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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.
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!
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?
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!
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?!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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!
Tiegan, what can I use in place of the maple in your apple butter recipe? Looks awesome, allergic to maple…thanks in advance…..MC
Hey Meg,
You could use honey in place of the maple syrup. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
What do you use Apple butter for?? Going apple picking soon and this would be a great way to use some apples!!
Hi there,
I have a BUNCH of recipes that use apple butter, here are a few you might like:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/brown-butter-apple-blondies/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/baked-apple-cider-doughnuts/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/apple-butter-bars/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
If you make 1/2 the recipe, would the cooking times change? Can you freeze it in smaller amounts (like in an ice cube tray)? Thanks!
Hey Eileen,
If you cut the recipe in half, I would still cook on low for at least 6 hours. Sure, you can freeze in small amounts! I hope you love the recipe! xT
Hello! Thank you for your delicious recipes! How many apples approximately is 4lbs of honey crisp apples?
3 apples generally is a pound, so 12 apples for 4lbs
Just clarifying it’s ok to not peel the apples?
Correct:)
I pulled out my kitchen scale and found that 6 little ones (could fit in my palm) were perfectly 2 lb. 🙂
Hey Julie,
I would say it’s about 12 apples depending on the size! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Do you have a favorite slow cooker? Any recommendations?
Hey Leah,
Sure do! Here is the link for mine:
https://rstyle.me/+OJZQKctgoTIyGdp0jhRkDw
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Can the apple butter be put in the freezer to make it last longer? Also, I thought about actually whipping a softened stick of butter to take it to the next level??
Hey Sandra,
Sure, you can freeze this, I wouldn’t add butter to it:) I hope you love the recipe! xx
Would it be ok to cut the recipe in half?
Hi Shana,
Totally, that will work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
We were gifted with 50 pounds of fresh apples, and I knew I needed to immediately come to your site for recipes. Just made this apple butter and it is soooooo gooooood! Tonight it will be the apple butter pork chops for dinner. Thank you for your creations!
Hi Molly,
Happy Sunday! I am so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for making it:)
In the crock pot now. Kitchen smells amazing.
Awesome! Thanks for trying the recipe Beth!!
This sounds delicious. Have you ever canned it? Or frozen it? thanks!
Hey Maria,
Thanks so much! I personally haven’t, but it would probably work well for you! I hope you love the recipe! xx
Can I use apple juice instead of cider and just add more cinnamon? I don’t have cider on hand. Or honey instead of maple syrup? I want to make this today without running to the store lol
Hey Mandy,
Sure, both of those should be just fine for you to use! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi- I made this last year and it was delicious! Now I want to make it again – particularly to make some of your cookies – but we don’t have fresh apple cider yet. My store does have perishable apple juice – but not apple cider. Can I use that instead? Is there anything else that I should add to help get the true taste?
Hey Lily,
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe last year, apple juice should be just fine for you to use! xx
Can you freeze it?
Hi Kim,
You bet, that will work well for you! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
No need to peel the apples?
Correct:)
Do I need to peel the apples before cooking?
Hi Emma,
I don’t peel my apples, but you certainly can if that’s what you prefer! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Hi – just finished making the apple butter – can’t wait to use it as is AND in a few of your recipes. Question. Mine seems thin; it tastes fabulous, I would say the consistency is like gravy – and not a real thick gravy – it definitely is not a buttery or spreadable consistency. Any suggestions?
Can you crock pot it for longer with the lid off? That should do the thickening up trick
So it I started making this at an awkward time of day ?would it turn bad if I left it in slow cooker for longer than it says? It’s smelling divine BTW ?
Nope, should be just fine:)
Hey Colleen,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try! I would say allow it to simmer a bit longer or add some cornstarch to help thicken it up! I hope this helps! xx