Slow Cooker Apple Butter
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Made with fresh apples, spices, and brown sugar, I love this Slow Cooker Apple Butter on my morning toast or pancakes. I also mix it into savory dishes like pork and turkey for a hint of sweetness. This sweet, caramelized spread requires just a few ingredients and 10 minutes of prep. Makes a great gift, too!
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5 STAR REVIEWS
Easy Crock Pot Apple Butter Recipe
If there’s one condiment I get excited about every fall, it’s apple butter. I know it sounds like it has butter in it—but it doesn’t! It’s really just a rich, thick homemade applesauce that’s been cooked down with fresh apples, sugar, and warm spices until it turns into this deep, caramelized, spreadable goodness. I love slathering it on toast, muffins, or honestly just sneaking a spoonful straight from the jar.
This apple butter recipe takes hardly any effort at all. Just core and chop the apples, toss them in the slow cooker with sugar and spiced and 12 hours later, my house smells like fall. A quick whirl with the immersion blender and the apple butter is ready!
While we eat our fair share of this at home, this recipe renders 8 cups, so I always set some aside to give as gifts. It stores very well in the fridge, freezer, or can be canned for longer term storage.
Helpful Tips
- Type of apples. I like to use Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, Ambrosia, Fuji, or Gala. For the best flavor, try using two or three varieties in this recipe. I would avoid Granny Smith; they are too tart and firm for this recipe.
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, pour the apples into a blender and puree until smooth, then return to the slow cooker. You may need to work in batches, depending on the size of your blender.
- Make it thicker. The longer you cook the mixture with the lid off, the thicker the overall texture will be. If you want it thicker, just cook it a bit longer.
Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 6 & 1/2 pounds whole apples*
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Coat a 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray.
- Core and dice the apples into small 1" cubes—no need to peel them!
- Combine the apples, both sugars, and all the spices in the slow cooker; stir to coat.
- Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for 10 hours, stirring once halfway through, until the apples are tender and dark brown.
- When done, remove the lid and stir in the vanilla.
- Using a handheld immersion blender, puree the apples until completely smooth and no chunks are left***
- Now keep the lid off, switch to high heat, and continue to cook for another 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until thickened and desired consistency is reached (the longer it cooks, the thicker it will get.)
- Spoon into clean glass jars, let cool completely, then fasten with the lids.
- Use as desired or store for later (storage instructions and ways to use it are in the article.)
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make Slow Cooker Apple Butter Step by Step
Add ingredients to the slow cooker: Spray a 6 quart slow cooker with a nonstick spray. Add 6½ pounds whole apples that are cubed, ¾ cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground cloves, and ¼ tsp salt. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 10 hours, stirring once halfway through.
Add vanilla and puree the apples: Remove the lid and stir in 2 tsp vanilla. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until completely smooth. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer the apples and liquid to a blender and blend until smooth, then transfer back to the crockpot.)
Cook without the lid: Switch to high heat and cook the mixture for 1.5 to 2 hours without the lid, until desired consistency is reached. Stir occasionally. (Note: the longer you cook with the lid off, the thicker the overall texture will be.)
Cool and store: Transfer to canning jars. Cool completely, then seal and refrigerate (see below.)
Recipe Variations
- Adjust the sweetness. The amount of sugar needed can vary based on the sweetness of your apples. Adjust according to the apples you use and your personal preference.
- Use a sugar replacement. You can sub in Splenda for the granulated sugar, if needed.
- Make gingerbread apple butter. Add in 1 tablespoon of ginger, a teaspoon of allspice, and 1 cup of molasses for a spread that tastes just like a gingerbread cookie.
- Add a boozy twist. Adding rum to the mixture is also delicious. I recommend dark or spiced rum.
Ways to Use It
Apple butter is great on toast and pumpkin spice muffins, stirred into your oatmeal, plain yogurt or cottage cheese, blended into smoothies, spooned over ice cream, on pumpkin pancakes or even biscuits, or spread on graham crackers. It’s also wonderful with savory dishes cornbread, a baked sweet potato or pork tenderloin and roast turkey.
How to Store
- Fridge. I recommend storing apple butter in mason jars. I like to store mine in 8 oz. jars, though 4 oz. jars make great gifts. Tightly sealed in a glass jar, your spread will last for about 2 weeks in the fridge. (It can only be kept in the pantry if you go through the full canning process.)
- Freezer. This also freezes beautifully. Just be sure to leave about an inch of room at the top of the jars for expansion. Freeze for up to 6 months and thaw in the fridge. (Note that straight-sided mason jars are freezer-safe, not ones with rounded shoulders.)
- Pantry. Canning apple butter is an option, especially if you want to give it as gifts or just store it in the pantry. Once the lids have been sealed, place in a canner, covered with water by 2 inches. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. When it reaches a full rolling boil, set the timer for 12 minutes for half-pints or 15 minutes for pints. When the timer goes off, use canning tongs to transfer the jars to a cooling rack. When fully cooled, wipe them with a clean, damp washcloth, then label. They’ll last in the pantry for up to a year.
More Apple Recipes
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Wanting to try this today. But the only applies we have are tons of Granny Smith. Saw what you said……If it’s all we have, what do you suggest? More sugar or just don’t waste my time & apples?
Thank you!
Hi Kathie! I just prefer a sweet apple, but Granny Smith are totally fine! Yes, I would simply add a bit more sugar.
I would like to receive copies of your recipes in my inbox at least twice a week. Please let me know how I can set this up. Thank you!
Hi, this looks great. Especially love that you don’t need to peel the apples.
Quick question, for the gingerbread version, when do you recommended adding the additional ingredients? Before or after blending. Thanks!
