Slow Cooker Apple Butter ~ Smooth and silky slow cooker apple butter with simple ingredients is the epitome of Fall’s bounty.
One of the perks of being a food blogger is the free food. I am not talking food from a company to write a recipe for their product. The free food I am referring to is from all my friends and family who grow their own gardens and give me some of their bounty.
These apples are from such a friend. Bob has an apple tree. It’s bloomed? Blossomed? It’s born its fruit (there, that works) and he asked if I wanted some. I’m not one to turn down food, but what exactly does one do with several dozen apples when one doesn’t bake?
Sure, I could make some kind of pork dish with them, as I love pork and fruit together, but that would use what, six or seven apples? I let them sit in the crisper for a couple of days while I stewed (pun intended) over what to do with them. Then my daughter asked for toast and I had one of those surreal, whirlwind moments where the idea rushed towards me…apple butter.
Apple butter has long been one of my favorite spreads on toast or in a pb&j. I haven’t had any good apple butter since before my daughter was born on a trip my then husband and I took to Michigan. We stopped at some Podunk town and bought the most exquisitely tasting, fall in a jar, pure apple flavor, apple butter. My daughter is 4 now, so that’s a long time to have been deprived. This recipe is simple and straightforward. I cooked it for hours, overnight on the lowest setting possible. The most labor-intensive part of this recipe was peeling, coring, and cutting the apples. I don’t have one of those fancy apple core-peeler devices, so I peeled, cut, and cored by hand. That being said, this apple butter is so fantastic, when I run out of this batch, I will be doing it all over again.
When I made my first piece of toast, I fell in love. I continued to eat toast for a few days and since cheese and apples is such a lovely pairing, I sliced one of my favorite cheeses, extra sharp (or in this case seriously sharp) white cheddar by Cabot. Talk about a pairing made in heaven.
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Apples and spices
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Couple hours in
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About hour 10
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Pureeing
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Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Slow Cooker Apple Butter ~ Smooth and silky slow cooker apple butter with simple ingredients is the epitome of Fall's bounty.
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Ingredients
- 4 lbs . Jongold apples; peeled , cored, and cut
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp . ground clove
- 2 tsp . cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp . ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp . lemon juice
- 1 tbsp . vanilla extract
Instructions
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Add everything to a slow cooker.
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Cook on the lowest setting for 10-15 hours.
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Once the apples have cooked down, use an immersion blender and puree until smooth.
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Or not, if you prefer it chunky.
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Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.
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Makes about a quart (32 oz.)
36 Comments
Sandra Shaffer
September 10, 2014 at 12:10 amLook at your thick and delicious apple butter! This is my husband’s favorite. Love that this is made in the slow cooker!
Michelle
September 10, 2014 at 9:15 amSandra the slow cooker made this one of the easiest things to make ever. The work was in the apple prep, but the end result made the prep completely worth it!
Katherine
October 3, 2016 at 10:11 pmHey this recipe won me over because of the few steps, but was thinking of making bigger batches and canning them. Do you think I will need some type of preservative? Like pectin or powderized dried apple peels? Have been given apples and already have apple sauce which has no preservatives besides the peel and lemon juice.
Michelle De La Cerda
October 4, 2016 at 12:41 amHi Katherine, thanks for writing in. It’s not really necessary to add pectin or anything else. When I make it, after putting it in pint jars, I do the water bath canning process. The longest I’ve kept it on the shelf is a year and when I opened it, it was just fine. Hope that helps.
Katherine
October 6, 2016 at 2:40 pmThank you so much for getting back to me! My aunt had me worried, thinking I did it all wrong and that the butter will give everyone food poisoning cause I wasn’t following a canning recipe. When canning this how big of jars would you use and how long is it in?
I made a variety of sizes and hot water bathed them for 20min (no more than 1pint), also considering 1000ft above sea level.
Michelle De La Cerda
October 9, 2016 at 3:31 pmI am by no means a canning expert. I have had assistance every time I do it. I have several canning friends who all agree that nothing more is needed. I even consulted some canning websites. You will be fine as long as the water bath properly seals them. The recipe I wrote only makes about a quart or 32 oz. I would can it in nothing larger than pint-size jars.
As for the water bath times, I took this info from another website (https://www.simplycanning.com/canning-apple-butter.html)
Canning Apple Butter in Half-pints or Pints: below 6,000 feet elevation process 10 minutes and above 6,000 feet process 15 minutes
Canning Apple Butter in Quarts: below 6,000 feet elevation process 15 minutes and above 6,000 feet process 20 minutes
Prudy | butter, basil, and breadcrumbs
September 10, 2014 at 6:29 amOh my goodness Michelle…I have apples from my CSA box that I tried to give to my daughter to take home last night. I’m really glad that she didn’t want them, because I’m totally making this tonight!
