liquid in and then take your rings and Lids out of a hot water put them on your jars after you have wipe the rims and put them in a hot water bath canner for 10 minutes. They turned out great and they should seal very quickly. SSI with other people yes you can use Splenda instead of real sugar just be careful that Splenda can be a little tart. so please taste the apple butter to make sure that is the right taste. Enjoy and happy canning!
Thank you for the information!
you can process it in a water bath canner for 10 minutes
Good luck Sarah!