Sometimes when I feel so far behind in life (like right now 😆), I decide to just jump in start working from a place where I know I can’t go wrong. I’m all about slam dunks and sure things to get the creative ball rolling again.
Do you know what I mean?
So let’s talk about this scrumptious, fantastically spiced, gorgeously amber Slow Cooker Apple Butter, shall we? I know for a fact that this recipe is a bonafide, tried and true keeper.
Homemade apple butter is a favorite seasonal treat at my house, and I always make it for the first time in October of each and every year. I know October and Pumpkin-Spice-Everything Season are synonymous, but it’s also National Apple Month in October.
Making this recipe is one of my favorite ways to celebrate that other, less commercial, month-long food holiday.
We all look forward to some amazing apple butter when that time comes around, and expectedly the first batch doesn’t ever last very long. In anticipation of it all getting gobbled up in a jiffy, I always stock up on English muffins (quite possibly the best vehicle for apple butter!!) the week before I make it.
A good schmear of silky, spiced apple butter on a toasted English muffin is a delicious brekkie that’s hard to beat, especially when paired up with a fresh cup of coffee. It’s a great way to start the day, y’all!
However, no one is too shattered when it’s all gone, as cooking up extra batches of fresh apple butter is inevitable for me throughout the fall and winter months. We like this stuff so much that we typically share it with friends and family as gifts during the holiday season. It’s just what we do around here!
How to make slow cooker apple butter
Apple butter is made with a mixture of simple ingredients through a very simple (but committal) process, and the fruits of this little bit of labor are a warm spice lover’s dream.
A slow cooker is the ultimate, cook-friendly gadget for making anything that is best cooked low and slow for several hours, and this recipe for apple butter is one of those recipes. I prefer to use a mix of fresh apples, three types of sugar, and an array of comforting warm spices to make my homemade apple butter.
The apples must first be prepped by being rinsed, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced. Next, the sliced apples are placed in the slow cooker crock and topped with a heavenly, sweet mixture of light and dark brown sugars, white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and a good pinch of salt for a tiny bit of balance.
Homemade apple butter will simmer away for 8-10 hours before it’s ready to be processed, stored, and savored.
Although lots of people think about delicious seasonal spiced fruit butters like this in the fall, it’s not too late to make a batch or two to enjoy for the holidays! Of course, we think slow cooker apple butter is amazing as it is (I could eat this stuff with a spoon, y’all!), but it can also be used in many other tasty ways.
Apple butter is a wonderful accompaniment to all sorts of meats, cheese, and crackers on a charcuterie board, and it’s also an excellent addition to quick breads, waffles, pancakes, and cakes. Also, try a schmear on your next grilled cheese… I just know you’ll be glad you did.
Do you have a favorite way to eat apple butter? I’d love to hear about it in a comment!
Happy crocking, y’all!! 🍎🍏💘💘 – M
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Slow Cooker Apple Butter
A slow cooker is the ultimate, cook-friendly gadget for making anything that is best cooked low and slow for several hours and this recipe for apple butter is one of those recipes. Apple butter is made with a mixture of simple ingredients through a very simple (but committal) process, and the fruits of this little bit of labor are a warm spice lover’s dream.
6
cups25
minutes8
hoursKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
6 pounds fresh apples, peeled, cored and sliced (**see notes below)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Directions
- Place apple slices into the crock of a five quart slow cooker, spread them out into an even layer (as well as possible). Combine sugars and all of the spices in a small bowl. Stir the spice mixture well and then sprinkle it evenly over the apple slices.
- Cover the slow cooker and allow the apples and spiced too cook on low for 8 – 10 hours. Once the cooking time is over, the apple butter will still have a slightly chunky apprearance. Run small batches of the apple butter through a blender to reach desired consistency (only use a glass blender jar for warm/hot foods), or use an immersion blender inside the crock to blend the apple butter instead (refer to recipe video below for a full tutorial!)
- Use a ladle to transfer apple butter to clean mason jars, cover jars with lids and allow the apple butter to cool completely.
- Store the jars of apple butter in the refrigerator for up to one month, or freeze what you will not use right away for up to one year. You can also share extra jars with family and friends who will love you even more for it. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Notes
- I used a combination of Honey-Crisp, Envy and Granny Smith apples for this recipe.
- Recipe from A Little Fish in the Kitchen blog at www.alittlefishinthekitchen.com. All content is owned by Marcelle G. Bolton. Please contact the author for permission to republish.
I’m making this soon. Mark loves — LOVES — apple butter and it is hard to find here. I just recently started getting Envy apples. I look forward to trying this, Marcelle. Happy belated Christmas and and advance Happy New Year to you, Evan and the kids.
I thought I should report back that we loved this — so easy and so good. I, too, used a combo of apples — Honey Crisp and Macintosh.
Hi David, I’m so glad y’all enjoyed the apple butter!! We have not made batch yet this year and we’re officially behind schedule to do so, maybe this weekend. Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try, Honey Crisp and Macintosh… so good!! xo
That looks scrumptious! My husband would love this 🙂
Hi Angie, thank you so much!!
wow that’s a lot of apples! i’ve never had apple butter but it sounds delicious. Would make good Christmas gifts for sure. have a happy Christmas!
cheers
sherry
Hi Sherry, thank you so much!! Merry Christmas to you and yours!