This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This Easy Crockpot Apple Butter is so simple and cooks overnight in your slow cooker! It’s creamy and sweet and a healthier alternative to jams and jellies.

Spread apple butter on toast, bagels, or homemade biscuits. It can also be used in place of oil in recipes and is especially delicious in my Apple Bundt Cake.

A jar filled with crockpot apple butter.
Pin this recipe for later!Pin This
Save this recipe
Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!

What is Apple Butter Used For?

Apple Butter is basically a condensed applesauce that is thick and spreadable and so delicious. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

  • As a spread – Rolls, biscuits, English muffins, bagels, toast, or crackers.
  • As a topping – Microwave it for a few seconds and use as a syrup for pancakes, waffles, or even ice cream.
  • As a gift – Since it can be stored for a while in the fridge, it also makes a great holiday gift. Fill a half-pint jar, tie a ribbon around the lid and gift to friends, neighbors, co-workers and teachers.

Crockpot Apple Butter Ingredients

  • Apples – You’ll need approximately 5 pounds of apples (10-12 medium size). Core them and roughly chop them; you can leave the skins off if you want, and they will just melt into the butter.
  • Sugar – Made with molasses, brown sugar adds warmth to the sweetness. You’ll also add some white sugar to heighten the sweet factor. Depending on the type of apples you use, you may want to ere on the lighter side with the sugar at first.
  • Spices – Ground cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
  • Salt – Just a pinch. Salt helps to balance the sweetness and heighten the overall flavor of the butter.
  • Vanilla extract – Also for flavor balance.

How To Make Apple Butter in the Crockpot

See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

  1. Start by chopping 5 pounds of apples and add them to the slow cooker.
  2. Combine sugars, spices, salt, and vanilla in a bowl and mix that with the apples.
  3. Cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours.
  4. Puree the apple mixture with an immersion blender, or transfer to a regular blender and blend until smooth.
Crocpot apple butter spread onto an english muffin.

FAQs

What are the best apples to use?

The best apples to use for this recipe are Red Delicious, Fuji, McIntosh, or Winesap as they are softer apples. I recommend using a mix of sweet and tart apples for a well-rounded flavor, but you can use any red apples you can find. Some apples will be sweeter than others, so you may need to adjust the amount of added sugar.

Although they are not a favorite, you can also use Granny Smith for a more tart flavor or yellow delicious for a more mild sweetness.

Do you have to peel the apples?

The best part about this recipe? No peeling required! The skins will break down as they cook and they will just melt into the butter. Leaving the peels on not only makes the process much easier, the skin is the most nutritious part of the apple, so keeping it on is a win-win.

How much does this recipe make?

This batch will fill about four cups which can be divided into 4 half-pint jars.

How do you know when it’s finished cooking?

To test for doneness, draw a line through it; it should hold the space without it filling back in quickly. It will also hold its shape on a spoon.

Apple butter spread onto an english muffin.

Storage

Cool completely and store in mason jars or another airtight container. This recipe will fill 4 half-pint jars, or 2 pint-size jars, or a one-quart jar.

  • Refrigerate: Up to 2-3 weeks.
  • Freeze: Up to a year. Make sure to leave at least 1-2 inches at the top for expansion.
  • Canning: For longer-term storage, canning is a good option. Use sterilized jars and follow proper canning guidelines to ensure the butter is safely preserved. Once canned and sealed properly, it can last for up to a year in a cool, dark place.
  • Label and Date: Regardless of your storage method, always label and date your containers so you know when it was made.
  • Check for Signs of Spoilage: Before using, always check for signs of spoilage like mold, off smells, or changes in texture.

Expert Tips

  • Cook Low and Slow: Only use the low setting on your slow cooker for this recipe – high heat will burn the sugars. Cooking the apples on low heat for an extended period is key to achieving a deep, caramelized flavor.
  • Let it sit: Let your butter process in the fridge for a day or so before eating. It can have quite a sharp tang that will mellow with age.
  • Stir occasionally: Lift the lid and check about halfway through. If you notice the apples sticking to the bottom of the crock pot, give the mixture a stir occasionally to keep from sticking.
  • Taste and Adjust: Before canning or storing, give it a taste. You can adjust the sweetness or spices at this point.
A jar of crockpot apple butter | Apple butter recipe

More Apple Recipes

Recipe

Easy Homemade Apple Butter

4.71 from 34 votes
This Easy Crockpot Apple Butter is so simple and cooks overnight in your crockpot! It’s creamy and sweet and a healthier alternative to jams and jellies.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 hours
Total Time 10 hours 10 minutes
Servings 32 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 10 – 12 Medium Apples approximately 5 pounds, cored and chopped. (Leave the skins on the apples)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4  teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Add chopped apples to a crockpot.
  • In a medium size bowl combine sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, salt, ground nutmeg, vanilla extract.
  • Pour the sugar mixture over the chopped apples in the crockpot and stir until well coated.
  • Cover with lid and cook on low for 10 hours.
  • Puree the apple mixture with an immersion blender or a in counter-top blender until smooth. 
  • Once the apple butter is smooth and cool, store in mason jars or an air tight jar. Store in refrigerator for up to one month or freezer for up to one year.
  • Serve chilled or at room temperature on rolls, biscuits, engligh muffins, toast or crackers!

