This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.
Slow Cooker Apple Butter will make your entire house smell like Autumn. It also makes a great gift for the holidays, or a hostess gift at Thanksgiving. YUMMO!
This post contains affiliate links.
Autumn is my favorite season of the year. I am a lover of all things fall – the leaves and pumpkins, cozy sweaters and Ugg boots, a roaring fire with a good book and a plate of my No Bake Cookies, I adore it all – especially apple season.
A neighboring city hosts an Apple Butter Festival every October. It’s full of holiday crafts, historical reenactments, and of course, amazing food.
Although I love meandering through the aisles of vendors, I really go for two very important reasons: caramel slathered apples and homemade apple butter.
Unfortunately, I’ve missed this festival two years in a row – last year because I was in San Francisco and this year because I simply forgot about it. I sulked for a hot minute, but decided that I’d get my yearly apple butter fix by making my own in the slow cooker.
WHAT IS APPLE BUTTER?
If you have never had apple butter before, you might be confused by the name.
No, it’s not apple-flavored butter. That would be weird. There’s actually no butter in apple butter at all.
Apple butter is basically just super concentrated, super smooth applesauce. It’s cooked for longer, which gives it that caramelized color and rich apple flavor, but the ingredients are nearly identical.
Apple butter is not just perfect on your morning toast (English muffin bread is my favorite!) or served on Potato Rolls at Thanksgiving, you can even bake with it.
Try subbing in Slow Cooker Apple Butter in place of jam or another fruit filling in crumb bars, such as in my Peach Crumb Bars or Raspberry Bars recipes. Or try it in an apple butter cake!
HOW TO MAKE APPLE BUTTER IN A CROCK POT
At first I was little bit intimidated by the whole homemade fruit butter thing, but really it could not have been easier!
Ingredients you’ll need
Even though the flavors of apple butter are so rich, you’ll be surprised to know that the ingredients are super simple.
You’ll need:
- 6 1/2 pounds apples – peeled, cored and sliced
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
I know that 6 1/2 pounds of apples sounds like a lot, but I’ve got a tip for making peeling them a cinch.
Helpful tools
Prepping all of those apples and turning them into homemade apple butter was a cinch thanks to my apple peeler and slow cooker.
The peeler allowed me to peel, core, and slice 6 1/2 pounds of apples in a matter of minutes. I tossed everything into the slow cooker, set the timer for 10 hours and went about my day.
The autumnal scents of apples, cinnamon and vanilla wafted around the whole place for an entire day, which improved my mood immensely. I’ll tell you – if you’re having a rough day, just make some slow cooker apple butter.
It’s impossible not to feel at ease with the entire world and people in it when you’ve got these scents enveloping you each time you walk in and out of your kitchen.
Making this recipe
To make this recipe, I tossed the apples in my slow cooker. I then combined the sugars, cinnamon, and spices and tossed this with the apples.
I let the apples simmer away for the allotted 10 hours until the mixture was thick and dar brown, and in the meantime made chili, cornbread, and even prepped my jars for gift giving.
After the 10 hours, I removed the lid and let the apples keep simmering for another 2 hours. This thickens the apple butter even more.
After the second stage of cooking, it was time to puree the apple butter and jar it up! It really is the perfect way to spend a fall Saturday, I’ll tell you that for free.
The result was a delicious, velvety smooth apple butter that definitely rivals any of the jars that I’ve purchased at the Apple Butter Festival and the best part is – I made it myself!
If you don’t have 10 hours on hand to let the apple butter simmer, don’t worry – I also have a recipe for Instant Pot Apple Butter!
BEST APPLES FOR APPLE BUTTER
Really you can use any apples you happen to have on hand for apple butter.
Generally speaking, softer varieties of apples such as Fuji, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, or Jonagold work better since they cook down faster.
I used a mix of Granny Smith, Fuji and Honeycrisp in my apple butter, and even the crisper varieties broke down well for a smooth apple butter.
The real key is to use a mix of apples to get the best flavor. You can even customize your Slow Cooker Apple butter by using apple pie spice or even pumpkin pie spice instead of the blend I have here, and you could try Mexican vanilla instead of Madagascar.
It’s really easy to make it your own, and I know your family will love slathering it on toast all year long.
I’ve been told you can preserve this recipe through canning, though I haven’t tried it myself. I’d love to know if you’ve tried!
I hope you enjoy this slow cooker apple butter as much as we do.
What are your favorite fruit butter recipes? What should I try next?
FAQS
Do you use 6.5 pounds of apples before peeling and coring?
Yes! Because the ingredients say “6.5 pounds of apples, peeled and cored,” this means that you peel and core them after weighing them.
This is true for any recipe you read. For example, if a recipe calls for “1 cup pecans, chopped,” you measure the pecans and then chop them. If it reads “1 cup chopped pecans,” you chop and then measure them.
Can you can this apple butter recipe?
Yes! I recently learned how to can apple butter – it’s much easier than you might think. You won’t need to make any adjustments to the recipe itself before canning because apples are naturally quite acidic.
How long does this recipe keep in the refrigerator? Can you freeze it?
You can store this slow cooker apple butter in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
If you choose to freeze it, make sure you leave plenty of room in the jar so that they don’t crack after freezing.
