Our slow cooker apple butter (also known as crockpot apple butter) is the perfect fall recipe made with crisp, fresh apples, cozy spices, and sweetened with maple syrup. This naturally sweetened apple butter is one of the best apple butter recipes for canning and a great recipe to make after apple picking.
This apple butter is delicious spread on fresh biscuits and toast, or added to your fall cheese boards alongside crackers and cheese. It's also the secret ingredient in a couple of my other fall favorites - use it to make my Apple Butter Oat Flour Pancakes, or find it swirled through our Apple Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping.
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Why You'll Love This Apple Butter Recipe
Set It Up and Leave It - This recipe is one of my favorites because once you prep the ingredients, you just leave the apple butter to simmer all day. Your house will smell amazing and the finished product is the epitome of fall flavors.
Naturally Sweetened - There is no cane sugar added to this apple butter - just pure maple syrup making the recipe a healthy way to enjoy fall baking.
A Great Way to Use Up a Lot of Apples - We've all been there - we leave the apple orchard with our kids and an overflowing bag of fresh, local apples. Those apples sit on the counter for a week or two and you keep wondering what you'll do with all of them. Making apple butter is the perfect way to preserve your apples.
Makes a Great Gift - Who wouldn't love a beautiful jar of homemade apple butter? Choose some beautiful canning jars and turn your slow cooker apple butter into gorgeous holiday gifts.
You can use this flavorful apple butter to make our Apple Butter Oatmeal Pancakes or Apple Butter Bread too!!
Key Ingredients
- apples - for this recipe, you'll want to use a crispy, tart apple such as Honey Crisp, Macintosh, or Cortland.
- maple syrup - be sure to use 100% pure maple syrup for this recipe, not table syrup.
- maple sugar - maple sugar is made by evaporating the liquid from maple syrup. It has a great maple flavor and adds sweetness to the recipe without adding additional moisture.
How To Make Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Be sure to see the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and detailed recipe instructions.
Combine apples, spices, maple syrup, maple sugar, vanilla and lemon juice in your slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours.
Use your blender or immersion blender to puree the apples until smooth.
Sweeten to taste and cook your apple butter over low heat for 15-30 minutes.
Store finished apple butter in the refrigerator or freezer. See below for directions for canning apple butter.
Hint: Our no sugar added apple butter recipe is not designed to be super sweet - be sure to taste test you apple butter and be sure that it's sweet enough for you. If it's not, add a little more maple sugar during the final simmering.
How to Can Apple Butter
- Start by sterilizing your jars in boiling hot water. Carefully lower the jars, their lids and rims into boiling hot water for ten minutes and then allow the jars to cool and then dry them out.
- Ladle the warm apple butter into your canning jars, leaving a little bit (about ¼ inch) of room at the top of the jar. Wipe the jars off and then seal with the lid and rim.
- Finally, submerge the filled jars in boiling water and process for 10 minutes.
- Remove the jars from the boiling water using tongs and allow to cool completely. The lids should be sealed tight and should not make a popping sound when you push down on them.
Ways To Use Apple Butter
Spread it on warm scones - it's especially good with our Easy Apple Cinnamon Scones for a double dose of apple and cinnamon.
Build a fall cheeseboard - apple butter is delicious with sharp cheddar, brie, or goat cheese. Pair with some crackers and our Maple Roasted Pecans. Cocktail hour is complete when you serve with a fall cocktail like our Apple Cider Whiskey Cocktail.
Serve it over pancakes or waffles - add a fall twist to breakfast and serve apple butter spooned over your favorite pancake or waffle recipes.
Mix it into oatmeal, overnight oats, or yogurt - add a spoonful of fall flavor to your morning bowl without adding any extra sugar.
Use it as a glaze - brush it over pork chops or a baked ham in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking for a sweet, caramelized finish.
Give it as a gift - fill a few canning jars and tie on ribbons, and you've got homemade holiday gifts.
Slow Cooker Apple Butter FAQs
Firm, tart apples make the best apple butter. I like to use Macintosh, Cortland, or Honey Crisp for this recipe.
Apple butter is delicious spread on toast, biscuits and scones. Apple butter is delicious added to a sandwich and makes a flavorful addition to your charcuterie boards.
This is really a personal preference and depends on what you are doing with the apple butter. If I am giving the apple butter as a gift, I can it so that it lasts at room temperature. If I am saving apple butter for future baking projects or to spread on baked goods, I prefer to freeze it.
