Slow Cooker Apple Butter is one of those things you can put on everything! Think of it as a thicker applesauce that was slapped in the face with fall spices and maple syrup. I'm talking add it to your toast, ice cream, yogurt, cakes, pies, and cookies!
With absolutely minimal effort, you can have a huge fresh batch of apple butter made while you carve pumpkins, rake leaves, or clean your house. This recipe makes about 1,000 ml of apple butter (one wide mouth mason jar full) . So I suggest that you run to the orchard or store, grab some apples, a mason jar, and get to it!!
What Apple is best for Apple Butter?
Soft apples are desirable when making apple butter, since they cook down faster. I chose to use Fuji apples for this recipe. But, feel free to try your favorite apples or mix several types for a mixture of flavors.
Soft Apples
- Braeburn
- Cortland
- Fuji
- Gravenstein
- Grimes Golden
- Jonamac
- Ida Red
- Liberty
- Lodi
- Ozark Gold
- McIntosh
What is the difference between Apple Butter and Applesauce?
Both are made by cooking down apples with sugar, spices, and a little liquid. Apple Butter is cooked much longer than Applesauce to create a thick caramelized spread.
What is Apple Butter used for?
Seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and all spice makes apple butter the perfect fall topping. Spread on bread, muffins, cookies, mix with granola, add to cakes or use as at topping for ice cream. The possibilities are endless! You can even make an apple butter and peanut butter sandwich!!
Tips for Slow Cooker Apple Butter
- Use a Slow Cooker, for long low heat cooking. A Crock Pot is the perfect 'make it and leave it' vessel.
- Use softer apples like Fuji, Red Delicious, Gala, or McIntosh.
- Peel, core, and dice your apples into tiny chunks.
- Sweeten naturally with honey and maple syrup. You can also substitute honey for the maple syrup for this recipe.
- I like to check on my apples every couple of hours and give them a stir.
- After about six hrs, turn your cooker off.
- Let it cool for about an hour.
- Remove half of the mixture and puree in a blender. You can choose to do half for a more chunky apple butter or blend all of it for a smoother sauce consistency.
- If you have a small blender, you might have to puree in batches. Be careful if blending with hot apples!!
- Add your puree back to the crock pot, giving it a good stir.
- Let cool and transfer to a heat proof container. I always choose mason jars.
- Store in the fridge. Will stay fresh in the fridge for about a month.
- You can transfer to a freezer safe, air tight container and freeze for up to 6 months.
Homemade Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Ingredients
Method
- Set out slow cooker pot and turn onto low heat.
- In a small bowl combine spices, brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir together until blended.
- Place apple chunks into pot and pour maple syrup mixture over them.
- Stir until all apple chunks are coated.
- Place lid on slow cooker and leave for 6 hrs. (stirring a couple times during cooking).
- Once apples have broken down into a darker color, turn off slow cooker.
- Transfer half of the mixture to a blender and puree the apple chunks. (Option to puree all chunks for a smoother apple butter. Be careful transporting hot mixture! )
- Pour puree back into slow cooker.
- Stir together puree and leftover chunks.
- Turn heat back on low for an additional 30 minutes to an hour. Leave lid off to help with thickening.
- Once butter is thickened, turn off slow cooker.
- Let cool.
- Transfer to mason jar with lid.
- Store in fridge.
Susan Jarrett Banks
Will it still work if you use sugar free Maple syrup?