Homemade apple butter is made simple with less processed sugar. This crockpot apple butter makes a great homemade gift for the holidays.
If you like to make homemade gifts, give this authentic Egyptian Dukkah a try, or make this better than store-bought Harissa paste.
Jump to:
- Favorite things about this recipe
- Ingredients you'll need
- Variations to make it your own
- Before you begin: essential tools
- Step by step: instructions
- Let's make the perfect recipe: Amira's tips
- Your questions answered: FAQs
- How to store leftovers
- Perfect pairings: what to serve with
- Related Recipes
- Slow Cooker Apple Butter Recipe
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Favorite things about this recipe
- This delicious apple butter can be made with any fresh apples you have.
- It has only 3 main ingredients, and the rest are optional warm spices for the best flavor.
- If you love the set-it-and-forget-it kind of recipe, this one is for you. It does not require constant attention.
This easy apple butter recipe freezes very well and is a great gift. You can make it ahead for the holiday season and freeze it.
Ingredients you'll need
Variations to make it your own
- For the apples, I like using the sweeter varieties such as gala, golden or red delicious, honey crisp and pink lady. You can use any kind of apples.
- I've used cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla to fragrance this wonderful recipe. You are welcome to use another flavor combination you like more with apples.
- A splash of apple cider vinegar makes this crock pot apple butter a little bit tangy.
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a spicier apple butter.
Before you begin: essential tools
- 6-quart or larger slow cooker
- Immersion blender or a regular blender
- Airtight containers or mason jars
Step by step: instructions
- Peel, core, and dice the apples into cubes, then place them in the slow cooker.
- Add spices, brown sugar, and honey.
- Mix everything well, cover and let it cook on low for 6 hours.
- Remove the lid, add vanilla extract, and keep cooking uncovered for 2 hours.
- Blend with a blender or an immersion blender until smooth.
Let's make the perfect recipe: Amira's tips
- If you have a food mill, you can skip peeling the apples and when they are done use your food mills to process and the skin comes right off.
- Use apple butter in place of apple sauce in baked goods like this healthier carrot cake.
- You can use this base recipe for many types of fruits like pears, apricots, plums and peaches.
Your questions answered: FAQs
Homemade butter can stay for months in the freezer if well preserved in sealed sterilized jars. When properly stored, this can stay up to 3 weeks in refrigerator but keep it tightly closed.
Both apple sauce and butter refer to cooked apples until very tender with some liquids and spices. Apple sauce has water in it, while apple butter is cooked until thickened enough to be of a paste form.
Use your preferred apple type or types. Personally I like sweet varieties such as gala, golden delicious, honey crisp and pink lady.
How to store leftovers
Refrigerate - place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Freeze - this recipe is freezer-friendly. Freeze apple butter in freezer safe container for up to 2 months.
Perfect pairings: what to serve with
Spread on toast or waffles in the morning, and get ready to blow everyone’s minds. They are going to love it. Mix with yogurt or sour cream. Add to your morning oats or use it in baked goods instead of apple sauce.
Related Recipes
- Enjoy this delicious and simple cream cheese frosting on your favorite cakes, cupcakes and cinnamon rolls. An easy cream cheese frosting recipe that can be adjusted to your own liking.
- Add a touch of richness to your dessert with this easy 10-minute easy hot fudge sauce recipe. Made with simple pantry ingredients this sauce is decadent over ice cream, brownies and much more.
- Sweet and rich with strawberry flavor, this Strawberry Coulis is the perfect, quick, and easy condiment for your ice cream, cheesecake, and more!
- Chantilly Cream also known as whipped cream adds an elegant touch to many desserts. Pillowy, airy and made with just 3 ingredients one of the simplest dessert toppings.
- Baghrir is the Moroccan style pancakes with a distinctive shape and texture. Made with semolina flour and served with honey and butter these pancakes are sure to impress.
Love Apples? You’re not alone which is why you’ll be in good hands when you make these great Apple recipes!
- Healthy Baked Apple Slices is a delicious treat or side dish with a variety of apples flavored with cinnamon and naturally sweetened with honey. This is a perfect side dish for your holiday table.
- These Apple Crisp Bars are so addicting, they are like apple pie in a bar. So good and suitable for lunch boxes too.
- Fresh apples and puff pastry are the main ingredients in these beautiful Puff Pastry Apple Roses. They are easy, not overly sweet, and have just the right amount of cinnamon and sugar to give them a perfectly balanced flavor.
Slow Cooker Apple Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds apples.
- ¼ cup brown sugar.
- ¼ cup honey.
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Instructions
- Peel, core and roughly chop your apples and put in your slow cooker.
- Add brown sugar, honey, cinnamon and cloves and toss well with the apples.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
- Add vanilla extract and cook uncovered for another 2 hours.
- Let it cool down and puree with an immersion blender or in your food processor.
- Pour into air tight containers and refrigerate.
Video
Notes
- If you have a food mill, you can skip peeling the apples and when they are done use your food mills to process and the skin comes right off.
- Use your preferred apple type or types. Personally I like sweet varieties such as gala, golden delicious, honey crisp and pink lady.
- Use apple butter in place of apple sauce in baked goods like this healthier carrot cake.
- You can use this base recipe for many types of fruits like pears, apricot, plums and peaches.
- This can stay up to 3 weeks in refrigerator and two months in freezer.
Nutrition
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Graciela Schwartz
easy directions, great illustrations!
Amira
Thank you so much Graciela, happy you liked it.
John / Kitchen Riffs
Apple butter is good stuff! Love its flavor. Using the slow cooker is a terrific way to prepare it -- so easy! Thanks. 🙂
Evelyne
I know apple butter very well. Just west of Toronto the Amish are famous for their apple butter. It's really good. Love the idea of making it at home in a crock pot. Funny enough in Quebec apple butter is pale applesauce whipped with actual butter.