HOMEMADE APPLE BUTTER IS one of those things Paul and I remember loving as kids. Both of our moms made it. In fact, apple butter has been shipped to our kids by two different grandmothers to two different countries, only to be devoured in one week flat. That’s because it’s delicious. But with four small kids, I just couldn’t see spending hours over the stove to make the stuff myself (seriously, it takes hours). Enter slow cooker apple butter, one of my very favorite ways to eat apples. Ever.
I used another blogger’s version of slow cooker apple butter once before and since then I’ve come up with my own. So rich in flavor and wait for it, pretty darn easy. Let me get more specific.
4 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THIS SLOW COOKER APPLE BUTTER
1. This apple butter cooks itself overnight. You don’t have to stir it even once. And it’s not fussy about what to do next. All you have to do is grind it up and throw it into containers..at some point during the next day.
2. There’s no need to peel the apples. Just core them, like this.
3. You don’t add any sugar at all. I used half a cup of apple cider, plus spices and 5 pounds of fresh apples. That’s it.
4. Unlike cookies or muffins, apple butter won’t get squished in backpacks and lasts a month or so in the fridge. Therefore, it’s the perfect gift. This week we’re giving jars to neighbors and teachers but if you keep yours all to yourself, we’ll never tell.
Oh! One more thing. It’s such an easy recipe that your kids can help. Mine did and at times it looked like this.
But mostly, there was this.
Somehow we still ended up with this.
And eventually this. I bought these little wrapping kits at World Market last year but you could easily just wrap a pretty bow on top.
And just when you thought I’d stop talking about how great this recipe is, there is ONE MORE THING. Your house will smell heavenly for 10 hours.
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH APPLE BUTTER?
We love apple butter on thick slabs of toast, especially on hearty bread like Dave’s Bread (which I’ve seen at Costco and stores like Whole Foods), our favorite Whole Wheat Apple Bread or even Bread Machine Homemade Rolls like these. But it’s also amazing on a Dutch Baby (or Big Pancake), another childhood favorite of mine that if you haven’t tried, you really will thank me. And don’t forget hand pies. Just slather this apple butter on a wedge of pie crust, fold and bake. Happy holidays!
PrintSlow Cooker Apple Butter (No Sugar Added)
- Yield: 5 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 5 pounds apples (my favorites: macintosh, golden delicious, braeburn, even granny smith will work)
- 1/2 cup pure apple cider
- 3 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- (optional) 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar OR the juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Core all apples but don’t peel.
- Put apples plus all other ingredients into a slow cooker and mix with a large spoon or your hands, coating all the apples. It’ll be VERY full.
- Put the lid on and cook at LOW for 10 hours.
- Let the apples cool off a little, then use a blender or food processor to grind up the apple butter evenly. You should not have to add more liquid.
- Store in jars or plastic containers up to a month in the fridge or freeze (in same containers) for 6 months.
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This looks wonderful. Do you know if this can be canned and kept at room temp?
Hi Brooke! YES, it certainly can. My mom canned tons of apple butter when I was a kid and we enjoyed it all year long. If you do it, will you let us know how it goes?
Hi this sounds amazing. Won’t have time this year to make as gifts but would love to make some just for us but not sure would get through that much and no where to store huge amounts! Would it work if made half the quantity or does it work best with with slow cooker filled full? Thanks
Hi George! You could definitely make half a batch. But really you only get a few cups which actually goes very quickly. My kids have been begging for it every day, slathered on thick pieces of toast for either breakfast or snacks. Plus, you could use it for hand pies (simply fill store-bought pie crusts and bake) or on a Dutch Baby, which was my family’s FAVORITE weekend breakfast growing up. If you haven’t heard of it, try ours here. You won’t regret it.
Hi, can I do it without apple cider ? (don’t have it at the moment)
Hi Natalie — Yes, probably. Substitute water instead. I’d definitely use the vinegar or lemon juice as well. If you’re not picky about the low-sugar element, I’d add 1/2 a cup of regular sugar because the cider is the only ingredient that does have sweetener. Or, if you want to maintain a low sugar/no sugar added recipe, perhaps try 1/4 cup of maple syrup in place of the cider. Let us know what you do and how it turns out!
Thanks for answer. I try with maple sirup. I will write tomorrow as it succeeded.
I grew up in Washington State. As a kid I never heard of Apple Butter. Only when I left for a career in the Military, stationed in the South Eastern part of the US did I try it. It is so amazing! Only if Foodlets existed 24 years ago. My life would have been so much better.:)
Hello, what can I do if I dont have slow cooker. thanks. your page is fantastic
Hi Haydee! You can make apple butter on the stove. You’d use a heavy bottomed pan and cook it with a lid on at the lowest temperature possible for about 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so. Use the food processor to grind everything up when you’re done.
Also, if you don’t have a food processor, just peel the apples before cooking them. Then you don’t need a food processor because the apples will be soft enough to break down with a potato masher.
Do you have a method for canning this recipe of apple butter. I’ve never made apple and have never done any canning in my life, but would love to do both.
Hi Ruth! I have not done canning but I’ll bet it would work beautifully if you followed the recipe here, and tried a canning method like this one from Real Simple. Let us know if you try it and how it turned out!
I made this over night with no added sugar and lemon juice. The next morning I’m processed 5 half pints in thirty minutes…..recipes is wonderful. I didn’t add a bit more cinnamon because we love it both for taste and nutritional value. I also left the peels!on and then ran my emersion blender through it. Wonderful!
Awesome, Judi! So glad it turned out so well. Thanks for your note!
We dont have this much cinnamon but what if I added cinnamon sticks to the apples then removed them after slow cooking in the apple mixture?? Maybe that would infuse the mixture with enough cinnamon flavor??
I’m afraid this will reach you too late BUT yes, of course you could use the cinnamon sticks like that! Let us know what you ended up doing and how it turned out.