CROCKPOT APPLE BUTTER
Delicious, deeply spiced apple butter made easy in a slow cooker — with tips for small or large batches, how to finish for canning vs fridge/freezer, troubleshooting, and safer canning guidance. I’ll include a tested canning reference so you can preserve jars safely.
Result you’ll get
A silky, caramelized apple spread (about 8–10 pints if you make a large batch below) — perfect on toast, swirled into oatmeal, folded into yogurt or used for gifting.
Ingredients — large crockpot batch (yields ~8–10 pints)
-
8 lb apples (mix sweet + tart; good choices: Jonagold, McIntosh, Golden, Winesap).
-
2 cups apple cider (or apple juice)
-
1–2 cups granulated sugar and/or 1–2 cups packed brown sugar (adjust to taste; many recipes use a mix)
-
2 tsp ground cinnamon (adjust to preference)
-
½ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
-
¼–½ tsp ground cloves or 1/4 tsp allspice (optional — cloves are strong)
-
¼–½ tsp salt
-
1–2 Tbsp lemon juice (optional; brightens flavor)
(If you want a tested USDA-style canning recipe, see the NCHFP/apple-butter recipe linked below.) Food Preservation Center
Small-batch (2–3 pints): use 2–3 lb apples, ½–1 cup cider, ~½–⅔ cup sugars, same spices scaled down.
Equipment
-
6–8 quart slow cooker (or larger)
-
Immersion blender or regular blender/food mill/food processor
-
Wooden spoon & heatproof spatula
-
(If canning) wide-mouth canning funnel, hot water bath canner, jars/lids, jar lifter, clean towels. Follow tested canning times below. Food Preservation Center+1
Method — Crockpot (easy, mostly hands-off)
-
Prep apples. Wash, core and roughly chop. You can peel or leave skins on — skins will soften and can be blended out (no need to peel if you’ll blend or pass through a food mill).
-
Load the crockpot. Put apples, cider (or juice), sugars, spices, salt, and lemon juice into the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
-
Cook low & slow. Cover and cook on LOW 8–10 hours (or HIGH 4–6 hrs) until apples are very soft and darkened. Stir once or twice. Many cooks start on HIGH to jumpstart, then finish LOW; either works. Typical slow-cooker methods use roughly these ranges. My Baking Addiction+1
-
Break down to a puree. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth, or transfer (in batches) to a blender or run through a food mill for extra silky texture.
-
Thicken. Return the puree to the crockpot and cook uncovered on LOW for 1–3 more hours, stirring occasionally, until it is thick and “mounds” on a spoon (or test a spoonful on a chilled plate — when it no longer has a ring of liquid around the edge, it’s done). This step deepens color and concentrates flavor. Food Preservation Center
Sweetness & sugar-free notes
-
You can tune sugar to taste. Many home recipes use both brown + white sugar for depth; others use only brown sugar for caramel notes.
-
If you intend to can for shelf storage, use a tested canning recipe (sugar reductions can affect texture and sometimes require different recommended processes). NCHFP has a reduced-sugar apple butter guidance — follow tested recipes for safe, shelf-stable results. Food Preservation Center+1
Canning / preserving (important safety & tested processing)
If you plan to make your apple butter shelf-stable, follow a tested canning recipe and the USDA/NCHFP procedures. Key points from the National Center for Home Food Preservation:
-
Use the hot pack method: fill hot apple butter into sterile half-pint or pint jars leaving ¼-inch headspace.
-
Recommended boiling-water canner process times (follow the table and adjust for your elevation): Half-pints/pints — 5 minutes (0–1,000 ft); 10 min (1,001–6,000 ft); 15 min (above 6,000 ft). Quarts have longer times. (Always read the full NCHFP instructions before canning.) Food Preservation Center
Ball/Bernardin and other extension sources also publish tested apple butter canning recipes and processing times — consult those for step-by-step canning checklists. Ball+1
Do not assume untested low-sugar or unusual substitutions are safe for shelf storage — either follow a tested reduced-sugar NCHFP recipe or freeze/store refrigerated instead. Food Preservation Center
Refrigerator / Freezer / Pantry storage
-
Unopened, properly processed canned jars: best quality 12–18 months stored in a cool, dark place. Use standard canning-label info as a guide. Champlain Orchards+1
-
Opened jar (refrigerator): use within 2–4 weeks (common guidance: 2–3 weeks). Use a clean spoon each time to avoid contamination. Champlain Orchards+1
-
Freezer: freeze in airtight containers for up to ~1 year for best quality. Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.
Troubleshooting & tips
-
Too thin? Continue cooking uncovered to reduce more. A short finish in a skillet over medium heat for a small batch can caramelize and thicken further.
-
Grainy/bitter after blending skins? Use a food mill or fine sieve to remove any fibrous bits; blend more slowly/longer.
-
Spices too strong? Cloves are potent — reduce if you prefer. Add vanilla at the end for rounding.
-
Scaling: You can halve or double ingredients — slow cooker capacity and jar yields scale roughly linearly. For canning, only use tested recipes for safety (don’t invent processing times). Food Preservation Center
Flavor variations
-
Maple apple butter: replace part of sugar with ½–1 cup maple syrup (if you’ll freeze or refrigerate; if canning, use tested recipe).
-
Chai spice: add cardamom + star anise (use lightly).
-
Boozy finish (for eating, not canning): stir in a tablespoon rum or bourbon after cooking and before bottling for fridge use.
Quick recipe card (single large batch summary)
-
8 lb apples, cored & chopped
-
2 cups cider, 1–2 cups brown sugar + 1 cup granulated sugar (adjust)
-
2 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp cloves, ¼ tsp salt
-
Cook LOW 8–10 hrs in crockpot until very soft → blend → cook uncovered 1–3 hrs until thick → hot pack into jars for canning or chill for fridge/freezer. For canning, follow NCHFP/Ball processing times & headspace instructions. Food Preservation Center+1
Sources & further reading (authoritative)
-
National Center for Home Food Preservation — Apple Butter (tested recipes, hot-pack & processing times). Food Preservation Center
-
NCHFP — Apple Butter, Reduced Sugar guidance. Food Preservation Center
-
Ball® Mason Jars — apple butter / canning basics and processing suggestions. Ball
-
Slow-cooker/apple-butter recipe examples (crockpot method). My Baking Addiction+1
-
OSU / Extension materials on apple preserving
- 6 large apples, peeled, cored, finely chopped (honeycrisp, gala, ambrosia)
- 1/3 cup raw sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, not packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
