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Sharing my favorite homemade slow cooker maple apple butter recipe today, since you guys have been asking for it all month long.

Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter | halfbakedharvest.com @hbhharvest

As a lot of you have noticed, I’ve been using a ton of apple butter this September, see this honey, apple, cheddar, and bacon panini, this brussels sprout mushroom pizza, this honeycrisp apple old fashioned, and this pastry wrapped baked brie with maple roasted apples. To my surprise, many of you are actually unfamiliar with apple butter. If that happens to be you, apple butter is basically just apple sauce, but thicker and spiced with warm autumn spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. It’s sweet, smooth, and possibly one of the most delicious spreads to put on toast throughout the fall season.

I’ll usually buy apple butter from the store, but on my fall bucket list this year I had written down “make homemade apple butter”. I was so excited that I actually checked the item off my list within the second week of September! I mean, this is amazing because my fall bucket list is huge, and I’ll often make a bucket list and never check anything off!

Anyway, I guess my point is that I was very excited to finally make some homemade apple butter. I’m also extremely excited, not only in how delicious it turned out, but how easy was to make!

Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter | halfbakedharvest.com @hbhharvest

Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter | halfbakedharvest.com @hbhharvest

Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter | halfbakedharvest.com @hbhharvest

If you have been following along on the blog for a year or more, than you know, come fall, I love to break out my slow cooker. Something about slow cooking a recipe all day long, just screams out to me during the fall months.

This apple butter is the perfect recipe to make on a crisp Sunday morning. Then maybe go out for a mid-day hike or bike ride and when you come back in the house will smell all cozy and delicious. then just spend an hour or two curled up on the couch and taking in the smell of apples cooking with cider, maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg…nothing short of amazing. Honestly, I would make this apple butter recipe simply for the smell it gives off. It’s like your favorite fall candles, but so much better.

Of course, unlike a candle, you get to eat this at the end of cooking, which is obviously much more ideal than just blowing something out, you know?

Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter | halfbakedharvest.com @hbhharvest

Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter | halfbakedharvest.com @hbhharvest

Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter | halfbakedharvest.com @hbhharvest

OKAY, so here’s how this recipe works. Chop up your apples (I love using Honeycrisp) and add them to your slow cooker along with, apple cider, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cover and cook on low and slow all day long (or at least that’s how I prefer to do it). Then remove the sauce, puree in a blender and place back in the slow cooker for another hour or so. This will help thicken the sauce into more of a “butter”.

There’s almost zero work involved in the recipe and the end result is just so delicious. So far, I’ve used this apple butter in four recipes and it has taken them from good to incredible. AND I love that the only added sugar I used in the recipe is maple syrup. Meaning, this totally is totally acceptable to call healthy. Cool. Cool.

I have truly been using this apple butter almost daily. It is delicious in so many recipes (try it with pork chops!) or just spread it over a piece of toasted bread.

Plus, it’s the perfect way to use up all the fall apples you went and picked over the weekend…or that I hope you picked!

Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter | halfbakedharvest.com @hbhharvest

Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter | halfbakedharvest.com @hbhharvest

And you guys! Speaking of the weekend! I have so many fun details to share about the Half Baked Harvest Cookbook retreat. Would you like a full post on the retreat? I don’t have too many photos, but I have so much to say! Maybe I will share the details in my favorite’s post this Sunday!

Just to quickly recap though, the retreat went so amazingly well and was so much fun! Fortunately, the dinner on Saturday night went great. I worked with Crate and Barrel on the tables, and Kroger on the dinner. The tables turned out so cute that I might just need to recreate them and snap some better photos. I always LOVE the tablescapes I’m able to create with Crate and Barrel product. The actual meal thankfully turned out great. Thank you to Kroger for all my delicious produce…oh, and the ice cream social we did together was so delish.

Sunday morning was brunch with my friends at Land O’Lakes. It could not have been more delicious. All of their special butters take recipes to another level…their pumpkin spice butter is just too good.

I will go into more detail on Sunday, so stay tuned for that!

In the meantime, how about we all make some apple butter and then this apple cheddar Panini and this cocktail?!

Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter | halfbakedharvest.com @hbhharvest

Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter | halfbakedharvest.com @hbhharvest

Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 cups
Calories Per Serving: 232 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Instructions

Slow Cooker

  • 1. In the bowl of your slow cooker, combine the apples, apple cider, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours, stirring halfway through cooking.
    2. Remove the cinnamon stick and then transfer the apples to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to the crockpot and cook, uncovered on high for 1-2 hours or until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust sweetness level to your liking by adding more maple. Cool and store in glass jars in the fridge for up to 1 month. 

