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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?!
Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter
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
- 4 pounds Honeycrisp apples, cored and diced
- 1 1/4 cups apple cider
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon or 1-2 cinnamon sticks
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 pinch ground cloves (about 1/4 teaspoon)
- 1 pinch sea salt or kosher salt
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
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!
hi!
my family and I love, love, love all of your recipes… been making lots from your latest book. thank you for enriching our lives through sensational food.
my question is, can I “can” this apple butter in a water bath? and for how many minutes would I need to process it?
thanks again!
Hi Melissa,
Thanks so much for trying so many recipes and your kind message! Sorry, I have never canned this recipe so I really don’t know how you would go about doing that. I believe some readers have done so, but I don’t know what the process looks like. Let me know if you give it a try! xT
This apple butter is delicious! I used a variety of apples and golden instead of maple syrup. I loved making it in the crock pot and used an immersion blender which worked great. It was so yummy warm, I couldn’t stop eating it! I can’t wait to use it in lots of your recipes 🙂
Hey Toni,
Awesome!!🤩 I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review and love to hear that it was a hit! xTieghan
Smelled amazing all day, I was excited, but it’s so runny! It’s more like apple cider than apple sauce, let alone apple butter. Definitely can’t be spread on toast! It has no shape whatsoever, pure liquid. I used honey crisp, in the slow cooker.
Also, I have been simmering it on the stovetop for over an hour already trying to thicken it up. No bueno.
Hi Tamara,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear you had some issues. Sounds like you just need to allow it to simmer a bit longer on the stove top:) xT
It smells and tastes delicious, but mine hasn’t thickened up as much as I expected – I should have drained it better from the liquid. How could I thicken it up?
Thank you for the amazing recipes.
Best wishes
Cindy
Hi Cindy,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try!! You can simmer it on the stove top to help thicken:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
This came out more like caramelizad apple sauce. Idk what I did wrong…followed the recipe start to finish. Maybe a blender vs a food processor would’ve made it smoother? Still tastes good.
Hi Alissa,
Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your feedback, sounds like you did everything correctly! xx
Hi!!! Am in the final stage of this recipe (via stove top) and can already taste the amazingness-ness! I will say though I’m not surprised; your recipes give me so much confidence and success in the kitch – Love it! Pls keep up all that you’re doing! All books owned and gifted!
Yes yes and yes every year this will be a yes! Thank you!! halved the recipe and did Stove top it was amazing!!
I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
Thanks so much for your kind message and making so many recipes Jennifer:) Have a great Thursday! xTieghan
I have a lot of Granny Smith apples. Any recommendations for how to adjust the maple syrup since these apples are a bit more tart?
Hi Laura,
You could add more to your liking, maybe about 1/4 cup. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
My son and I picked 25 pounds of apples from our local orchard last weekend and decided to make this apple butter. Not only did my whole house smell amazing all day but it was easy and delish.
We used a variety of sweet and tart apples and I still never felt like I needed to change any ingredients. We also canned a bunch for gifts that I am looking forward to giving out. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Karen,
Happy Monday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was tasty for you! Thanks for making it:) xx
I found your Chewy Brown Sugar Maple Cookies recipe and saw it needed apple butter. When I couldn’t find any at the store, I figured I’d give this recipe a try. It was so easy! I also don’t like to peel apples if I don’t have to, so I love that I could put them in with the peel. Instead of putting them in the blender, I used my immersion blender (got it recently and dying to try it out!). Seriously so easy. It’d make an easy fall gift for someone–if there’s extra 😉
I only need 1/4 cup for the cookies, so I halved the recipe and it still worked great. Next up, Chewy Brown Sugar Maple Cookies!
Hi Shayla,
Happy Sunday! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try!🍂 xT
I halved the recipe and still ended up with a large jar of apple butter. I did it on stove top since I don’t have a slow cooker and maybe that’s the issue- it pretty much just tasted like spiced apple sauce… am I missing something that makes this special?
Hey Eva,
Thanks for trying this recipe, sorry it wasn’t enjoyed. It makes a lot of apple butter so a large jar for half of the recipe sounds about right. xx
This is my second time making this recipe. It’s cheeper than buying the smaller jars at the store and so tasty. I love having it on hand for all of the fun fall drinks and baked goods HBH gives us 🙂 The first time I made it I did the whole thing in the instant pot. Which was fast, but was messy for the saute portion. This year, after blending, I put it in a pot on the stove and I think I had better results because I could control the temp a bit more. Thanks for all the holiday treats Tieghan!
Hey Chelsea,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks for making it! Hope you’re off to a great weekend! xx
Silly question but….maybe it’s obvious you peel the apples??
Hey Claire,
I didn’t peel my apples but you absolutely can! I hope you love this recipe! xx
apples have lots of great vitamins and nutrients, so i’d totally leave them. the fact that it saves you the hassle of peeling is just bonus haha
Hi! I just had a question, where it says “apple cider” that doesn’t mean apple cider vinegar or does it? Thank you!
Hi Sarah,
This is not apple cider vinegar:) Just regular drinking apple cider. I hope you love the recipe!
Hi Tieghan,
I am a huge fan 🙂 I was wondering if you have ever tried canning this recipe as a preserve and if so what extra steps/additional ingredients would you take/add?
Thank you and please come visit Toronto (GTA) on your next book tour!
Hey Andrea,
So sorry, I’ve not tested that with this recipe! Let me know if you give it a try! xT
Mmmmmmmm. Such warm flavor and aroma. My kitchen smelled amazing while this was cooking. I had several tasters to approve the final flavoring. Not one wanted to change or add a thing! Perfect as is. And everyone wanted some to take home. Thank you!
Hi Patty,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! xx
Have you tried another variety of apples besides honey crisp? Can’t wait to try this!
Hi Christina,
I personally haven’t, I like the honeycrisp because they are sweet:) I hope you love this recipe! xT