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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.
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 the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
- Start by chopping 5 pounds of apples and add them to the slow cooker.
- Combine sugars, spices, salt, and vanilla in a bowl and mix that with the apples.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours.
- Puree the apple mixture with an immersion blender, or transfer to a regular blender and blend until smooth.
FAQs
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.
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.
This batch will fill about four cups which can be divided into 4 half-pint jars.
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.
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.
More Apple Recipes
- Classic Apple Pie Recipe
- Slow Cooker Apple Pie Filling
- Apple Crumble Recipe
- Apple Oven Pancake
- Pumpkin Apple Bread
- Green Apple Smoothie Recipe
Easy Homemade Apple Butter
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
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Can you put the Apple butter in a bath and deal the jars?
Yes you can choose to use a canning process.
Do I need to use water if so how much ?
Nope, just the ingredients called for in the instructions. Enjoy!
Can brown sugar be used in place of white sugar?
yes you can make that swap.
This is delicious on top of plain yogurt ?
Can this also be cooked on high? Dont have 10 hrs.
It’s recommended to cook on low to keep from scorching.
Do these need to be canned?
You may can the apple butter, but this recipe if just for keeping it in the fridge.
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.
Thank you Sandy!
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
Hi Lesa, I don’t know a lot about canning, so you’d have to make the judgement call on that.
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.
Mine canned fine in water bath, boiled for 10 mins
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 !
Thanks Carla for the for sharing your positive experience!
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!
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.
Can you use the water method to can this so that it will have a longer shelf life?
I haven’t tried that myself, but I think it would work, yes.
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?
They are nutrient rich, and to save time. You can peel them if you like.
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 ?
Oh that sounds awesome!
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.
Thank you, I love that you were able to make it work for you!
What size slow cooker? Thanks.
I use my 6-quart.
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.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
So glad you enjoyed it!
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.
So glad you enjoyed it!
So happy that you and your family loved this recipe!
Thank you for stopping by!
Hi. How do you seal cooled apple butter in mason jars?
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.
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.
Once you finish and stir and puree it will be amazing!
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?
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.
I used a combination of white and brown sugar was awemazing. And I did the water bath to can it. Best recipe by far.
That’s wonderful, Carrie! Thanks for sharing your tip!