Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Homemade apple butter is one of my favorite things to make when apples are in season. The slow cooker does most of the work, and after several hours, the apples cook down into a thick, dark spread filled with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.
It’s perfect on warm biscuits, toast, muffins, pancakes, or just about anything that could use a little fall flavor.
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Why You’ll Love This
I love making apple butter in the slow cooker because there’s really not much to it once the apples are peeled and sliced. I usually start it in the evening and let it cook overnight. By morning, the apples are soft, dark, and ready to blend.
And the smell! Cinnamon, apples, and brown sugar cooking all night will make the whole house smell amazing.
It also makes quite a bit, so I keep a jar in the refrigerator and freeze the rest. Homemade apple butter is great to have around for breakfast, baking, or spreading on a warm biscuit.
Kick up that morning toast by slathering this apple butter on a warm piece of sourdough toast or regular white toast. With the spread, you can also make this moist and delicious apple butter bread.
Looking for more fall recipes? Try Pumpkin Scones, Chai Sugar Cookies, Halloween Monster Eye Cookies, Slow Cooker Apple Cider, and Apple Dapple Cake (Apple Bundt Cake).
What You’ll Need
- Fresh apples – I like using a combination of sweet and tart apples. Honeycrisp and Granny Smith are a favorite combination, but Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, McIntosh, Cortland and Jonagold are also good choices. Choose your favorite apples.
- Granulated sugar and dark brown sugar – You can also use light brown sugar, but I like the added depth of the molasses flavor.
- Ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground allspice, vanilla extract, and salt – Give the apple butter its warm, spiced flavor.
Please see the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
How to Make Slow Cooker Apple Butter (spiced & dark)
Step 1: Peel, core, and slice the apples, then place them in the slow cooker. In a medium bowl, combine the granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and salt.
Step 2: Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the apples. Give everything a good stir to coat the apples. Cover, place paper towels under the lid to catch condensation, and cook on LOW for about 10 hours. The apples should be very soft and considerably darker by this point.
Step 3: Remove the lid, use an immersion blender to blend until smooth, and continue to cook uncovered on low for about 2 hours to remove most of the moisture. You want a dark brown, thick mixture. This allows the excess moisture to evaporate and gives the apple butter its thick, spreadable consistency.
Step 4: Add the vanilla and stir. Let it cool before transferring it to jars or airtight containers.
Tips
- Do yourself a favor and get one of these apple slicers to save a lot of time!
- Use more than one variety of apple. Mixing sweet and tart apples gives the apple butter a better overall flavor.
- Adjust the sugar to your apples. If your apples are particularly sweet, you can reduce the amount of sugar. I usually use 3/4 cup each of granulated and brown sugar.
- Place a long sheet of paper towels under the lid to catch condensation. This keeps extra moisture from dripping down into the apples.
- Don’t rush the final cook. Cooking the apple butter uncovered after blending is what thickens it and deepens the color.
- Blend it the way you like it. We like ours smooth, but you can leave a little texture if you prefer.
- Remember that it thickens as it cools. Don’t worry if it looks slightly thinner than you want while it’s still hot.
- When using the immersion blender, you get to control how smooth or chunky you want it to be. You don’t have to make it completely smooth; that’s just how we like our apple butter.
- Don’t have an immersion blender? Use a blender and do it in batches.
Variations
- Apple Pie Spice – Replace the individual spices with your favorite apple pie spice blend.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – This also works well if that’s what you already have in the pantry.
- Less Sweet – Reduce the sugar when using naturally sweet apples such as Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp.
- Extra Cinnamon – Add a little more cinnamon if you prefer a stronger spice flavor.
Storage
- Allow the apple butter to cool completely before transferring it to airtight containers.
- Store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- For longer storage, freeze the apple butter in freezer-safe containers, leaving a little room at the top for expansion. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
FAQs
Apple butter is concentrated applesauce. It is just cooked longer and pureed. That extra cooking time removes more moisture, concentrates the apple flavor, and gives apple butter its darker color and thicker consistency.
You can use any type of apple. Choose your favorite crisp, sweet apples. Mix and match using Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, McIntosh, Jonagold, etc. Add in a few Granny Smith apples.
Remove the lid and continue to cook for another 2 hours until your desired thickness and color. This allows the excess moisture to cook off and evaporate.
No, you cannot overcook apple butter in the slow cooker. This is why I love this method.
I actually cooked it overnight in the crock pot, and the following day I removed the lid for 2 hours. The flavors only intensify, and the color becomes much darker.
As I said, freezing also works. Just leave some room at the top of the jar for expansion and allow it to cool completely before freezing. The apple butter will last six months to possibly one year in the freezer.
Apple butter stored in the refrigerator will last about one month.
More Delicious Apple Recipes
Slow Cooker Apple Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 1/2 pounds apples – peeled, cored, and sliced 1-inch thick
- 1 cup granulated sugar (I used 3/4 cup)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed (I used 3/4 cup)
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the apples in a slow cooker.6 1/2 pounds apples – peeled, cored, and sliced 1-inch thick
- In a medium bowl, combine sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and salt.1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed , 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/4 tsp ground allspice, 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- Pour the mixture over the apples and mix well.
- Cover and place a long sheet of paper towels under the lid to catch condensation. Cook on low for about 10 hours (up to overnight), stirring occasionally, until the mixture is dark brown and starting to thicken.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the apple butter until smooth. Continue to cook uncovered on low for about 2 hours, to remove most of the moisture. (you want a dark brown, thick mixture)
- Turn off the slow cooker, then stir in vanilla. Let it cool, then transfer it to jars or airtight containers.1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- Serve on slices of bread, muffins, pork chops or just eat it with a spoon.
Notes
Nutrition
Adapted from mybakingaddiction
Thanks for sharing this on Paula’s No rules Weekend Blog. I love apple butter. I will have to try this recipe. Sounds really simple.
Thank you for hosting!
I love how yummy and easy this sounds! Thanks for sharing at the Monday Funday Part. Emily from thebensonstreet.com
Thanks for hosting Emily!
I have always wanted to make Apple Butter, but have never tried it. I love that this is done in the slow cooker. I have pinned and printed this to make soon. I’m thinking Christmas gifts for neighbors. Thanks for linking it to the Weekend Potluck!
Thank you! It will make great gifts I share my and they bring the jars back asking for more.
Yummy! i have never made my own apple butter, I really need to fix that!
I hope you try it! It’s so easy and oh so delicious. Thank you.