Slow Cooker Apple Butter
128 Comments Oct 15, 2021
Updated Jun 20, 2025
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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
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!
Tried for Thanksgiving & it was delicious! Making for Christmas as Stocking Stuffers. TYSVMFS this recipe, super easy & utterly delightful!!!
Made with 1/2 the sweetener, was still ☆☆☆☆☆
I see it says the recipe makes 15 servings. What is the size of each serving?
Sorry, I don’t have that information. I apologize.
Would you suggest light or dark brown sugar for this recipe?
I would use light, though either will work.
I just made this to try tonight! Someone gifted me an entire bushel of macintosh apples. I gifted some and kept some.
I used, Mac’s of course and three Pink Lady apples left over from Thanksgiving.
Oh my gosh! The flavor is so very much like what my mom used to make! The spice ratio is perfect, they compliment each other without overpowering each other.
My Mac apples were very fresh and juicy (I did low for 9 hours, pureed and then returned it to simmer on high as suggested for thickening up thin butter. Thank you so much for sharing!
Most of this batch is for gifts and I may make more tomorrow! My house smelled absolutely HEAVENLY today!
Amazing. Just made 1 st. Amazingly delicious
What do you use to thicken apple butter if it’s too thin?
I wouldn’t add anything, or it will taste off. I like to turn my slow cooker to high with the lid off for about an hour. Or you can do this on the stove top, though won’t take as long, stir often.
We went apple picking yesterday and I plan on making apple butter for my first time!
If I half the recipe, does the cooking time change?
I would do 7-8 hours on low for half the recipe.
Why can’t you put it in jelly jars and process the jars !
It’s too thick and may cause botulism.
Apple butter can absolutely be safely canned. It is not too thick for safe canning. Just reference a safe recipe and process for the correct length of time. The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving has a safe recipe. The only big difference between their recipe and this one is the sugar type and volume.
Pat, you definitely can, she just didn’t include instructions in her recipe. I do it all the time for apple butter or jam.
Clean jars and lids, fill with apple butter, wipe rims. Tighten lids on jars.
Cover with water 1 inch over the lids, boil for 20 minutes, let cool. Make sure the jars seal
Will keep in the pantry for 2 years
Anytime you water bath or process your jars for more than 10 minutes, it is not necessary to pre-sterilize your jars.
worker out GREAT.
7# -3/4 johnathan and 1/4 gala. cored but not pelled.
cooked -covered 10 hrs. uncovered 2, put into jars and canned .
Does the apple butter need to cool before putting it into jars?
I let it cool just a bit, but it’s fine to add it to the jars warm.
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.