Slow Cooker Apple Butter

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, filling your kitchen with the warm, 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, transforming fresh apples 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.

How to Make Slow Cooker Apple Butter, Step-by-Step

Prepare the Apples

Peel, core, and slice the apple thinly.

Prepare the Ingredients

Add the apples to the slow cooker with the sugars, spices, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla. Stir gently and cook on high for about 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Process the Cooked Apple Butter Mixture

Use an immersion blender to process until smooth and creamy. Or transfer the apple mixture to a blender (in batches) and blend until perfectly smooth.

Transfer to Containers

Put the apple butter in jars or containers to be refrigerated or frozen.

Enjoy!

Slather apple butter on biscuits, toast, or pancakes, or use it as a savory glaze for meat and poultry.

Recipe Variations

• More 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 the Slow Cooker?

• Hands-Off: Perhaps the biggest advantage, the slow cooker 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 1 1/2 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 to both sweet and savory dishes. Here are a few creative ways to use it:

Sweet

• Breads and Biscuits – It’s a classic spread for toast biscuits, English muffins, or cornbread.
• Pancakes – Swirl apple butter into pancake batter for extra flavor or spread it over them with butter and a drizzle of maple syrup.
• Yogurt or Oatmeal – Stir it into plain or vanilla yogurt or warm oatmeal for an autumnal treat.
• Baked Goods – Use as a filling in muffins, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, or thumbprint cookies.
• Layer Cakes: Spread some between cake layers for additional moisture and flavor. This works especially well with spice cakes, vanilla cakes, and carrot cakes.

Savory

• Glaze – Use it to glaze pork chops, chicken, or turkey while roasting or grilling.
• Sandwich Spread – Add to turkey or ham sandwiches.
• Charcuterie Boards – Serve it alongside crackers, cheeses, and cured meats.
• Salad Dressing: Whisk together apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and Dijon mustard for a lovely and unique vinaigrette.
• Grilled Cheese – Pair it with sharp cheddar for a sweet-savory grilled cheese.
• BBQ Sauce – Add some to your favorite BBQ sauce recipe for an extra twist of flavor and sweetness.

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