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Home Meal Type Snacks
5
/5
8 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Crockpot Apple Butter

Dairy Free Dairy-Free Gluten Free Gluten Free Nut Free Nut Free Vegan Vegan Freezer Friendly Freezer Meal Prep Meal Prep
Jump to Recipe
By: Denise Bustard4 Comments
Posted: 11/23/21 Updated: 11/23/21

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Step by step directions showing you how to make easy crockpot apple butter! This tasty fall treat has no sugar added and is made with apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. It's gluten-free, vegan, and freezer-friendly.

This buttery smooth crockpot apple butter is an easy DIY Christmas gift that is simple to prep, and tastes even better than applesauce! You can make it in the slow cooker or pressure cooker - just as we did for this Instant Pot apple butter.

slow cooker apple butter in mason jars
Jump to... show
1 Reasons you'll love This Recipe
2 What is apple butter?
3 Ingredient Notes
4 Types Of Apples You Can Use
5 Step by step directions
6 Gift Option
7 FAQ
8 Storage
9 More DIY Christmas Gifts
10 Crockpot Apple Butter

This crockpot apple butter is packed with delicious fall flavors and spices, and comes out perfectly sweet, buttery and rich after slow cooking for hours.

Made with just apples and three spices, apple butter is so delicious used up on toast, in oatmeal, or as a natural sweetener in baking!

This crockpot apple butter also happens to make a great gift. Bottle it up in jars and print out a cute gift tag and voila - you have yourself an easy holiday gift that almost anyone would be happy to receive. See

Reasons you'll love This Recipe

  • the spices add delicious flavour and the apples cook down to become so sweet and buttery
  • it's simple to prepare - just peel and chop your apples and throw them in the slow cooker
  • it's made of clean, wholesome ingredients
  • it's versatile and can be spread on toast, drizzled on yogurt or pancakes, or used in baking

What is apple butter?

Apple butter is similar to applesauce, except that it is simmered low and slow all day long. Apple butter is a slightly more rich, sweet, and luxurious version of applesauce. Simmering it in the slow cooker for 8-10 hours helps it thicken and caramelize slightly, and really enhances the apple flavors!

Ingredient Notes

  • Apples - we used ambrosia apples, sliced and peeled. See below for more info on types of apples you can use for this recipe. While we've peeled the apples in the photos in this post, it is not an essential step. Expect your apple butter to have a slightly less silky texture (though still quite smooth!)
  • Spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger brings out the flavors of the apples and compliments their natural sweetness.

Types Of Apples You Can Use

For this crockpot apple butter, we used ambrosia apples but you are welcome to try a variety to give your apple butter more depth of flavor. We would advise staying away from macintosh or red delicious apples because they can add a mealy texture to the sauce.

Here are some varieties that you could include:

  • granny smith - we don't recommend using 100% granny smith apples but to mix them in with a sweeter red apple
  • fuji
  • golden delicious
  • braeburn
  • courtland
  • ambrosia
  • gala

Step by step directions

crockpot apple butter in slow cooker before cooking

Combine

Place peeled and chopped apples in the base of a 6 quart slow cooker. Stir in the spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

Favorite Crock Pot

This 6 quart crock pot is the model that we own and love!

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slow cooker with 6 hours programmed on display

Slow Cook

Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8-10 hours. You may want to stir it partway through (only once).

apple butter recipe in the slow cooker after cooking and pureeing

Blend

After cooking through, blend it until smooth using an immersion blender. Alternatively, you can work in batches and carefully puree the apple butter in a stand blender.

apple butter crockpot recipe in mason jar with gift tag

Store

Cool and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You may freeze for up to 6 months; make sure to leave lids ajar and to leave space for expansion if you are freezing right in the jars.

Tip - we packaged our apple butter in these 8 oz quilted jars for gifting!

Gift Option

Want to give this as a gift? Download our free printable apple butter gift tags!

Free Printable Gift Tag

FAQ

Do I need to peel the apples?

No! You can skip this step; expect your apple butter to be slightly less silky (though it still comes out quite smooth).

Do I need to add sweetener?

No! The apple butter is naturally sweet since it cooks down for so long and becomes more concentrated! The cinnamon helps to bring out the natural sweetness of the apple as well.

Does this crockpot apple butter thicken as it cools?

Yes! You can see from the pictures of the crock pot that it was thinner when it was still warm. As it cools it thickened quite a bit.

Does it need to be refrigerated?

Yes. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You can freeze for up to 3 months. Make sure if you freeze in jars that they are only filled ¾ full and that you leave the lids ajar until frozen solid.

Storage

side view of apple butter in jar
  • Fridge - Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
  • Freeze - Freeze in an airtight freezer container for up to 6 months. Alternatively, you can freeze in jars using the tips below.
  • Canning - we've never canned this recipe before, but if you know how to can jams and sauces, you could also can this apple butter to preserve it.

Tips for Freezing In Jars

Here are a few tips for freezing black beans in mason jars to avoid the jars breaking:

  1. Make sure to select canning jars; repurposed pasta sauce or food jars are not designed to withstand dramatic temperature shifts and can break.
  2. Avoid jars that have 'shoulders' and taper in at the top, as they are more prone to breaking
  3. Leave an inch from the top of the jar empty to account for expansion when freezing
  4. Leave the lids ajar until the beans are frozen solid- at this point, you can secure them!
overhead shot of cinnamon roasted pecans in a blue bowl

More DIY Christmas Gifts

Each of these recipes have free printable gift tags!

  • Classic peppermint bark recipe
  • Citrus infused salt
  • Classic cinnamon roasted pecans
  • Spicy roasted chickpeas

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

two mason jars filled with apple butter

Crockpot Apple Butter

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 30 minutes mins
Cook Time: 8 hours hrs
Total Time: 8 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Print Rate
Step by step directions for making easy crockpot apple butter! This tasty fall treat has no sugar added, and is made with apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. It's gluten-free, vegan, and freezer-friendly.
10 cups

Ingredients

  • 6 lbs apples approximately; *see note 1; peeled, cored and cut into small ½ inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions 

  • Combine - Place peeled and chopped apples in the base of a 6 quart slow cooker. Stir in the spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
  • Slow cook - Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8-10 hours. You may want to stir it partway through (only once).
    slow cooker with 6 hours programmed on display
  • Blend - After cooking through, blend it until smooth using an immersion blender. Alternatively, you can work in batches and carefully puree the apple butter in a stand blender.
  • Store - Cool and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You may freeze for up to 6 months; make sure to leave lids ajar and to leave space for expansion if you are freezing right in the jars.
    two mason jars filled with apple butter

Tips:

1- apples will reduce in size substantially during the cook time so make sure to fill it right to the top; using a mixture of red and green apples adds delicious depth of flavor; you may leave peels on the apples (expect the apple butter to be slightly less silky yet still smooth)
Storage
  • Fridge - Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
  • Freeze - Freeze in an airtight freezer container for up to 6 months. Alternatively, you can freeze in jars, filling only ¾ full and leaving lids ajar until frozen solid.
  • Canning - we've never canned this recipe before, but if you know how to can jams and sauces, you could also can this apple butter to preserve it.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 145kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 0g, Fat: 0g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 2mg, Potassium: 291mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 28g, Vitamin A: 145IU, Vitamin C: 12.5mg, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 0.4mg
Author: Annie Holmes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

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Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

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  1. Dona Patterson says

    Posted on 10/18/19 at Posted on 10/18/19

    Can this recipe be processed in a water bath, using Ball canning/jelly jars? When I lived in New England I always went apple picking & made apple jelly, apple butter & applesauce. I just prefer a pantry stable option to free up freezer space. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 10/21/19 at Posted on 10/21/19

      Hi Dona! Great question, but unfortunately I can't answer as I don't have any experience cooking in canning jars in the Instant Pot. Hopefully someone else who has experience can chime in!

      Reply
      • Dona Patterson says

        Posted on 10/22/19 at Posted on 10/22/19

        Thanks. I wouldn't be using Instant Pot, just good old fashioned canning method. If I give it a try I'll let you know.

        Reply
  2. Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite says

    Posted on 12/3/18 at Posted on 12/3/18

    I made no-sugar added crockpot applesauce this fall too! So yummy and very freezer-friendly to enjoy all year round! 🙂

    Reply

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