Notes

Yields approximately 4 cups.
Cool completely and store in mason jars or another airtight container. This recipe will fill 4 half-pint jars, or 2 pint-size jars, or a one-quart jar.
Refrigerate for up to a month, or freeze for up to a year. When freezing, make sure to leave at least 1-2 inches at the top for expansion.
For canning, seal tightly and process in a water bath. Follow the instructions on the mason jar packaging.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoonsCalories: 98kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 21mgPotassium: 141mgFiber: 3gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 69IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 1mg
Keyword crockpot apple butter, slow cooker apple butter

Kristin Maxwell

Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook.

Free Email Series
5 Secrets to Dinnertime Sanity
Free email series with tested, tasted & terrific dinner recipes!

You Might Also Like

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. I love this recipe. Leaving the skin on and the dash of cloves sold me. I have no idea what kind of Apple tree I have, but the apples become ripe in mid July instead of late September so the slow cooker overnight is also a plus to keep the kitchen heat down. Thanks for the recipe.

  2. Can the jars of this applebutter recipe be placed in a water bath after the jars are filled to seal the lids?

    Lesa Sobek
    Menifee CA

    1. Hi Lesa, I don’t know a lot about canning, so you’d have to make the judgement call on that.

    2. Yes. Just leave your jars upside down to keep the seal secure until you are ready to use it. Also re-tighten the lids after cooling as sometimes they loosen up during cooling.

  3. This is great any time of the year! I used a mix of apples on hand and used my old counter top blender and it worked out perfectly. The older apples work perfect too !

  4. Hi! I’m fixing try this recipe and I was just wondering if I could can this to seal it and it be okay? Didn’t know if it could be done or if that’s why you just stick it in the fridge! Thank you!

    1. I haven’t tried canning this recipe. I suppose if you followed instructions for canning (I’m sure you can google and find tons of tips) it should work.

  5. I am unable to eat the skins because of my health problems, . Is there a reason why you specifically mention to keep skins on? Can I peel them?

  6. I’m going to make this later, the reason I love it without even trying it, is that I have arthritis in my right thumb, for some reason it has come on VERY quickly than my left, which has taken years and will never be more painful than my right! Not that I’m complaining, there is always someone worse off! Not needing to peel the apples is just fantastic! I’m so looking forward to making this, and I’m going to give some of it to my daughter to use instead of apple sauce on the New Year’s Day roast pork dinner. Thank you very much for this and your other slow cooker apple recipes. Just out of interest, have you made apple sauce in the microwave? That works a treat! I just put as many chopped apples as I need into a microwave safe container and cook them for 5 mins, then test, if not done cook for a minute at a time, testing as you go, when done add sugar to taste, and that’s it ?

  7. I made this and it turned out really good. I added extra cinnamon and cut back on the granulated sugar and replaced it with honey.

  8. Thank you for posting this recipe. I have tried a few other recipes for apple butter and so far, this is sooo much better and easier. Flavor is right up there. Great comfort food. Two thumbs up.

  9. My husband and I made this on a Saturday when it was done we had some for breakfast. My husband ask if we could make more. So, Saturday evening we made more. We are new to canning and fell in love with doing it together. We made a different recipe the first time. This one is our favorite! This recipe is so easy. I love that I don’t have to peel the apples. This one is going into my book of favorites.

    1. Just screw on the lid. Since you’re not canning there isn’t a sealing process. Just screw on the lid and keep in the fridge.

  10. I’m making the apple butter in my crock pot. Still about 2 hours to go. IRS really soupy. Is this normal? Making this for someone special.

  11. Recently went apple picking and I would love to make this apple butter. Can I just use brown sugar instead? I don’t use white granulated sugar.also trying to watch my sugar intake. Can I use less sugar then recipe says?

    1. Using less sugar will alter the taste and make the recipe more tart, but yes, you can alter it. I haven’t tried it with brown sugar.

      1. I used a combination of white and brown sugar was awemazing. And I did the water bath to can it. Best recipe by far.