Slow Cooker Apple Butter
136 CommentsUpdated Jan 22, 2026
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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!
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
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!
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.
Do you change the ingredients when you can this ?