Instant Pot

  • 1. In the bowl of your instant pot, combine the apples, apple cider, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Cover and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Release the steam.
    2. Remove the cinnamon stick and then transfer the apples to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to the instant pot and cook, uncovered on sauté for 15-20 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust sweetness level to your liking by adding more maple. Cool and store in glass jars in the fridge for up to 1 month. 

Stove-Top

  • 1. Combine the apples, apple cider, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and 1 cup water in a large, heavy bottomed pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are completely softened and the liquid has reduced by half, 30 to 40 minutes, adding water if needed to keep the apples in liquid. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
    2. Remove the cinnamon stick and then transfer the apples to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to the pot and cook, uncovered over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust sweetness level to your liking by adding more maple. Cool and store in glass jars in the fridge for up to 1 month. 

Notes

Nutritional values are based on one cup
View Recipe Comments

Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter | halfbakedharvest.com @hbhharvest

Yes, lets! No boring Tuesdays around here!

Lastly, if you make this Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

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Comments

    1. Hi Tammy,
      Fantastic!! So great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and thanks a lot for making it. Sure, I bet that would work well for you! Have a great week!? xTieghan

  1. Hey Keighan,
    I use so many of your recipes! they are amazing.
    How many medium apples is 4 lbs….approx? And you did not say to peel them….I’m assuming you do that too?
    Thanks!
    Linda

    1. Hi Linda,
      4 pounds of apples should be about 12 apples depending on the size of them. I did not peel my apples but feel free to do so. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan

  2. 5 stars
    This apple butter is amazing! I used my freshly picked cortland apples, but other than that, I followed the recipe as is in my slow cooker. So far, I’ve spread it on toast and used it in my apple oatmeal. I plan to use it in some other HBH recipes I’ve seen; I can’t wait to try them all! Thank you again for another amazing recipe!

    1. Hey Victoria,
      Happy Friday!! I so appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan

  3. I have a Cooking Blender are you able to cook and do the whole process in a cooking blender instead of stove top, crockpot or Pressure Cooker

    1. Hey Nichole,
      Sorry, I am really not familiar with a cooking blender, if that is something that would typically work in one then I would say it should work just fine for you. I hope this recipe turns out amazing, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

  4. I rushed out today and got my apples. So excited to make this! Silly question – do you peel the apples or just core/chop?

    1. Hey Bonny,
      I like to keep the skin on my apples for extra flavor, but you can certainly peel them as well. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

  5. 5 stars
    THE BEST. first time trying this out ever and I used a slow cooker. I cooked it for 4 hours on high then pureed the apples and cooked for another 2 hours on high. It definitely needs more time since it was too thin after the 6 hours. It was already 10pm by this time so I let the apple butter sit in the crockpot (which was off) overnight and in the morning I simmered it on the stove for 35 minutes and it thickened up perfectly into a butter like consistency! Highly recommend, very delicious apple butter and can’t wait to put this stuff on everything!

    1. Hey Victoria,
      Thanks a bunch for trying out this recipe, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best day:) xTieghan

  6. 4 stars
    I used the slow cooker method and it smelled and taste delicious, but I’m afraid it has come out a bit runnier than it should. Is there a way to thicken the final product?

    1. Hey Whitney,
      Thanks for giving the recipe a try! As it sits it will probably become thicker for you, if not you can always pop it on the stove top and let it simmer a little while. I hope this helps! xTieghan

  7. I’m allergic to apples (yeah, who does that?) So I usually sub pears. Do you think I should add lemon juice to bring the flavor back to something more tart for your apple butter recipe if I want to make pear butter?

    1. Hey Jan,
      Sure, I bet that would work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

    1. Hey Kim,
      I’ve not personally tried this, but I bet it would work well! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan

      1. Hey Nancy,
        I do not peel my apples but you totally can. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

    1. Hey Karen,
      I leave the peel on the apples, but feel free to peel them to your liking. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

    1. Hi Tammy,
      You can keep this in the fridge in glass jars for up to 1 month. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  8. 5 stars
    This is in the slow cooker, thickening up, right now! Smells SO good!!! I decided to make it (first time making apple butter), because I love apple butter, and I want to make your Brown Butter Chewy Maple Brown Sugar Cookies! Can’t wait to try both!!

  9. 5 stars
    I made the apple butter today. Great use for the honey crisp apples I picked up at the farmers market. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly. I did the stove top version. Instead of using the blender I used an immersion blender, which worked perfectly.I tasted it warm and it was perfect. I am sure it will taste even better as it cools. Another great recipe. This made the house smell amazing.

    1. Hey Cindy,
      I do not string my apples, but you absolutely can! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

    1. Hey MaryKay,
      I’ve not personally tried this, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work well for you. I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan