Easy homemade Apple Butter! This simple recipe is made in a slow cooker and requires only minutes of prep time. Thanks to the slow cooker, you can set yours up before you go to bed, let it cook overnight, and enjoy fresh apple butter in the morning.
Recipe includes a brief how-to video at the bottom of the post!
We went apple picking last weekend and I have so many apple recipes coming up for you, but I’m especially excited to share today’s apple butter recipe.
Have you ever had apple butter before? It’s very similar to applesauce — in fact it essentially is applesauce, only cooked longer. It has a rich golden brown color that comes from the caramelization of the sugars in the apples during the extended cooking time. There’s no actual butter in apple butter, it’s just a nice smooth spread that tastes just as good on toast, muffins, or pancakes as butter does.
We like eating ours on English muffins and scones, and some of my family members even just like dipping apple slices directly into apple butter and enjoying it that way!
Apple butter is really truly easy to make, but it takes a long time to cook… 12 hours total, in fact.
Thanks to the slow cooker, you can set everything up before you go to sleep and allow it to cook overnight, which is what I like to do. I put mine in the crockpot before I went to bed and in the morning not only did my house smell amazing, but I had fresh apple butter for my breakfast.
The first time I made this recipe I peeled all of the skins off my apples. However, traditional apple butter is made with the skins and cores intact. I couldn’t leave the cores in for this slow cooker version, but I tried making this both with and without the skin and found that it didn’t make a difference at all. Save yourself a lot of effort and leave the peels — after 12 hours in the crockpot and a bout with the blender, you won’t be able to even tell.
What are the Best Apples for Apple Butter?
While Granny Smith apples are a standard baking apple (and I love using them in Apple Crisp), I don’t recommend using them for making apple butter as they are too firm and too tart.
Instead, choose a softer and less tart apple. Here are a few popular choices, and you can even mix several varieties of apples if you’d like.
- Golden Delicious (these are my favorite to use and are pictured here!)
- Fuji
- Gala
- McIntosh
How Do You Make Homemade Apple Butter?
- Core and chop (don’t peel!) your apples and place them in the basin of a slow cooker.
- Toss with sugar and spices
- Cook 10 hours on low heat
- Puree (I like to use an immersion blender (this is mine, affiliate) but you can use a regular blender instead if you don’t have the immersion type.
- Cook the apple butter another 2 hours without the lid on your slow cooker.
These last two hours are important. You’ll add your vanilla at the end here and cook until it reaches the appropriate thickness.
If the apple butter is still too thin for your liking you can cook it longer to thicken it. I’ve never needed to cook mine longer than the additional 2 hours, and keep in mind that apple butter will thicken as it cools.
Enjoy!
Scroll to the bottom of the recipe to see my video, complete with lots of tips! Subscribe to my YouTube Channel and be the first to see all of my cooking videos!
Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 5.5 lbs Golden Delicious Apples* Cored and chopped into small pieces, about 1/4"* (2.5kg)
- 1 cup brown sugar tightly packed (200g)
- 3/4 cup sugar (150g)
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Slice apples into small pieces (about 1/4") and dispose of cores.
- Place apples in the basin of large slow cooker
- In a medium-sized bowl stir together sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cloves until well-combined.
- Pour sugar mixture over apple pieces and stir until well combined.
- Cook covered in crockpot over low heat for 10 hours.
- Once 10 hours has elapsed, either use an immersion blender** to puree apples until smooth and no chunks remain.
- Scrape the inside of the vanilla bean into your apple puree (or add vanilla extract).
- Turn crockpot on to low heat and cook another 2 hours uncovered, stirring occasionally.
- Store apple butter in the refrigerator in an airtight container, will keep about 2 weeks.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published 10/02/2017, photos and recipe remain the same but text has been updated to be more helpful and include more tips on 10/12/2018
Thomas says
I love apple butter and this recipe is excellent and easy! For those who don’t care for the cloves, may I suggest using nutmeg as a replacement. Thanks for sharing Sam.
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that you enjoyed the apple butter, Thomas! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Maureen Milske says
Could I use Haralson apples? I have used them for pies and applesauce
Lynne James says
So easy! Thank you for tip to NOT peel the apples.
It turned out delicious.
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that you enjoyed the apple butter, Lynne! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Marilyn says
If I did this over stove top would I cook apples with spices and sugars until soft? And then purée and add vanilla and cook for an hour or so?? Thanks!
Sugar Spun Run says
Hello, Marilyn! Yes, the process you mentioned will work fine. You just want to make sure that your apples are cooked until they are really soft. I hope that you enjoy your apple butter. 🙂
Patricia Trokey says
Terrible taste due to too much cloves! Throwing away and I’m so disappointed.
Process in making was perfect. Just need to find different recipe
Sam says
Hi Patricia, this recipe only uses only 1/8 teaspoon of cloves which is a very, very, very small amount. It’s enough that I think it adds a pleasant and subtle spice to the recipe, but certainly not enough to be overwhelming. Perhaps you are very sensitive to the taste of cloves, in which case it would be fine for you to leave them out, but I’m wondering if perhaps the amount was mis-measured and more was added than should have been? Just my thoughts as the apple butter ultimately should not taste like cloves.
