Spiced Apple Butter in a Slow Cooker
Spiced Apple Butter recipe made in a slow cooker, this crockpot apple butter combines fresh apples, warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and just the right amount of brown sugar for a rich, spreadable treat. Plus use our simple instructions on how to can apple butter to enjoy all year.
Looking for a delicious and unique way to use up those extra apples? Look no further! Our homemade apple butter is a must-try. Perfect for canning, this recipe includes simple step-by-step instructions to preserve your apple butter for year-round enjoyment. Whether slathered on toast, swirled into baked goods, or paired with savory dishes, this homemade apple butter is a must-try.
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Slow cooker apple butter is so easy that you may not believe it. The hardest part is chopping apples, we promise. So if you can peel and chop fresh apples then a crockpot apple butter batch can be in your refrigerator or pantry by this afternoon. And we will also explain easy apple butter recipe canning instructions for you can preserve your apple butter.
This spiced Apple Butter recipe that is made in a slow cooker, is perfect for canning to enjoy those fall flavors all year. With simple ingredients like fresh apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and brown sugar, this crockpot apple butter is effortless to prepare and ideal for spreading on toast, biscuits, or incorporating into various dishes.
Spiced Apple Butter Recipe
Ingredients:
- 8 apples peeled and diced
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker
- Apple Corer, optional
- immersible blender
- Water Bath Canner
- 4 half pint canning jars with lids and rings
🥣 Recipe Tips
- Choose the Right Apples: Opt for a mix of sweet and tart apples like Granny Smith, Honey crisp, or Fuji to balance flavor and texture. Softer varieties cook down better, enhancing the apple butter’s smooth consistency.
- Avoid Adding Liquids: As the recipe emphasizes, do not add water or other liquids to the slow cooker. The apples will release their own juices during cooking, preventing a runny final product.
- Check Consistency During Blending: When pureeing with an immersion blender, blend until completely smooth for a classic apple butter texture. If it’s too thick, cook it a bit longer uncovered in the slow cooker to reduce excess moisture.
- Ensure Proper Canning Seal: For canning, make sure the jars are hot when filling, leave a 1/4-inch headspace, and remove air bubbles with a non-metal tool. After the water bath
How to make slow cooker apple butter:
Start your slow cooker apple sauce by peeling, coring and chopping the apples into bite-size pieces. There is no need to treat the apples so they will not brown. We will be putting them into the crockpot immediately.
Place the chopped apples in a slow cooker, add the brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.
Give the apples and spices a good stir, thoroughly mixing them. Do NOT add any liquids, these apples will make their own juices. If any liquid is added, you will have runny apple butter. Place lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or until the apples are thoroughly cooked and tender.
Use an immersible blender and puree the cooked apples and spices until well blended. A regular blender or food processor could also be used. It’s just easier to use the immersible blender since the apple mixture does not need to be removed to puree it.
Store your apple butter in jars and it can be placed in the refrigerator for about a week. And if it will not be consumed within the week then follow our apple butter recipe canning instructions below.
How to can Apple Butter:
This recipe will make 4 half pint mason jars
Fill a home canner half-way with water. You could also use a large sauce pot or stockpot with a cake rack placed on the bottom to keep the jars from touching the bottom of the pot. Place 4 half-pint empty jars, lids, and rings in the water, bring water to a simmer over medium heat. Remove the jars with a jar lifter one at a time and fill. Use this green handy little magnet Lid Lifter to remove the lids and rings and it is a must-have in our house. It grabs the metal lids and rings to make it so much easier when we are canning apple butter or anything else.
Spoon the apple butter into the hot half-pint canning jars leaving a quarter inch headspace. Clean the rims and place lids on the jars.
Place the filled jars back into the water bath. The water should come up to within 1-2 inches of the top of the jar and the jars should not be crowded. Bring temperature to a rolling boil and boil for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the jars using a Jar Lifter and set on a clean dry towel.
Let sit undisturbed for 12-24 hours. After 12-24 hours check to make sure they have sealed by touching the center, it should not move up and down. Remove the ring and test by picking the jar up by the metal lid.
What’s better on a gorgeous sunshiny morning than some Homemade Apple Butter. This is so easy and it’s nothing like the store-bought kind This Crockpot Apple Butter is made with fresh apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and only enough brown sugar to bring out the sweetness of the apples. And canning apple butter is a great way to always have a few jars in your pantry.
Ways to enjoy this spiced apple butter:
- Spread on toasted bread
- On Southern biscuits
- Bagel
- Fold and mash into baked sweet potatoes
- On pork loin or pork chops
- Rolled into heated tortillas
- on pancakes or waffles
- in a cake
Other Apple Recipes:
- Mini Apple Turnovers with Puff Pastry
- Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Crescent Rolls
- Texas Apple Kolaches
- Glazed Apple Hand Pies
- Apple Blossom Cake
Equipment
- Half Pint Mason Jars
Ingredients
- 8 apples peeled and diced
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- Remove from slow cooker and puree in a food processor or use an immersion blender until completely smooth.
- Spoon in half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace, remove any air bubbles, wipe the rims of the jars and place lids on.
Canning and Water Bath Instructions:
- Fill a home canner half-way with water. You could also use a large saucepot or stockpot with a cake rack placed on the bottom to keep the jars from touching the bottom of the pot. Place empty jars, lids, and rings in the water, bring water to a simmer over medium heat.
- Remove the empty jars one at a time using a jar lifter and fill with the apple butter leaving 1/4 headspace. Carefully remove any bubbles. (I use a wooden or porcelain chopstick, do not use metal). Remove the lids and rings from the boiling water with a magnetic lid-lifter. Place lids and rings on jars.
- Place filled jars back into the water bath using the jar lifter. The water should come up to within 1-2 inches of the top of the jar and the jars should not be crowded.
- Bring temperature to a rolling boil and boil for 15 minutes. Carefully remove and set on a clean dry towel. Let sit undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
- After 12-24 hours check to make sure they have sealed by touching the center, it should not move up and down.
Notes
Nutrition
Click HERE to save this Crockpot apple butter to Pinterest
I wonder … can this be frozen or will it be a problem when "defrosted"
I have never frozen it but if might be worth a try to just freeze a tablespoon of it and experiment!! I bet it would work:)
@admin, there are a few recipes out there that say you can freeze apple butter
I have also seen them but I have never tried it with this recipe.
Yum! Sounds delicious!
I've never made apple butter at home, but you make it look so simple, now I can't wait to try!
This recipe is wonderful! You're right, it would go great with some hoe cakes! Pinned!
Mmmm, this sounds delicious! I think it would be so fun to go pick your own apples at an orchard and then make this! Thanks for sharing!
I made apple butter and love it… although I never use a water bath when I can… just very hot jars, hot lids and what ever I am can boiling…. They always seal.
Do you know how long the shelf life is for this after the jars are canned?
Thanks for sharing this, I pinned it!
Yay for Fall-type recipes!! 🙂 Can't wait to try this!!
Love this! I am making apple butter this week!
I know what I'll be using my apples for this year! Thanks for the recipe!
Love apple butter–yum!
Just looking at this has me totally ready for fall! Thanks so much for sharing this at Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop, Evelyn! I'll be featuring your post at our next party on Sunday night!
Do the apples need to be fresh or can they be older from a picking from a few weeks ago?
They can certainly be fresh. I have used both in preparing this recipe.
Is the butter supposed to be the consistency of like a really thick applesauce? I can’t seem to cook it down to a butter consistency without burning it.
It’s not like a thick pudding-like sauce but it does thicken.