Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Enjoy the comforting flavors of fall with our easy slow cooker apple butter recipe. Minimal effort for maximum taste!
This rich, boldly flavored slow cooker apple butter recipe is a classic taste of autumn, perfect for slathering on toast, stirring into oatmeal, or even serving alongside savory dishes.
There’s something uniquely comforting about a slow cooker full of spiced apples simmering away. The spices fill your kitchen with the inviting aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, and sweet apples. While traditional methods can involve hours of stovetop stirring, the slow cooker offers a hands-off approach. Fresh apples are transformed into a velvety, spiced butter with minimal effort. This recipe uses the gentle, consistent heat of a slow cooker to break down the fruit and meld the flavors, resulting in a perfectly smooth and delectable apple butter that captures the essence of apple season.
Recipe Variations
- Spice: Add a star anise, a pinch of ground cloves, or a bit of ginger to make a bolder flavor statement. Remove whole spices before blending.
- Add Spirit: A splash of bourbon, rum, or apple brandy added during the last hour of cooking can impart a sophisticated depth of flavor.
- Play With the Texture: Leave the apple butter slightly chunky, with small pieces of apple left intact, or blend it until it’s perfectly smooth.
- Pear Apple Butter: Replace 1 or 2 pounds of the apples with ripe pears for a slightly different flavor profile.
- Maple Twist: For a rich, more nuanced sweetness, substitute 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar and 1/3 cup of the brown sugar with 1/2 cup of maple syrup.
Why Use a Slow Cooker
- Hands-Free: One of the most significant advantages of the slow cooker is that it allows you to “set it and forget it” for hours. No constant stirring or scorching worries.
- Even Heating: The slow cooker provides consistent, even heat that gradually breaks down the apples, creating a smooth and uniform texture.
- Flavor Development: The low and slow cooking process allows the flavors of the apples and spices to meld and intensify, adding complexity to the apple butter.
- Energy Efficiency: The slow cooker is often more energy efficient than the oven or stovetop.
How to Store
Refrigerate cooled apple butter in airtight containers or jars. Apple butter will keep in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 weeks.
Freeze apple butter for extended storage. Transfer the apple butter into freezer containers or bags, leaving some headspace for expansion. Label with the name and date, and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost in the refrigerator. If using glass jars, make sure they are the wide-mouth type and leave at least 1½ inches of headspace. Liquids expand when they freeze and could shatter a jar if not enough headspace is left.
Canning: This recipe was not developed for home canning but should work fine. The USDA basic apple butter contains a large amount of vinegar, but their reduced-sugar recipe has no additional acid other than plain apple cider. Just make sure to process half-pints or pints in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
How to Use Apple Butter
Spiced apple butter can add warm, sweet depth of flavor to both sweet and savory dishes. here are a few creative ways to use it:
- Breads and Biscuits: A classic spread for toast, biscuits, English muffins, or cornbread.
- Pancakes: Swirl into pancake batter or spread over the top with butter and maple syrup.
- Baked Goods: Use as a filling in muffins, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, or thumbprint cookies.
- Glaze: Use to glaze pork chops, chicken, or turkey while roasting or grilling.
- Sandwich Spread: Add to turkey or ham sandwiches.
- Charcuterie Boards: Serve alongside crackers, cheeses, and cured meats.
- BBQ Sauce: Stir into your favorite barbecue sauce for a flavorful twist.
Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 6 pounds apples
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- Zest and Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prep the Apples: Peel, core, and slice the apples thinly and add them to the slow cooker.
- Combine: Add the brown and granulated sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla to a bowl and mix to blend. Add to the slow cooker and stir to coat the apple slices.
- Slow Cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for about 5 hours. The apples should be very tender.
- Process: Use an immersion blender to blend the apples and liquids until smooth, or transfer everything to a blender and pulse until smooth. If the mixture is too thin, put it back in the slow cooker and cook on high until thickened.
Nutrition
Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.
