If you've ever wondered how to make apple butter, this slow cooker apple butter recipe is the perfect place to start! This recipe is especially easy because the slow cooker does most of the work. There's no need to stand over the stove stirring apples! And bonus...your house will smell amazing as the apple butter cooks!
What Is Apple Butter?
If you're wondering what is apple butter, it's essentially apples that have been cooked for a long time until they become very soft, and caramelized. It's almost like a concentrated, smoother applesauce. And despite the name, apple butter doesn't actually contain any butter!
What Are the Best Apples for Apple Butter?
I like to combine sweet apples with a tart apples. So I typically do granny smith along wtih a sweeter variery like Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji (or whatever is on sale!) Mixing varieties gives the apple butter a little more depth of flavor than using just one type.
Apple Butter Ingredients
- Apples (a mix of tart and sweet)
- Brown sugar
- White sugar
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Nutmeg
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
How to Make Apple Butter
Making apple butter is surprisingly simple, especially when you use a slow cooker.
Start by peeling, coring, and chopping your apples. I used to peel these with a hand-held vegetable peeler and I finally upgraded to an actual apple peeler...life changing!
Add the chopped apples to your slow cooker along with the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
Stir everything together until the apples are well coated.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours. The apples should be soft and will have released quite a bit of liquid.
Next, use an immersion blender to blend the apples until completely smooth. I usually blend mine for at least 3-4 minutes to get a really silky texture.
If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully transfer the mixture to a heavy-duty blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Important: If you're using a regular blender, vent the lid and cover the opening with a kitchen towel so steam can safely escape. If you used a regular blender, return the apple mixture to the slow cooker.
Cook for another 2 hours, this time leaving the slow cooker lid ajar or removing it so steam can escape. Stir about every 30 minutes. Once its reached your desired consistency, give it one final blend if you'd like it extra smooth.
How Do You Know When Apple Butter Is Done?
Apple butter should be noticeably thicker than applesauce and have a smooth, spreadable consistency. Keep in mind that it will also thicken a little more as it cools. If your apple butter still seems too thin after the additional two hours of cooking, continue cooking it uncovered until more moisture evaporates.
Do You Have to Peel Apples for Apple Butter?
You don't have to peel apples before making apple butter, especially if you're using a powerful blender. I do prefer peeling them because it gives the finished apple butter an extra-smooth texture but it's not necessary.
How to Store Homemade Apple Butter
Once your apple butter has cooled, transfer it to an airtight jar or container and store it in the refrigerator. You can also freeze apple butter for up to a year. Just be sure to leave about an inch of space in your container for expansion.
What to Eat With Apple Butter
Try it on biscuits, English muffins, croissants, pancakes, waffles, French toast, or muffins. It's also delicious swirled into oatmeal or yogurt.
For something savory, try serving a little apple butter on a cheese board or use it as a sweet spread on a sandwich.
Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- immersion blender or regular blender
- Apple peeler (optional)
Ingredients
- 5 pounds apples about 10 large apples. (I like a mix of 5 granny smith and 5 sweeter like: honeycrisp, gala, or fuji)
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Peel and core the apples, then slice or dice them. The size doesn't need to be exact since the apples will be blended later. Note: You do NOT HAVE to peel the apples but the consistency will be bit smoother if you do.5 pounds apples
- Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and toss to coat the apples.¾ cup brown sugar, ½ cup white sugar, ⅛ teaspoon cloves, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Cook on low for 8 hours with the lid on.
- After the 8 hours, it will be time to blend. I HIGHLY recommend using an immersion blender so you don't have to transfer the apples. If you do not have one, you can add everything to a regular blender. Just make sure to vent the lid and cover with a towel as the steam can cause the lid to blow off.
- Once blended, cook on low again for about another 2 hours with the lid either ajar or off. Stir about every 30 minutes.
- Since every apple is different in size and juice content, it's hard to give an exact amount of time on this step. If you want the apple butter thicker, leave it cooking longer. Keep in mind it will also thicken slightly as it cools.
- When the apple butter has finished cooking, allow it to cool and store in air tight jars in the fridge for about 3 weeks or the freeze for up to a year.
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