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Crock-Pot Apple Butter

By 47 Comments

This crockpot apple butter is a simple apple recipe that allows all of your senses to celebrate the glory of autumn.

Apple butter is traditionally made over many hours on the stove top or even in the oven, and today we are showing you a simpler way.

Dish of apple butter along with apple butter recipe information.

Apple Butter

Growing up in the foothills of New York State’s Adirondack mountains, when fall arrived we were surrounded by apples galore.

My dear cousin recanted a favorite apple story of mine.

Dinner roll on a plate with dish of apple butter and butter knife.

One of our aunts asked her sister if she had the apple pie recipe of one of their other sisters.

Our aunt Esther summarily and succinctly responded, “I think she uses macs.”

That’s how folks rolled back then in those parts and apple season was a highly anticipated time.

serving dish of apple butter with a dinner roll in the background.

Make your own crockpot apple butter recipe at home!

What is Apple Butter?

Apple butter is essentially cooked-down applesauce.

It can be used as a savory spread (like jam) or any number of apple recipes.

The Best Apples for this Apple Butter Recipe

If you’re wondering what are the best apples to use for making apple butter,  I would say whatever apples you have on hand!

Although some sources will tell you that the soft varieties are the best apples for this recipe because they cook down faster, this factor is less critical when you are making slow cooker apple recipe.

How to Make Crock-Pot Apple Butter

  • Core about 3 pounds of apples, leave the skins on, and put them in your slow cooker.
  • Add cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
  • Let the slow cooker work its magic!
chopped apple wedges in a crockpot to make apple butter.

We use Honey Crisp apples from our backyard for this easy fall recipe.

Even though we had plenty of fresh apples of all varieties and even our own local apple cider mill, we still did not have access to one apple delicacy in particular: Apple Butter.

Or so I thought.

To get this coveted apple recipe, our family had to drive 60 miles or so to the Ontario border, at the very top of New York state.

Or, was this just part of an elaborate scheme for my folks to take a few days off from farming and pay their kin a visit to the Motherland?

My mom and dad were smart people.

Slow cooked apples in a crock pot.

This crockpot apple recipe will fill your whole neighborhood with the delicious scents of fall.

Key Points for Making  Crockpot Apple Butter

  • Leave the apple skins on.
  • Let the mixture cook slowly, for hours and hours.
  • Use an immersion blender to smooth everything out at the end.
  • Reduce any excess liquid at the end by slow cooking with the cover off.

While I was putting this together, which could hardly be less complicated, I could not help but wonder if my folks were aware how easy this is to make.

Granted, crock pots weren’t marketed until around 1971 and took a while to come into vogue.

Still, this apple recipe and countless others serve as stark reminders of the usefulness of our slow cookers.   Today, it’s hard to imagine any kitchen without one.

spreading apple butter on a dinner roll.

This flavorful spread makes an excellent topping for dinner rolls or toast.

As I mentioned, we did consider this food a delicacy – to the point that I grew up thinking that it was made exclusively in Canada.

Thus, the 2 hours or so journey to the birthplace of my great-grandfather, the namesake for our oldest son, was made once or twice each year.

These visits usually occurred in the fall and lasted a week or so while my parents made their rounds, visiting and staying with one cousin of theirs or another.

Every time we crossed the border on the trip back from Ontario to New York, we always brought with us the memories of a lifetime.

And apple butter.  Happy fall to you.

Dan from Platter Talk standing in the kitchen while on cooking television show.

Dan from Platter Talk food blog

Dinner roll covered with apple butter.

Try this sweet and savory apple recipe this fall!

Recipes that Use Apple Butter

Besides using it as a spread, this easy apple recipe can be used as an ingredient in many different other recipes.

Here are some of our favorites recipes that use apple butter:

More Apple Recipes for Yoo Try

If you’ve tried this Crockpot Apple Butter Recipe or any other recipe on Platter Talk, please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, we love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW US on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what we have cooking.

dinner roll with dish of apple butter

Apple Butter

This slow cooker apple butter is an easy crockpot apple butter recipe that uses fresh apples and warm spices.
4.72 from 14 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Apple Butter, Crockpot Apple Butter, Easy Apple Butter Recipe, Slow Cooker Apple Buttr
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 15 minutes
Servings: 24
Calories: 96kcal
Author: Dan from Platter Talk

Ingredients

  • Approximately 3 lb. apples
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. allspice
  • 1/2 tsp. cloves
  • Dash of salt
  • 3/4 cup water or fresh apple cider

Instructions

  • Fill Crock-pot 3/4 full with cored and sliced apples.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and stir until evenly mixed.
  • Cover and cook on low setting overnight or until the butter is of a thick, spreadable consistency.
  • Use immersion blender to purée and incorporate skins into the apple butter.
  • If apple butter has too much liquid, remove lid and cook on high until thickened. Stir often as butter thickens to prevent scorching.

Notes

If apple butter has too much liquid, remove lid and cook on high until thickened. Stir often as butter thickens to prevent scorching.
Use immersion blender to purée and incorporate skins into the apple butter.
Store in refrigerator for up to 6 weeks. Freeze for longer storage.
Variation: For a less sweet apple butter, substitute 1 cup honey for the sugar.

Nutrition

Calories: 96kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Made This Recipe?

Show me what you made on Instagram or Facebook and tag me at @plattertalk or hashtag it at #plattertalk.

Updated from the original recipe of November 5, 2014.

 

 


Comments

  13. Igor @ Cooking The Globe says

    That’s exactly what I needed. This year in our country is the best in a decade talking about apple production, so I don’t know what to do with all of them! Now I know where I am using at least part of those apples, thanks!

    Reply

    • Dan from Platter Talk says

      Jovita, I’m happy and envious, from your wonderful comments! Our apple production this year is not going to be up to par so we will need to rely on produce stands and folks like your mum who have an abundance of apples this fall. We hope you will put them to good use this way, I know you will love the results! Thanks so much for stopping by Platter Talk.

      Reply

    • Dan from Platter Talk says

      Willow, thanks so much for stopping by Platter Talk and taking the time to comment on this wonderful fall spread. We hope you try it this season!

      Reply

  20. Lori says

    I love this stuff. I make it a lot. Here is my guilty pleasure. A little bowl- about a 1/2 cup of apple butter with a tablespoon of sour cream stirred in. Dah-licious! I put about half the amount of sugar though. (this is how I tell myself it is okay to eat a 1/2 cup of apple butter with sour cream).

    Reply

  25. Cathy says

    I love the idea of using the slow cooker to make apple butter- one of our favorite fall dishes. Thank you so much for sharing at Share It One More Time.

    Reply

  26. Carol at Wild Goose Tea says

    I have just recently become a fan of apple butter. That’s because I finally ate some homemade apple butter. What a difference. It’s like the difference of store bought applesauce and homemade. So I know I will love this slow cooked version.

    Reply

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