This slow cooker apple butter is so easy. No peeling of apples, minimal hands on time and it is sweetened with honey! Slow cooker apple butter is a healthier and delicious treat for the Fall season.
It is apple season around here. Our family enjoyed an outing to pick some apples from a local family orchard this past week. We have been preserving and making apple dishes with the three bushels of apples we picked. Applesauce, rustic apple crisp, apple pie filling, apple cider and of course this slow cooker apple butter are several of the things we have been doing with our apples.
The apples are a wonderful treat to have. Preserving them in different ways can take some time. We don’t always have that time to be in the kitchen all day. That is why I love this slow cooker apple butter. It can be done up before the day gets going and cook through the day. Oh, and who doesn’t love a wonderful smell wafting throughout the homefrom the cooking apples and spices?!
Tips for making apple butter
- Use a variety of apples. Having different types of apples gives anything you amke a better taste. I like using a mix of sweeter apples (like honeycrisp) semi-sweet apples (Fuji) and tart (Granny smith or another green apple).
- Leave the skins on. I know this may seem odd, but it makes this recipe so much easier. The skins have so much nutrients that I like leaving them on. Plus, after using my immersion blender, the butter is super smooth. No one would no the difference!
- Make sure to cook it long enough. I have never had an issue of under cooking my apple butter as I usually let it cooke through the night, about 8-10 hours. If you do not slow cook it long enough, the apples could be too hard to blend.
What you will need
Tools needed:
6 quart slow cooker
knife
cutting board
immersion blender
If canning:
Hot water bath or large stock pot
6 pint jars, lids and rings
jar lifter
Apple butter Ingredients:
20-24 medium sized apples – a variety of apples is best
Honey
Ground Cinnamon
Ground Nutmeg
Ground Cloves
How to make slow cooker apple butter
Wash the apples, especially since we will be leaving the skins on. Core and cut the apples into half inch pieces and put into the 6 quart slow cooker.
Add the honey, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the apples in the slow cooker. Stir until the apples are well coated.
Put the lid on and turn on low for 8-10 hours. Apples will be done when bubbly and can be very easily mashed.
With the immersion blender, blend the apples until smooth and no pieces or chuncks remain.
If canning the apple butter:
Wash the pint jars and get the hot water bath water heating.
Fill the sterilized jars with the warm apple butter.
Wipe the jar rims clean and put the lids and rings onto the jars.
Process the apple butter in the hot water bath for 20 minutes. Make sure half an inch of water covers the tops of the jars.
Remove the jars and let rest 24 hours on the counter.
If NOT canning:
Put the apple butter into airtight containers such as jars or glass storage.
Storage & Freezing options:
The apple butter will last a couple weeks in the refrigerator.
If freezing, I recommend storing in quart freezer bags or the apple butter can be stored in jars. The apple butter will last up to a year in the freezer.
If you try this recipe and love it, please come back and give it a 5 star review!
Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Equipment
- 6 quart slow cooker
- Immersion Blender
- cutting board
- knife
- 6 Pint jars, lids and rings
- Hot water bath
- Jar Lifter
Ingredients
- 24 Apples Medium size and a variety
- 1½ TBS Cinnamon ground
- 1 tsp Nutmeg ground
- 1 tsp Cloves ground
- ½ cup Honey
Instructions
- Wash the apples, especially since we will be leaving the skins on. Core and cut the apples into half inch pieces and put into the 6 quart slow cooker.
- Add the honey, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the apples in the slow cooker. Stir until the apples are well coated.
- Put the lid on and turn on low for 8-10 hours. Apples will be done when bubbly and can be very easily mashed.
- With the immersion blender, blend the apples until smooth and no pieces or chuncks remain.
- Put the apple butter into airtight containers such as jars or glass storage.
Canning Instructions
- Wash the pint jars and get the hot water bath water heating.
- Fill the sterilized jars with the warm apple butter.
- Wipe the jar rims clean and put the lids and rings onto the jars.
- Process the apple butter in the hot water bath for 20 minutes. Make sure half an inch of water covers the tops of the jars.
- Remove the jars and let rest 24 hours on the counter.
Notes
- Use a variety of apples. Having different types of apples gives anything you amke a better taste. I like using a mix of sweeter apples (like honeycrisp) semi-sweet apples (Fuji) and tart (Granny smith or another green apple).
- Leave the skins on. I know this may seem odd, but it makes this recipe so much easier. The skins have so much nutrients that I like leaving them on. Plus, after using my immersion blender, the butter is super smooth. No one would no the difference!
- Make sure to cook it long enough. I have never had an issue of under cooking my apple butter as I usually let it cooke through the night, about 8-10 hours. If you do not slow cook it long enough, the apples could be too hard to blend.
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