I would add them in once you switch to high heat and have 2 hours left. Make sure to give it a couple stirs as it continues to cook. Enjoy!
I am making this now but I was told to add acv to it because illl be water bath canning this. Is this true ? Never made apple butter before
Vinegar is used in water bath canning to lower the pH of the food, making it acidic enough for the boiling water bath method to be safe. But in this case, you don’t need it because apples are naturally acidic enough for safe canning.
I just purchased a 4.5 quart slow cooker. I live in a small apartment so I am not sure where I would store a bigger one. I think that I am going to cut the ingredients in half in order for it to fit in my slow cooker. I don’t see any approximate jars that this recipe will make. About how many jars & what size are the jars that your recipe will make? Thanks!
Hi Cheryl – This recipe makes 8 cups, as indicated in the recipe card. So if you’re successful cutting the recipe in half, you’ll end up with 4 cups. I typically use 8 ounce jars, but you can use whatever size jars you want to accommodate that amount. 4 ounce jars are a cute little size for gifts. Enjoy!
My first time making apple butter. So easy and tasty. I did add a little more brown sugar after 10 hours and more cinnamon and nutmeg. I love cinnamon!
hi, Amy! i have a batch of this cooking today and i’m really excited to taste it. i was looking at your variations, and plan to make the gingerbread one next. my question is about the molasses. do you use that instead of the sugars, or in addition to them? thanks for all your lovely recipes, im a big fan!
The molasses is in addition. Enjoy!
Hi there! So excited to try this recipe! If I wanted to triple it could I make it in my roaster oven? If so, what temperature would you recommend?
It would take further recipe testing to answer this with certainty.
I’m making this today and added a splash of bourbon which I have done before. I love to gift small jars to friends. Thanks for the recipe.
Hello, I am getting ready to make this… and planning to store in jars. First, was the brown sugar loose or packed? And secondly, the canning part, do you put the hot apples in jar then straight into the boiling water of canning pot, did you let cool the reboil?.. what happened? 😆
Brown sugar is just loose (although packed is fine, too.) For canning, yes, the warm apple butter goes into the jars, sealed, then canning pot.
Hi Amy
I was wondering can I do this on high instead of low
Kinda crunched for time and didn’t really want to stay up til the wee hrs :)
Thanks
And I love all your recipes! Follow you on
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Ready to get started,
Sandy
Hi Sandy – technically, you can…but I don’t really recommend it. Low and slow will produce the best results in flavor and overall texture.
I made this without fully reading the direction. I was in a rush to get it started in time. I put the vanilla in with everything else, will that mess up the recipe?
Adding the vanilla in the beginning makes it cook off and you won’t taste it, so it’s not ideal. But it’ll be fine and still delish!
This was outstanding
This apple butter recipe was so easy and sooo very very good. The best I’ve made!
I will definitely be using this recipe again.
This sounds delicious. Can it be done in an electric pressure cooker? If so do you recommend a pressure time?
Probably, but I’ve never tested it that way, so I can’t advise on instruction or time
Simply wonderful. The smell, the taste, an so incredibly easy. I work from home so the 12 hour cook was not a problem for me at all. And actually I quite enjoyed the smell all day as it wafted through the house. Sure better than a wax candle. LOL. I’m going to make many more batches and give it away as gifts. Great housewarming gift!
I love this Apple butter and want to try the gingerbread flavor also!
I used this recipe fir the first time 4 years ago and make it every year. Family favorite and I give them away at Christmas and everyone loves it. Best recipe I have used!!
Rating before I make it (LOL) because I love all your recipes. BUT last night I decided to find a slow cooker recipe for apple butter today, and sure enough in my inbox this morning you appear! Thanks so much <3 it was a do do do do moment hahahahaha!
What a wonderful way of making apple butter. First batch is yummy and will be processing it so I can give as gifts.
First batch was smooth and very tasty, even though I forgot the vanilla
Me again… I tried the gingerbread version and it’s just as delicious!
Did you add the gingerbread spices in addition to the others?
Oh yum! This turned out so good! I can’t wait to try the gingerbread modification next.
So easy!! People love so it is very giftable.
Have you tried different fruits? I was thinking of doing pears with some ginger.
Hi Amy! I want to thank you for this recipe for the crockpot, apple butter. I made it last night and canned it this morning, and it is really outstanding! So today I’m trying the gingerbread recipe. However, I’m confused by your instruction of adding in the ground ginger and molasses. Is that in addition to the other ingredients, like more sugar, and the other spices, besides also the allspice? Looking forward to your answer, as I’ve just started the apples with just the molasses, ginger, and allspice. Thank you in advance!
Hi Debbie – It’s in addition to all the other ingredients as written. So glad you love the recipe like we do!
Thanks for your quick response!
Omg! This is so delicious! It really does taste like gingerbread in a spreadable form. Fantastic in a grilled apple butter, bacon, & peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread. Oh yeah ;-). Thanks for a really flavorful twist on apple butter!
I’m in love! This recipe is doable even for an inexperienced jam/spread maker like me. So very good; thank you!
Sooooo yummy! I have to tell you my Grandpa ate his apple butter on top of a bowl of vanilla ice cream!! He loved it!
Oh.My.Goodness. This was incredible!! I used a combination of 4 different apples. Thank you for sharing how to make it!
This was more amazing than I imagined. Thank you for sharing!!
This was one of the best things I’ve tasted in months! I started it very early in the morning, so I could finish it before bed since I wasn’t thrilled about having the crockpot on overnight. Not peeling the apples was a huge time saver. Just WOW. Loved this recipe so much. And so easy!