Sweet and spreadable Apple Butter, made with apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon, has all the best flavors of fall and makes enough to share!
Decadent slow cooker Apple Butter is a rich spread that is perfect for topping baked goods, mixed into oatmeal, and more! Toss chopped sweet apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla into a slow cooker, and in a few hours, you will have the most incredible apple butter that you can enjoy, as well as gift to family and friends!
Spiced Apple Goodness
Crock pots and apples, is there anything else that screams fall more than that? It is incredibly easy to bring home at least five bags of apples when we visit the apple orchards, so making rich, homemade apple butter is the first thing I make. This mostly hands-off recipe is straightforward, especially since I let the slow cooker run overnight and finish the apple butter in the morning. There are many things we enjoy apple butter with, from spreading it over crispy English muffins to slices of cinnamon raisin bread and topping hot oatmeal. Since I don’t have time, I can really love gifting a few jars of apple butter to those I know love fresh apple butter as much as we do!
Crock Pot Apple Pie Oatmeal is an amazing way to start the day and extra delicious with apple butter stirred in, or top mouthwatering Apple Pie Scones with a dollop of apple butter!
Other Recipes to Serve with Apple Butter
- Cook up a pot of Homemade Apple Cider to enjoy with all of your apple butter snacks for a perfect fall day!
- When you still have apples leftover even after making these big apple recipes, keep it simple and wildly flavorful by making Baked Apples for a comforting fall treat!
Ingredients
Apples: To make apple butter, you will need plenty of apples! Choose any of your favorite sweet apples, like Red or Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, Gala, Fuji, and more. Peel, core, and chop the apples before cooking them.
Pantry Items: Set out the granulated sugar and brown sugar for this recipe.
Spices: Enhance the fall flavors of this apple butter with ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and vanilla extract or paste.
How to Make Apple Butter
STEP ONE: In a bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.
STEP TWO: Add the peeled, cored, and chopped apples to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples and mix everything well.
STEP THREE: Put the lid on the slow cooker, set it to low, and cook the apples for 10 hours. After 10 hours, remove the lid and cook the apple butter on high for 2 hours to reduce and thicken it.
STEP FOUR: Once thickened, blend the apple butter using an immersion blender or transfer it to a blender and carefully blend in batches. Fill clean jars with the hot apple butter and allow the jars to cool on the counter.
Tips for Success
- Cooking time will depend on the juiciness of the apples you use and the desired thickness of your apple butter. For a very dense consistency, let the apples reduce for even longer and check it every hour. You can also cook it on low overnight and then cook on high for two hours in the morning.
- If you pour the apple butter into clean glasses when it’s still hot, more than 190°F, and close them right away, the jars will stay good in the fridge for at least 1 month. For more extended storage, consider canning, which will make the apple butter last longer. If the jars you are using are freezer safe, then you can freeze the jars for up to 1 year. Be careful to clean the glasses, lids, and rims properly.
- You can add even more spices if you like! Try apple pie spice, allspice, cloves, or ginger for a bigger fall flavor. I recommend making this recipe as written first, and then adding different spices to each jar to create various flavors from a single batch.
What is apple butter good for?
I think many people save apple butter for sweet dishes, but this apple spread is actually quite versatile and can be used in a variety of ways! its great with English muffins, sweet baked goods, and oatmeal, but consider using this delicious spread for savory dishes too. Glaze pork loins or chops, sausage, or chicken with apple butter for a classic dish with a touch of sweetness. Include a jar on charcuterie boards to enjoy with sliced cheeses, meats, and crackers. There’s no wrong way to enjoy apple butter, so go ahead and grab as many apples as you can to make lots of batches!
Is apple butter the same as applesauce?
Initially they very similar, especially because you could blend the apples once they are cooked through to make apple sauce. However, cooking the apple for hours longer, reducing it, and concentrating the flavors is where the magic of apple butter happens.
Applesauce can taste pretty light, but apple butter cranks the flavor of apples and spices well past a 10! Apple butter is also smooth and spreadable, unlike apple sauce, which is why you can use it on bread or mix it into oatmeal, and it sits on top or blends well with no coarse texture.
More Delicious Ways to Celebrate Apple Season!
- Slow Cooker Apple Crisp
- Apple Pie Cookie Cups
- Apple Ginger Margarita
- Carrot and Apple Slaw
- Slow Cooker Nectarine Apple Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 pounds apples (I used gala)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ teaspons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Peel and core the apples. Then, cut them into cubes and place them in the slow cooker.
- Mix the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a medium mixing bowl. Sprinkle the vanilla extract over the apples, and then sprinkle the sugar mixture all over the apples. Stir until coated.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours. Remove the lid, turn the slow cooker to HIGH, and cook for 1-2 more hours until thickened. (see note)
- Use an immersion blender to puree everything into smooth apple butter. (Or use a blender, working in batches, and not filling more than halfway full at a time.)
- Pour into hot, clean jars and then close them with a lid. Let cool completely. (see note)
Notes
- Cooking time will depend on how juicy your apples are and how thick/reduced you like your apple butter. If you want a very dense consistency, let it reduce even more. Check in with the apple butter every hour. You can also cook it on LOW overnight and then cook it on HIGH afterwards.
- If you fill the apple butter into clean glasses when it’s still hot (more than 190°F) and close them right away, they will stay good in the fridge for at least 1 month. For longer keeping, canning will make the apple butter last longer. Be careful to clean the glasses, lids, and rims properly.
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