How many pints does this recipe make?
This recipe makes 4 pints (8 cups) of apple butter.
How much apple pie spice would I substitute for the listed spices?
If you want to substitute apple pie spice for the spices listed in the recipe, I would use 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons, depending on how heavily spiced you like your apple butter to be.
Can I use a 3-quart or 3.5-quart slow cooker for this recipe?
Once you peel, core, and slice the 6.5 pounds of apples, they take up quite a bit of space, so I use a 6-quart slow cooker for this recipe. If you only have a smaller slow cooker, I suggest halving the recipe.
Do you have to peel the apples?
Technically no. If you don’t want to spend the time peeling the apples, you may want to run the final apple butter through a fine mesh strainer after pureeing it to make sure it is super smooth.
I prefer to just peel the apples at the beginning and save myself the work at the end, but it’s up to you and what you prefer.
I accidentally added the vanilla with the rest of the ingredients before cooking. Will the apple butter be ok?
Yes! The only reason I recommend adding the vanilla toward the end of the recipe is because vanilla doesn’t hold up to heat well and the flavor becomes weaker the longer it cooks.
If you do accidentally add the vanilla at the beginning, just add another teaspoon or so at the end to make up for the flavor that was lost while cooking.
Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 ½ pounds apples peeled, cored and sliced
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, combine sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples and mix well.
- Cook in slow cooker on low for about 10 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.
- Uncover, stir in vanilla and continue cooking uncovered on low for about 2 hours.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the apple butter until smooth.
- Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze.
- Serve on breads, muffins, pork chops or just eat it with a spoon.
Video
Notes
- I used a combination of Granny Smith, Fuji and Honey Crisp apples for this recipe.
- The sweetness of your apples will affect how much sugar you will need to add. Adjust according to your apples and preferences.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 3 months, or learn how to can apple butter if you would like to preserve it for longer.
- Makes 4 pints.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How long will this last on the shelf, in the fridge, and in the freezer?
Christine-
Since this recipe is not canned, it needs to be refrigerated. It will last about 2 weeks in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer. I hope this helps.
-Jamie
Can I process the slow cooker apple buter. Would like to make it for gifts.
Rachel-
Unfortunately, I am not much a canner, so I can’t really tell you if this is able to be processed or not. Thanks for stopping by.
Jamie
I’ve run across this website for the first time… I thought I’d give everyone a no-sugar version. I just wash/scrub a bag of Gala apples well, core, cut apples into quarters, and throw in a 6 quart crock-pot, skins and all. I also throw a few Jonathan apples as well. I add a splash of apple cidar vinegar, and I let it cook overnight. In the morning, I take the lid off and let it totally cool down. By the afternoon, I take my hand blender (the immersion kind) and blend the entire apple mixture down in the crock pot. That’s it! I don’t add any extra sugar, because it’s already very sweet, and the mixture is light and tasty. I’ve tried it without vinegar, but it’s truly better with a splash. I have a family member who is allergic to cinnamon, so I don’t add any… but then add a dash or two of cinnamon to a jar or two, and mix well, if I really want to spice it up. This recipe is so tasty and easy… and a good way to use up extra apples before they go bad.
Wonderful! I absolutely love my slow cooker…might have to pull it out for this
I was hoping the adorable tag you made to go with the apple butter would be printable. Is that possible? Please? :)
Karen-
I used my Silhouette to make the tags. I don’t think the Silhouette file is compatible elsewhere. Do you have a Silhouette?
-Jamie
Do you have any other jar ideas that would work with this for a gift basket?? I would love to make this for some gift baskets this year but would love to add a second jar of something with it…. what do you think?
Chellie-
I love recipes for homemade spice mixes, here is my version of pumpkin pie spice: https://www.mybakingaddiction.com/pumpkin-pie-spice-recipe/
Thanks!
Jamie
I have the smallest slow cooker they make – most of my friends say it’s a cheese warmer for Superbowl parties. :) I would love to make this recipe but don’t want to mess it up. I would guess that my slow cooker holds about 5-6 cups. How do I adjust the receipe for my little cooker? Just slice and add apples until mostly full (3/4?) and add 1/2 cup of each sugar and then spice to taste? I’m perfectly OK with playing w/ the spices but don’t want to mess up the sugar part.
Thanks!
I made this recipe this weekend and it turned out SO AMAZING!! I got 7 half pint jars out of it. The taste is like no other apple butter taste in the world, and this is a must make recipe every year from now on. I canned mine and am sending my cute little tagged apple goodness jars to various family members across the USA. My husband loves it and I thank you so much for sharing it!
This is the best Apple Butter! Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I like it because I can keep some and make small gifts for my paraprofessionals that help me everyday in my very busy classroom.
I made this apple butter a few days ago. Because I don’t have an apple peeler/corer/slicer, I simply washed and sliced the apples into the crock pot. Cooked on low for the 10 hours (after adding the other ingredients), let them cool some and put through my foley food mill, then back in the crock pot for another 4 hours on low until desired thickness. I could not believe how little waste there was doing it this way and it could not have been easier! This apple butter is the best!! I am so happy to have this recipe! Thank you!! Several of my friends that received small jars of “my” apple butter thank you too.