More Cozy Apple Recipes
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Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter
Equipment
- slow cooker
- blender or food mill
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- apple peeler
- knife
- cutting board
- canning jars
- canning funnel
Ingredients
- 7 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced about 6 - 6.5 pounds
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ cup maple or light brown sugar
Instructions
- Place sliced apples into your slow cooker. Add maple syrup, maple sugar, apple cider, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and ground cloves. Mix gently to combine.7 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced, ½ cup maple syrup, ½ cup apple cider, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ cup maple or light brown sugar
- Cook apples on low, with the lid tightly secured for 8 hours.
- After 8 hours, use your immersion blender to puree the apple butter. If you don't have an immersion blender, use your regular blender and puree until smooth.
- Return the apple butter to a medium sauce pan, sweeten with the maple sugar to taste and cook for an additional 15-30 minutes on low, stirring often.
- Cool and store apple butter in the refrigerator or freezer or follow the directions below for canning your apple butter.
Notes
- Start by sterilizing your jars in boiling hot water. Carefully lower the jars, their lids and rims into boiling hot water for ten minutes and then allow the jars to cool and then dry them out.
- Ladle the warm apple butter into your canning jars, leaving a little bit (about ¼ inch) of room at the top of the jar. Wipe the jars off and then seal with the lid and rim.
- Finally, submerge the filled jars in boiling water and process for 10 minutes.
- Remove the jars from the boiling water using tongs and allow to cool completely. The lids should be sealed tight and should not make a popping sound when you push down on them.
Cristie says
This recipe was really fun to make and I loved how the maple flavor comes through in the finished product. I used 7 really large Envy apples that I had on hand at home, but when I weighed them they came in at about 4 lbs. I thought I would be good, but the butter is a little thinner than I would like, so I regret not going by weight in this recipe. Next time I'll definitely use the weight as a guide and not the count of apples.
Maple and Thyme says
Thanks so much for the feedback!! Sounds delicious with the Envy apples!!
If the butter is a little thin you can add it to a sauce pan and cook it down a bit until it thickens. Sort of like you would do with a tomato sauce if that makes sense…
Cristie says
That is a great tip! Thank you very much! My first batch is almost gone so I'll be making a new one soon. 🙂 The apple butter has been lovely topper to my fruit, yogurt, and granola bowls!
Maple and Thyme says
I’m so glad to hear that!!! Oooohhh….I’ve never through to put it on my granola bowls! Definitely going to try it! Thanks so much!! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Sarah says
I have never made apple butter before. This was so good and extremely easy for biggingers. Thankfully I read the notes at the bottom because I thought I had big apples and evidently I didn't. So I measured about 17 cups of chopped apples. I also didn't have brown sugar or maple so I ended up using sucanat. Thank you so much for this recipe. I will be making 2 more batches.
Maple and Thyme says
Yay!!! I’m so glad that the apple butter was yummy and that the recipe worked well for you. I love hearing this!!!
Nicole says
Can you sub the cider for water?
Maple and Thyme says
Definitely yes!!!
Taylor says
Will a food processor work to blend this
Maple and Thyme says
Definitely!!!
Sara says
I just made this today. It was great! I will try Maple Peach Butter next summer.
Maple and Thyme says
Awesome!!! I’m so glad you liked the recipe! Yes! I think you’ll love the peach butter too!!!
Brittany says
Hey!
Can you make this using an instant pot?
Maple and Thyme says
I haven’t tried it!!! I actually don’t have an Instant Pot!!! 😳 I’m guessing absolutely but if you try it, will you let me know??
Christin says
Did you end up trying the instant pot? I’m looking for a faster way to cook the apples. Is there a safe way to slow cook on high instead of low?
Maple and Thyme says
Hi! I haven’t made the apple butter in an instant pot but I have made this on high in the slow cooker. It comes out delicious. I don’t know the exact time in high, I would say about half the time. You just want the apples to be super mushy and well cooked.
Adrianne Guariglio says
Makes the whole house smell amazing! Tastes delicious too.
Amanda Smallwood says
Love it!! Thanks so much for the feedback!! ❤️🍎
Sam says
Love the idea of using a crock pot so it will not over heat the whole house. I am going to try this today!
Maple and Thyme says
Yes!!! It’s a perfect solution and comes out so yummy!!!
Maple and Thyme says
Thanks so much!!! I’m glad you like it!
Ali says
About how many cups would you say your 7 apples turned out to be? We recently went apple picking and the apples I have are quite a bit smaller than what you would find in a store, so I always have trouble gauging how many I should actually use!
Maple and Thyme says
Hi Ali!
I used really big apples - I would say that I used 6 - 6.5 pounds. If they are smaller, gala size, I would go with 12-14 apples. If you have a way to weigh them, that will be your best bet. If not, I would say that I used 16-18 cups of apples. Hope you had fun apple picking!!!