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Apple butter used to seem like a delicacy, reserved for special festivals and events. I grew up thinking apple butter must be extremely time-consuming to make or involve too much work since we never made it. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen it made (and let me know down below in the comments section if you have!), but at fall festivals they usually show a large cast-iron pot being stirred for hours as apples, sugar, and spices are cooked until they reach the perfect consistency. Honestly, this is how I thought you had to make this apple spread – I guess I was a little naive.
As I started researching how to make apple butter, the recipes that kept catching my eye all used slow cookers to steadily cook the butter for hours. This opened up a whole new world for me! Making a simple and quick apple butter with hardly any work that I can walk away from as it cooks – uhhh… what more could I ask for?!
This almost sounds too good to be true, but it really does come together to create the perfect recipe for slow cooker apple butter. As the apples simmer for hours, your house will be filled with the aroma of cinnamon and sugar. And when it’s all done cooking, you’re left with a thick and delicious apple butter.
For the perfect bread to complement this apple butter (shown in the above pictures), make sure to try my bread recipe!
Ideas for how to use this apple butter recipe:
This year, I froze all of the spread I made and am super excited to use it with:
- Pork chops
- Homemade breads – yeah, the combo of homemade butter and homemade bread will make you a self-sufficient guru!
- As a mix-in for a fall-themed latte
Watch how to make this apple butter recipe
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Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 16 cups sliced apples (such as Macintosh and Golden Delicious)
- 2 ¾ cups light brown sugar
- 2 ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 star anise pod (optional)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Wash and remove the core from the apples. Slice thinly. Measure out 16 cups of apples. Pour all apples into the slow cooker.16 cups sliced apples (such as Macintosh and Golden Delicious)
- Add brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, anise pod, salt, and lemon juice. Stir to incorporate everything.2 ¾ cups light brown sugar, 2 ¾ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cloves, 1 star anise pod (optional), ¼ tsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Turn slow cooker on high for 4-5 hours. After the first hour, remove the star anise pod, if added. Every hour, stir the apples.
- Once the mixture is bubbling and cooking well (after approximately 4-5 hours), turn the slow cooker to low and leave for 10-12 hours. I usually do this in the evening so it can sit on the low setting overnight.
- After ten hours, start checking the slow cooker. Stir mixture using a strong wire whisk or hand potato masher to break up the apples.
- Once the butter is the consistency desired, use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to break down the rest of the apples to achieve an even consistency.
- Let cool. Freeze or can the mixture.
Video
Notes
- Remember that apples contain a large amount of water and will cook down considerably. They also vary a lot in how they cook. My apples had a lot of liquid in them so I needed to give them 2 extra hours on high (with the lid off) to make sure my apple butter turned out as thick as I wanted.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
I love that you included the nutrition facts information. Some of us need this. Thanks!
What’s the best apple to make the apple butter?
Hi! Brings back wonderful memories of my grandma. She made apple butter every year using gravensteins from a big tree in her backyard. It was sooo delicious!!! I’ve made it on occasion too. I remembering burning a batch one year – ooops! Love your posts! I’ve learned a lot watching your videos. Thanks!! Keep them coming!
What kind of apples did you use? It looks delicious.
Looking forward to making this.
Thanks,
Kathy
I love making apple butter this way. Time to get set up for a batch. By the way use it on waffles in the morning. They are great
We can apple butter. The recipe is different. Ours has crushed pineapple in it. 😍
I would love to have your recipe for apple butter. My mother passed away in 2003. You and my mother share the same name. Kind of special “meeting” another Carol Brewer.
When I was a younger woman, we had a what is called a “gentleman’s farm”. It was 3 acres and we had a small garden, horses, chickens, goats, and of course dogs and cats. We had a small orchard in place when we bought it. I canned every bit of fruit I could salvage before the bees could suck it dry. Apple butter and peach butter were my specialties. Apple butter has always been my favorite. As long as I can remember it has always been on our table. Don’t know where you are, but here it’s available in the organic food section AND the regular jams and jellies at the grocers. As far as making it, it takes a lot of dedicated time, because you have to stay with it. That’s why it’s always been a family thing with us. Takes more than 2 hands. I have NO idea what kind of apples ours were, but they were hard half green and half red, tart, not really good for eating. I added as little sugar as I could to taste. The recipe says to runs the mixture thru the blender, but often, small pieces of the core will make its way in. Mashing it thru a sieve ensures getting any unwanted pieces out. So it takes a few more seconds. It makes a big dif.
Is there a particular type of Apple that is best suited for this receipe?
Rebecca,
Soft apple varieties work best, like a macintosh. Harder apples like honey crisp take too long to break down and can leave the butter with a gritty texture. Make sure your apples are very ripe also! Hope it turns out well and that you enjoy!
kw
I made2 batches of the crockpot apple butter and they both came out fantastic. So easy to make!
For the second batch, I added some jalapeños. It gave it a nice kick without being too hot.
About how many lbs of apples do I need?
Hi Cheryl! Eight to ten pounds of apples, depending on the variety, should yield four quarts of sliced and peeled apples.
How do I adjust this for 15-20 apples?
This is awesome information! I had the exact same attitude toward apple butter. Can’t wait to make this.