Super Easy Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Learn how to make delicious Crock Pot apple butter this fall, using fresh apples, apple cider, brown sugar, and warm spices.
This easy slow cooker apple butter is full of fall flavors. It’s the perfect topping for toast, biscuits, rolls, pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, scones, and more!
Note: This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase, this site may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
Almost every year, as the air turns crisp and colors start to change, we walk up and down row after row of apple trees, searching for just the right ones to drop into our bags.
My kids love to run from tree to tree, beaming with pride as they collect their bounty.
Picking apples at a local orchard has become one of our beloved traditions, ushering in the season of cozy blankets and warm spices.
It’s not uncommon for us to bring home about 25-30 pounds, which means we love finding all the delicious ways to put them to good use.
If you ask my kids, it’s not fall until we’ve made apple butter. And while there are many ways to make it, this slow cooker apple butter recipe is one of the easiest!
Tips for Making Homemade Apple Butter with Apple Cider
Peeling and slicing a lot of apples by hand can take forever. And as someone with rheumatoid arthritis, I just can’t do it anymore.
Many years ago, I discovered this amazing and affordable gadget has made this process so much faster and easier. I’ve had mine for ten years now, and it still works amazingly well.
Once the apples are peeled and sliced, I add some brown sugar, spices, and apple cider, which gives it plenty of signature fall flavor.
Let it cook for several hours so the flavors can really develop.
It’s so much better than what you can buy in a store!
If you have an Instant Pot, you can make Instant Pot apple butter instead. I also have recipes for apple butter sweetened with maple syrup and pumpkin apple butter.
I use a similar method for my easy pear butter recipe, too, and it always turns out great.
Looking for Ways to Use Apple Butter?
Slow cooker apple butter is delicious spread on buttered toast, warm Instant Pot no-knead English muffin bread (one of my favorites!), easy french bread, a hot homemade biscuit, or a warm pumpkin scone.
You can even use it to make apple butter bread for a sweet quickbread breakfast or treat!
We love a good apple butter bundt cake (who doesn’t?!). Or, one of my kids’ personal favorites: apple butter snickerdoodles.
It would also be a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table as a topping for hot homemade dinner rolls. *Swoon*
How to Make Apple Butter in the Crockpot
It’s super easy to make this apple butter!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Apples
- Brown Sugar
- Apple Cider
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Nutmeg
- Allspice
How to Make it:
Find the full printable recipe available below
Combine ingredients and slow cook. Add peeled and sliced apples to the slow cooker, along with brown sugar, apple cider or water, and spices. Stir to combine everything.
Cook on low for about 8-10 hours, or until the apples are dark brown, soft, and reduced down.
Blend or mash. Use an immersion blender or potato masher to puree the cooked apples to your desired consistency.
Ladle into jars or storage containers to cool completely. Once they’ve cooled to room temperature, transfer jars to the refrigerator (or freezer, if you’re using freezer-safe jars).
Notes and Adaptations:
- You can use a variety of types of apples to make this slow cooker apple butter. Using more than one type of apples usually results in better flavor, in my opinion.
- It does take quite a few apples (about 6 pounds), but know that it cooks down a lot and I typically end up with 3-4 pint jars of apple butter.
- I did not go through the proper canning process with my apple butter, but the apple butter freezes very well (just be sure to use freezer-safe jars or containers) and is just as tasty after thawing. Not only that, but a jar of homemade apple butter would make a thoughtful gift!
Recommended Equipment:
- Apple peeler, corer, and slicer
- Slow cooker
- Immersion blender
- Jars for storage (freezer-friendly jars if you’re planning to freeze)
Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 6 pounds apples
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups apple cider (or water)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
Instructions
- Peel, core, and slice apples. Place slices in slow cooker.
- Add apple cider (or water) and brown sugar. Stir in spices to combine well, then cover with lid.
- Cook on high for 8-10 hours, or until apples are dark, soft, and reduced down.
- Use an immersion blender to blend apple butter to desired consistency.
- Ladle into jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space if you plan to freeze jars.
- Cool and keep refrigerated (or frozen) when not in use.
Notes
- You can use a variety of types of apples to make this slow cooker apple butter. Using more than one type of apples usually results in better flavor, in my opinion.
- It does take quite a few apples (about 6 pounds), but know that it cooks down a lot and I typically get 3-4 pint jars of apple butter.
- I don’t go through the proper canning process with my apple butter, but the apple butter does freeze very well. Just be sure to use freezer-safe jars or containers.
- If you don’t have allspice on hand, you can substitute pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice.
Equipment
Nutrition
Did you try this recipe?
Don’t forget to leave a rating below and make sure to follow on Instagram and Pinterest for more easy recipes!
Don’t forget to save this recipe to your favorite fall board on Pinterest!
Categories:
Appetizers & Sides, Apple Recipes, Breakfast, Condiments and Spreads, Easy Recipes, Fall Recipes, Gluten Free, Slow Cooker,
Easy family-friendly recipes in your inbox!