I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never tried apple butter. I have no excuse as to why I never have…but you’ve given me the inspiration!
This looks fabulous, I love everything about this post, from the delicious recipe, to the pretty little jar that you put it in, to that beautiful plate on which you displayed the toast. LOVE this. <3
Michelle
September 10, 2014 at 9:18 amThank you Prudy! You’ll want to make sure you have at least 3-4 pounds of apples. I started with exactly 4 pounds, and after peeling and coring, and removing wormed spots, I had 3-3.5 lbs to work with. That cooked down to a quart jar size.
Cook it through the night, you will wake up to the best smell ever! Let me know how you like it, particularly if you’ve never had apple butter.
Sandi
September 10, 2014 at 10:56 amThis looks wonderful. I used to use apple butter in an old muffin recipe. I may have to make this and bring that old recipe back to life 🙂
Michelle
September 11, 2014 at 12:16 amI’ll trade you some apple butter for some muffins!
Cindy Gordon
September 10, 2014 at 12:51 pmOh apple season is among us! My fav time of year!
Michelle
September 11, 2014 at 12:17 amFall is my favorite time as well!
Dave Smith
September 10, 2014 at 1:01 pmApple butter is also fabulous over rich vanilla ice cream!
Michelle
September 11, 2014 at 12:17 amThat sounds great! I just might have to pick up some ice cream.
Peabody
September 10, 2014 at 7:56 pmA perfect fall treat.
Michelle
September 11, 2014 at 12:17 amI agree wholeheartedly, Peabody.
janelle
September 11, 2014 at 6:45 amGreat time of year for this!
Michelle
September 11, 2014 at 9:08 amThanks Janelle, it’s a fall favorite.
missjoanie
September 11, 2014 at 7:33 amI cook my recipe with lid off, do you?
Michelle
September 11, 2014 at 9:10 amI cooked with the lid on until the last hour or so, I should note that in my recipe. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. If you cook yours with the lid off, I bet the smell is even more amazing.
Norma Crislip
September 11, 2014 at 9:18 amI have never heard of Jongold apples, what others could you use.?
Michelle
September 11, 2014 at 9:37 amGreat question Norma. Here is a list of apples you can use:
Braeburn
MacIntosh
Jonathan
Courtland
Fuji
Liberty
And you caught my typo…It’s Jonagold.
June
September 11, 2014 at 11:05 amOh my. Memories. I’m from the countryside of Virginia. At least 2 weekends in the fall went to being in the church yard making apple butter in huge kettles with wood fires under them, taking hourly turns non-stop stirring with a huge wooden paddle. THE best. My fav country treat is called smear case – cottage cheese with Apple butter. It’s also great on pancakes, etc. gotta have some now!
Michelle
September 11, 2014 at 11:56 amJune, what wonderful memories. I bet the smell coming from the church yard was downright heavenly. I think you have given me a lunch idea…cottage cheese and apple butter.
Carole Hanna
September 11, 2014 at 4:37 pmWhat size slow cooker do you use, or does it matter? I am so glad you shared this recipe. I had made a similar one years ago but lost that recipe & had been wanting to make apple butter again. It’s one of my favorite fruit spreads.
Michelle
September 11, 2014 at 5:47 pmCarole, I used a small crock pot, 4 quarts or there about. I made a smaller batch because I only had 4 pounds of apples to work with. Now I wish I made triple this because the 4 pounds cooks down to about a quart. It is so good we just keep eating it.
Sharon Wolfe
September 11, 2014 at 7:29 pmHow long does it keep and can it be canned so you can mail it? In other words, must it be kept refrigerated?
Michelle
September 12, 2014 at 1:05 amSharon, if you use proper canning procedures and they jars are properly sealed, this is shelf stable and able to be mailed. If you do it the way I did, I simply poured it into the mason jar, put a lid on and tossed it in the refrigerator. It will keep that way for a couple of months, but mine has never lasted that long, we eat it all too quickly.
Renee J. (RJFlamingo)
July 21, 2015 at 6:36 amMy husband loves apple butter. This is going on my list!
Michelle
July 21, 2015 at 11:56 amHappy to hear that Renee.
Kim
July 23, 2015 at 5:14 amMan, now all I’m doing is wishing for fall!
Michelle
July 23, 2015 at 11:01 amI was just told about summer apples…I’m getting a bushel or two this weekend.
Rachel @ Simple Seasonal
July 23, 2015 at 7:36 amThis looks really yummy! I like that you paired your apple butter with cheese. In Pennsylvania it’s really popular to but apple butter on cottage cheese. It’s kind of weird, but it’s actually really good.
Michelle
July 23, 2015 at 11:03 amCottage cheese….hmmmm, I try it. I grew up eating cottage cheese and apple sauce together side by side, so apple butter is not so much a stretch for me.
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