Slow Cooker Apple Butter

You will be amazed how easy it is to turn slice apples into homemade apple butter. The crock pot does all the work and your home will smell amazing. Apple butter taste amazing and has delicious warm flavors.

We love making batches of this to hand out as hostess gifts for the holidays. There is no need to spend money at the store buying the premade apple butter. Make it at home at a fraction of the cost.

This crock pot apple butter is delicious on toast, biscuits and pancakes. Make a batch today and enjoy all fall season long.

What is Apple Butter?

Apple butter is not made with butter. It is actually similar to applesauce with a super concentrated texture. Apple butter is cooked longer than applesauce giving it that dark color and apple flavor.

Apple butter is a spread that is used to top many things. You can use it to top waffles, biscuits, toast, English Muffins and more.

It taste amazing and all you need is a few simple ingredients to make crockpot apple butter.

Ingredients

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.

Variation Ideas

• Varieties of Apples – You can make this recipe with a variety of apples. Feel free to mix different types of apples together for amazing flavor.
• Pound of Apples – Make sure to start with plenty of apples to make this apple butter. We typically use about 5 pounds of apples.
• Sugar – We used brown sugar in this recipe, but you can also use granulated sugar.

How to Make Apple Butter in the Slow Cooker

• Step 1 – Prepare Apples – Peel, core and slice all the apples.  Then place them in the bottom of a slow cooker.  
• Step 2 – Add Spices – Top the apples with the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.  Stir to combine all the ingredients. 

• Step 3 – Slow Cooking – Cover and cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 5 hours. Stir the mixture halfway through the cook time. 

• Step 4 – Cool Mixture – After the cook time, turn the crock pot off and let the mixture cool slightly. 

• Step 5 – Puree the Apples – Then use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until smooth. You can also transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.  

• Step 6 – Serve and Enjoy – After pureed, stir in the vanilla extract.  Move the mixture into jars or an airtight container.  Then the apple butter is ready to enjoy. 

Recipe Tips

• Prepare Apples – Begin this recipe by wash, peeling and slicing the apples. Make sure to slice the apples in about the same size so they cook evenly.
• Combine Ingredients – When adding in the spices make sure to stir with the apples completely. This allows for the best flavor when the apples are cooking.
• Cooking Apples – You can cook the apples on low or high. About half way through the cooking time, stir the mixture.
• Cool Mixture – After cooking the apples, turn the crock pot off and allow to cool.
• Blending the Ingredients – We recommend using a immersion blender to blend the ingredients. You can also use a hand mixer. Mix until mixture is smooth.
• Serving – Once you have blended ingredients, serve on your favorite toast or biscuits. Store the leftovers in a mason jar and wrap up which makes the perfect gift.

How to Make Apple Butter on the Stovetop

If you prefer you can make apple butter on the stovetop. This is a quick and easy way to make your favorite spread.

• Prepare the apples by washing, peeling and slicing.
• Place apples in the dutch oven or large pot.
• Add in spices to completely coat the apples.
• Bring mixture to a simmer. Then cover and reduce heat and cook for about 20 minutes.
• When the apples are soft, blend the apples with a blender.
• Then cook on the stovetop for about an hour to allow the apple butter to thicken. Mix in the vanilla and serve.

What to Serve with Apple Butter?

Apple butter can be served with many delicious items. It would be delicious in a bowl on a snack tray or charcuterie board.

Here are favorite side dishes.

• Toast
• Pancakes
• Waffles
• Biscuits
• English Muffins
• Mix in your Crockpot Yogurt for amazing apple flavor.
• Top your favorite Homemade Ice Cream Recipes
• Spread on your Easy Crock Pot Pork Chops for a sweet and savory flavor.

What are the Best Apples to Use?

This apple butter can be made with many different apples. You can even mix different apples together to increase the flavor.

• Cortland Apples
• Golden Delicious
• McIntosh
• Honey Crisp
• Granny Smith
• Gala Apples
• Fuji Apples

Frequently Asked Questions