Apple Butter Slow Cooker Recipe
This apple butter slow cooker recipe is easy and perfect for fall! Fill your home with the aroma of apples and cinnamon as this delicious apple butter recipe slowly cooks all day.
I’ve shared a couple of apple butter recipes here before (this one cooks in the Instant Pot, with no added sugar, and this one cooks in the oven).
But I have to say, this is the best apple butter recipe I’ve ever tasted! It’s so amazing that I had a hard time getting photos of it.
As soon as it came out of the Crock-Pot, my kids started eating it, and that’s why one of the jars in the photo is not quite full—some of it had been removed and consumed already!
With apples, brown sugar, loads of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, the taste is amazing.
I’ve made this recipe twice already this fall. It’s a great way to use up a large quantity of apples.
Apple Butter Slow Cooker Recipe Notes
- Any kind of apples will work in this recipe. I always just use whatever I have on hand at the time.
- This recipe features a generous amount of cinnamon. Feel free to cut down the cinnamon if you prefer.
- Instead of peeling the apples, you can opt to leave the peels on and then run the apple butter through a food mill after it’s finished cooking. I prefer to peel the apples before cooking unless they are organic.
- The recipe calls for a total of 1 cup of sugar (1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar). Feel free to try less sugar or try different amounts. I have used 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup white sugar with excellent results. You may be able to cut the sugar down even more if you prefer to use less.
- I always store this apple butter in the refrigerator or freezer. I haven’t tried canning it. I have a different recipe I use for canning apple butter.
- This recipe makes about 3-4 pints, depending on how many apples you use. I usually get around 4 pints from it.
What Are the Best Apples for Apple Butter?
While any type of apple will work for this apple butter recipe, softer apples will cook faster, so that is one thing to keep in mind.
Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji, McIntosh are just a few apple varieties that will work well. Honestly though, I always just use whatever we happen to find at the local orchard, and they always work fine!
Can You Use This Recipe for Canning Apple Butter?
I haven’t tried using this apple butter recipe for canning. I have a different recipe that I use when I can apple butter.
Does This Apple Butter Need to Be Refrigerated?
Yes, this apple butter slow cooker recipe needs to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer (for longer storage).
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This apple butter recipe is the perfect fall recipe! With cinnamon and other spices, it goes so well with toast, homemade bread, sourdough bread, and homemade rolls!
I love how incredibly simple this recipe is to make. After a few minutes of peeling, coring, and slicing the apples, all you do is dump them in the slow cooker without adding water or any other ingredients.
I generally don’t even weigh out the amount of apples, I just fill my slow cooker to the top, add the lid, and set it to high. Then I walk away for several hours while it’s cooking.
Later, when the apples have cooked down a bit, add the sugar and a few spices, and you’re just about done! It’s super easy.
This apple butter slow cooker recipe uses up a lot of apples all at once, so if your fall kitchen is filled with apples, this recipe can help!
More Favorite Apple Recipes
Instant Pot Applesauce with Cinnamon
Instant Pot Apple Butter with No Added Sugar
Affiliate links are included below, which means I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read my disclosure here.
Supplies Needed for This Recipe
Here are a few basic kitchen tools and supplies you may need:
- Apple peeler/corer/slicer or knife
- Slow cooker (6 quart or larger)
- Pint canning jars with lids
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups
- Glass measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Immersion blender or regular blender
You can use a knife to peel, core, and quarter your apples, but I always use my apple peeler/corer/slicer. We’ve had one of these for many years, and it’s so useful! It makes preparing apples for pies and other recipes so easy.
How to Make This Apple Butter Slow Cooker Recipe
Here’s how to make this Crock-Pot Apple Butter recipe.
1. Peel, core, and slice 6 to 6 1/2 pounds of apples (I fill my slow cooker to the top). I use my apple peeler/corer/slicer for this, as it makes it so much faster! You can also do this with a knife.
(We save all the apple scraps for the chickens or the compost pile.)
2. Place the apples in the slow cooker and cover. Cook on high 4-5 hours.
3. After around 4 hours, remove the lid and stir. Check to see if the apples are soft. They should be quite soft and cooked down to about half. If they need more time, cook another hour or so.
4. Combine sugar, spices, and salt in a small bowl and stir together. Then add to the slow cooker and stir well.
5. Cook for about another an hour or two on high with the lid off to thicken, stirring occasionally.
6. After the apple butter has thickened, allow it to cool a bit, and then use an immersion blender to blend (do this very carefully, as the apple butter will be hot!). Or, put the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth and buttery.
7. Pour into jars and freeze or refrigerate. If freezing, use wide-mouth jars and leave at least one inch headspace for expansion as it freezes.
Apple Butter Slow Cooker Recipe Printable
Apple Butter Slow Cooker Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 lbs apples peeled, cored, sliced
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Peel, core, and slice the apples. I use my apple peeler/corer/slicer for this, as it makes it so much faster! You can also do this with a knife.
- Place the apples in the slow cooker and cover. Cook on high 4-5 hours.
- After around 4 hours, remove the lid and stir. Check to see if the apples are soft. They should be quite soft and cooked down to about half. If they need more time, cook another hour or so.
- Combine sugar, spices, and salt in a small bowl and stir together. Then add to the slow cooker and stir well.
- Cook for about another an hour or two on high with the lid off to thicken, stirring occasionally.
- After the apple butter has thickened, allow it to cool a bit, and then use an immersion blender to blend (do this very carefully, as the apple butter will be hot!). Or, put the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth and buttery.
- Pour into jars and refrigerate for up to two weeks, or freeze. If freezing, use wide-mouth jars and leave at least one inch headspace for expansion as it freezes.
Sounds delicious! What orchard were you able to get seconds apples?
I don’t know which one or where it was exactly. It was somewhere farther north, as I know he had to drive to find them. First, he had to make sure they had some on the day he was available to go, and twice the owner sold the ones she was holding for us to someone else and he had to rearrange his schedule to go get them. I’ll have to ask him where it was.