Easy Crock Pot Apple Butter

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It’s so easy to make apple butter in the Crock Pot or slow cooker! These five ingredients make a flavorful spread for toast, english muffins, or best of all–turkey sandwiches.

jar of apple butter and toast on board

What’s apple butter, you say? Ohhh…once you taste this treat, you’ll be hooked. Apple butter is simply applesauce that’s been cooked down until it’s brown, caramelized, rich and delicious.

Depending on the sweetness of your apples, you may need even less sugar than the cup I used.

apple butter jar on wood board

Crock Pot Apple Butter

Ingredients

10 or more apples (I used Fuji apples this time)

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/8 teaspoon salt

Crock pot or Instant Pot

Instructions

Wash a bunch of apples. Don’t these look delicious?

Crock Pot Apple Butter: BrownThumbMama.com

Cut off the tops and bottoms, since that makes them easier to peel. Save the trimmings and peels for your compost bin. I like to put the scrap bowl in an open drawer so it’s lower and easier to peel into.

Crock Pot Apple Butter: BrownThumbMama.com

Once they’re peeled and cored, enlist your Noble Assistant to chop the apples. Butter knives are strongly recommended (as well as an extra apple or two for him to eat).

Crock Pot Apple Butter: BrownThumbMama.com

Chop and chop until the crockpot is full. Then add the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. No liquid is needed! Stir carefully and cover. Cook on High for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Then turn down to Low and cook for 9 hours, stirring occasionally, until dark brown.

Crock Pot Apple Butter: BrownThumbMama.com

If there are any lumps, use an immersion blender to smooth everything out. If it’s not thick enough, cook for an additional hour with the lid off. Pour into a canning jar (I like these) and refrigerate or freeze. Yum!

This batch made 6 small jars–enough for some to save and some to share.

apple butter on board

jar of apple butter and toast on board

Crock Pot Apple Butter

Yield: approx. 24 oz.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 9 hours
Total Time: 9 hours 30 minutes

It’s so easy to make apple butter in the slow cooker! Five simple ingredients make a flavorful spread for toast, english muffins, or best of all–turkey sandwiches.

Ingredients

  • 10 or more apples (a variety, or all the same kind)
  • 1 cup sugar, or less, to taste
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Wash a bunch of apples, and peel and core them.
  2. Chop the apples into approximately 1" pieces, and place directly into slow cooker.
  3. Add the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. No liquid is needed! Stir carefully and cover.
  4. Cook on High for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Then turn down to Low and cook for 9 hours, stirring occasionally, until dark brown.

Notes

If there are any lumps, use an immersion blender to smooth everything out. If it's not thick enough, cook for an additional hour with the lid off. Pour into canning jars and refrigerate or freeze. Yum!

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apple butter and toast

It's so easy to make apple butter in the slow cooker! 5 ingredients make a flavorful spread for toast, english muffins, or best of all--turkey sandwiches.

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Hi, Im Pam!

I created Brown Thumb Mama to share my natural living journey, and help you live a greener life. Thanks for being here!

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23 thoughts on -Easy Crock Pot Apple Butter-

  1. i have a very similar recipe. i substituted 1 banana & 1/4 cup brown sugar for 1 cup of brown sugar. i pack the slow cooker full of apples, right up to the top (5-6 quart slow cooker, & about 15 apples of various types) & i do NOT peel the apples, i use an immersion blender & they just disappear into the ‘sauce’. i add the cinnamon 1 hour before the end so it doesn’t get cooked away. i don’t use cloves or nutmeg, but i might give that a try in my next batch.

  2. See if you can smoosh the apples with a potato masher. They might just need a little encouragement to break down (different varieties of apples have different firmness).

    1. It doesn’t have enough acid to be canned by water bath, but you might be able to pressure can it. I just freeze any excess until we need it!

      1. I have made my apple butter in the crockpot for more than 15 years. I hot bath my jars my rings and flats I put them in the boiling water bath for 20 minutes and I have never had a jar turn bad. Some of them I had for 5 years or more and they tasted like I just made it.

  3. Oh, this apple butter looks amazing! I LOVE that you made it in the crockpot! I’ve been wanting to make apple butter for ages! Thank you so much for liking up to the Play With Your Food Challenge! We’ll be announcing the winner tonight. Also, I’ve pinned this recipe 🙂

  4. Avatar photo
    Brown Thumb Mama

    Deb–glad you tried it! A lot depends on the water content of the apples, but it should thicken up more after it cools. If it’s too thin to spread, stir it into your oatmeal or pour on waffles. Mmmm, waffles…

    Rachel–thanks! This could easily be more than 10 apples. Jackjack was eating them as fast as I could peel them. We chopped until the crockpot was full.

  5. I’m making my second batch of this today. I like adding the sugar last because I use a nice varitey of apples from a basket of blemished ones at the orchard. The first time I made this I canned three 1/2 pint jars. Now I’ve doubled it. Fuji apples, could explain by my 10 apples did not equal your 10 apples lol
    Very good recipe!

  6. So glad you posted this…I have a question. I made apple butter in the crock pot last week (first time ever) I cooked it on low for about 14 hours and it still didn’t thicken up very much. Suggestions??? I did end up canning it and we’ll still use it, but I was kinda disappointed, I thought it would be thicker. Does it thicken up more after it cools??? Thanks for your help 🙂

    btw, yours looks very yummy!

    1. So when u Canned yours did u just put it in hot jars and seal the lids ? How long will it last canned? Mind turned out really good.

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