Slow Cooker Apple Butter
on Oct 17, 2019, Updated Jul 18, 2024
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This easy slow cooker apple butter is absolutely delicious and easy to make with just 2-ingredients. This recipe is low in fat, vegan, oil-free, sugar-free and high in fiber.
Recipe Features
- so easy – just 2 ingredients needed!
- dietary needs – vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, low-fat
- natural sweetener – use to sweeten baking, smoothies, oatmeal and more
What You’ll Need
- Apples. I like to use a variety of organic apples but you can use any kind of apple to make this recipe. There’s no need to worry about the exact amount but somewhere around 6-8 apples works great. I like to use a few different kinds in each batch but using just 1 or type varieties works as well. 6 medium-sized apples which produces about 2 1/4 cups of apple butters.
- Cinnamon. Cinnamon helps enhance the flavour of the apples. I also added a bit of nutmeg but it’s an optional ingredient.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. Prepare the Apples. To prepare the apples for cooking, wash well then remove the cores and slice into chunks.
No peeling? Nope. You do not need to peel the apples for making apple butter. Just quarter, remove the core, chop into chunks and toss them right into the crockpot.
Step 2. Cook the Apples. Add the chopped apples, cinnamon and nutmeg to your slow cooker and cook on high for about 3 hours. Give it a stir every hour or so.
No sugar needed? Nope, no added sugar needed! I think the apple butter is sweet enough on its own but it is a tad tart. So, if you prefer a sweeter apple butter, add 2-3 tbsp of maple syrup or coconut sugar with the cinnamon and nutmeg.
Step 3. Blend into Applesauce. After about 3 hours, carefully scoop the apples out of the slow cooker and into a blender. Blend the apples into applesauce, making sure to allow steam to escape as you’re blending.
You may need to do this in a couple batches depending on how many apples you used and what kind of blender you have.
Step 4. Thicken into apple butter. After blending, pour the applesauce back into the slow cooker and continue cooking on low for 3-5 hours until thickened to your liking.
Once it’s thickened up a bit, let it cool completely in the slow cooker or transfer it to storage container to cool.
How to Serve
- as a spread for toast
- spread on a warm muffin or slice of loaf
- mixed into oatmeal or yogurt
- used in baking instead of applesauce
- spread over pancakes or waffles
- as a dip for fresh fruit
How to Store
- Fridge: Let it cool then store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks in a sealed container.
- Freezer: Let it cool then freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months and thawed in the fridge as needed. If freezing, I’d suggest freezing it in approximately 1-cup containers so you can pull it from the freezer in smaller portions, as needed.
Related Recipes
- Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- Apple Pie Overnight Oats
- Baked Cinnamon Apple Chips
- Easy Vegan Banana Bread
- Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 6-8 apples, or enough to fill your slow cooker
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg, optional
Instructions
- Wash, core and chop the apples and add them to a slow cooker.
- Add the cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Cook on high for 2 hours then carefully scoop into a blender and blend until smooth. You may have to do this in batches. Be careful as it will be very hot. Make sure you allow the steam to escape as you blend.
- Add the blended apples back into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours until thickened to your liking.
- Either let the apple butter cool in the slow cooker or transfer to a container and let cool before storing. I just let it sit in the crockpot until completely cool then I transfer it to a storage container and place in the fridge. It will thicken up a little more in the fridge.
- Store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 weeks.
I made this recipe and the flavour is just amazing! Im a cinnamon kinda person and this just rocked my world!
So good, isn’t it! Enjoy 🙂
I decided to challenge the “you can use any type of apple in this recipe” idea. I used two red (pink lady), two green, and two PEARS and it turned out delicious. I am happy to have been able to use up fruit I wasn’t likely to get to before they went downhill AND to have made a yummy spread that I can give to friends as a treat. There was definitely enough to share!
I love that idea! Sounds amazing with pear. So glad you enjoyed it and how nice of you to share!
This apple butter is so ridiculously easy, and I left out the sugar because the apples were more sweet and less tart; turned out perfectly. Had toast this morning with it; yummy. One thing though- it’s so good there won’t be any left for the freezer. 🙂
Haha – that’s a concern for sure! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
This is such a delicious and easy recipe! I’ve been loving it on toast and oatmeal. It makes the house smell amazing all day too.
How good it smells might be the best thing about it! 🙂
LOVE this recipe! It’s so easy and sooo good. Thanks for the idea to add it to oatmeal – amazing. We didn’t add any sweetener, just apples and cinnamon and it came out perfect.
So glad to hear that, Jenn!
Super easy recipe with delicious results. I used macintosh apples, no sweetener and added some additional spices …. ginger, cardamom and cloves. Try the apple butter on toast or add as a topping to your morning oatmeal. Thanks Deryn for another great recipe that is easy to do with everyday items.
Made this today and it was so good, I’m going to make another batch with leftover apples tomorrow. I didn’t add any type of sweetener and it was sweet enough due to the natural sweetness of the apples.
Amazing! So glad you enjoyed it! I’ll be making this all the time too. Thanks for the review, Ashley!