Patricia Trokey says
I’ve never liked cloves so was very careful not to add more than the 1/8 teaspoon. I’m happy to know it is me and not your recipe. Because I read all the wonderful comments from others, I will try again without cloves. Should I substitute cloves with something else? Thank you
Sam says
I would just leave it out, that should be fine. Between the vanilla and the cinnamon you’ll have plenty of good flavor in there. I hope you love it next time, Patricia!
Lisa says
I live in southwestern part of virginia.many churches paddle churn apples the old fation way in a monster pot over wood fire, of course with a silver dollar in the bottom so it doesn’t stick. They make both with cloves and without cloves. The festivals are so crowded, thought I’d try making homemade apple butter with fresh, homegrown apples. Apples are bundant in our neck of the woods
Micah says
What does adding vanilla after the 10 hours do? Why not add it right away?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hello, Micah! If the vanilla is added too early, it will evaporate (if using extract). We add it last to avoid losing any of the flavors. If you cook vanilla bean in with the apples for 10 hours, I think the taste would be overpowering. I hope that you enjoy the apple butter. 🙂
Kay Pickering says
The apple butter is FABULOUS ! It is just like I remember my Grandma making years ago for my sister and me. We would spread it over toasted challah bread. NOW, I am going to make it with my own Grandchildren…how special is that? Thank you, Sam
Sugar Spun Run says
That is so special, Kay! I am glad that you enjoyed the apple butter recipe and even more excited that you will be sharing this with your grandchildren. Enjoy and thank you! 🙂
Liz says
I went apple picking last weekend and ended up with a ton of Empire apples, which are firm and a little tart. Just made this apple butter and it’s so amazingly delicious. Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so much, Liz! I am so happy that you were able to put your apples to good use and so glad that you enjoyed the apple butter. 🙂
A says
Make sure when you can it process it about 15 minutes, make sure the apple butter is very hot when you put it in your pint jars, and your canner is at a good boil too.
Kristen says
Hey there – how many jars will this fill?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hello, Kristen! It really depends on the size of the jars that you are trying to fill. The apple butter makes approximately 3 pints, which is 6 cups. 🙂
Barbara says
I was given a big bag of apples, way more than 5.5 pounds that I was going to make into applesauce and decided on apple butter instead. Just found your recipe, because I want to use the crockpot. How large is your crockpot? Mine is small, about 4 qts. Just trying to figure out if need to break it down into batches, rather than trying to cook them all at once.
Sugar Spun Run says
Hello, Barbara! My crockpot is 6-Quart. 🙂
Katie says
Have you tried this using sticks of cinnamon? I’m wondering if it would be better to cook with the sticks before blending and remove them, or add them when adding the vanilla?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hello, Katie! I haven’t tried it. If you do, let me know how it works. I hope that you enjoy the apple butter. 🙂
Lisa Mathieu says
Sounds like a great recipe and I’m interested in making it to give as party favours for Thanksgiving. How long will it last in the jars and does it have to stay refrigerated after it’s put in jars?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hello, Lisa! Apple Butter as a party favor would be perfect for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, I have not personally canned Apple Butter, so I can not give any recommendations or tips on how to preserve it. I know others have had and have had success, so hopefully, someone can chime in. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help with this process. 🙂
Virginia says
Buy Ball jars. Clean them then place the warm Apple butter in jars. Make sure none is on the lip of the jar. Place lid on jar tightly. In boiling water place jars upside down in pot for 10 min. Bring jars out to cool jars will make a pop sound when sealed upon cooling.😁
Sugar Spun Run says
Thanks, Virginia! I appreciate the helpful tips. How long do they last? How do you recommend storing them?
Virginia says
Ball sure tights kids say 18 months. Cool dark place is where I would store them.
Sugar Spun Run says
Thanks, Virginia! 🙂
Bradley Willmon says
Could this recipe be canned in traditional mason jars or the like? Would you have to process them differently?
Looks delicious!
Sugar Spun Run says
Hello, Bradley! I have not personally canned Apple Butter, so I can not give any recommendations or tips. I know others have and have had success. Let know how it turns out. 🙂
Halie says
My parents have an Apple tree and every year my dad brings me tons of apples because I love baking and he can’t stand seeing his apples go to waste. I finally realized, “I should make apple butter!” cause these apples are nice and sweet. I found your recipe and not only is it insanely simple (my kiddos helped out!) but it turned out soooo good. I also can’t complain about the delicious way my house smells now 🙂
Sugar Spun Run says
I love the smell of apple butter! Yum! I am so happy that you were able to put all the apples to good use and enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much, Haile! 🙂
Monica says
Just made it over night with my instant pot using the slow cook function. I put it on high for extra 2 hours to make it thicker. Came out delicious. My husband loves apple butter with roasted chicken or duck breast.
Thank you!
Nikki says
So easy. Put in a crock pot and within 12 hours it’s done. I’ve made it before I went to bed and also when I first got up. It was great and so sweet.
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so much, Nikki! I am so happy that you enjoyed the apple butter. 🙂