Next Post
Pumpkin Beer Broccoli Cheddar Soup + Video
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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!
I don’t have apple cider and maple in my country, can I use acv and honey?
Hi Zeina,
Do not use apple cider vinegar, you can use apple juice and honey or brown sugar. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
What do we do with the liquid after we remove the apples to be puréed?
Hi Amanda,
Nothing, you are returning the apples then back to the liquid:) I hope you love the recipe! xx
So excited to try this, my grandmother and I would eat apple butter together all the time! New to this- do I need to water bath the cans or something? Or just put it in jars and call it a lovely day? Thanks!!
Hi Megan,
You can just put it in the jars:) I hope you love this recipe, let me know how it turns out! xx
Making this for the second time today. I water bath canned the last batch and it turned out amazing! I’m so excited to add a naturally sweetened apple butter to my pantry this year. Thanks again Tieghan!
Hey Cassie,
Happy Sunday!🍎 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback! xx
Hello from a fellow Coloradan! 💙 Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve been making jam for years but I recently cut out refined sugar so I’m very happy to find a recipe that doesn’t use it! This is the second year I’ve made it, and I think it’s even better than my old apple butter recipe! An immersion blender is great for this. I processed my jars in a water bath came for 20 minutes
Sorry, that’s canner, not came 🙂
Hey Katie,
Awesome!! 🍂 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xx
Made this yesterday and it is absolutely delicious! Making more for Thanksgiving coming up. Do you use 4lbs of apples with or without the core? Just wanted to clarify for my next batch 🙂
Hey Carissa,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback! I used the 4 pounds with the core:) xx
Such delicious flavor! I loved smelling the aroma as it simmered in the crock pot all day!
Mine didn’t quite thicken up. I used the exact amounts and made exactly as written but it definitely stayed too thin. Any hints?
Hey Heather,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback! Sounds like it just needs to simmer longer:) xx
These were BEYOND incredible!!! LOVED! Even my son, one of the pickiest eaters in the entire world LOVED them.
Hey Allison,
Happy Monday!! 🍁 Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for making it! xT
Hi Tieghan! I have a few questions. How many apples is 4 pounds? And can I substitute brown sugar for the maple? Maple’s so expensive. I’m hoping to use this in you apple cider doughnut cake soon! Abigail
Hi Abigail,
It’s about 12 apples and yes the brown sugar will be great! I hope you love the recipe:) xT
I’m so excited to make this. Do you peel the apples. I’m sorry if I missed this if it was written I just didn’t see it mentioned. Thank you!
Hey Miriam,
I do not peel the apples but you can if you want! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Ok I feel like I’ve lost my mind. I made apple butter over a month ago but I cooked it in the oven… blended the apples beforehand, mixed together the ingredients and baked it, stirring after an hour and then every half hour for 2.5 hours… do you have an alternate recipe that I saw or have I truly lost it? I only ask because I can’t remember what oven temperature I used.. I swear it was your site (pulling hair out now) because I wanted to make the apple bourbon coffee cake of yours (which was fantastic)
Never mind!!!! Found it in the book! 🤣. Anyone reading this, the book option is easiest I think. Happy cooking!
Hi Kori,
Sorry, this is my only apple butter recipe:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
I was pushed for time so opted for the Instant Pot option – super-easy, but agree with others in that the ‘saute’ process is really messy, as the pot spits the mixture out as it heats up. My other half had quite a nasty burn on his arm where he got hit! It also took quite a lot longer to reduce down to the consistency shown in the photos – probably about 45 minutes, rather than 15-20. This made about 4 cups worth for me. I put a jarful in the fridge as I plan to use it for recipes this week. The rest I’ve frozen in batches. The outcome was delicious – but I’d probably opt for the slow cooker or stove top option if I was making it again.
Hi Lisa,
Yikes! So sorry to hear about your troubles with the instant pot! Thanks for giving this recipe a try, glad to hear it turned out well in the end! xT
Hey! So excited to try this recipe! Can I use apple juice instead of apple cider?
Hi Maddie,
Yes, that will work well for you! I hope this recipe turns out amazing, let me know if you give it a try! xT
AMAZING APPLE BUTTER!!
I made this on the stove and it was so simple with delicious results. No peeling. Wahooo!! Chopped into large chunks for ease. Dumped all the ingredients on top of the apples and didn’t worry about stirring until it cooked down quite a bit. This was a no fail, delicious recipe once again. Out is so good that my friend kept eating scooping into a bowl and eating it!!
I think the key is making sure we let it cook down aider blending so the apples have time to condense and caramelize which is the difference between apple sauce and apple butter.
FYI: 8 pounds made three quarts of apple butter.
Thanks Tieghan! Another recipe for the win!!
*stove top note for others following the stove top recipe- it accidentally states add water but it is still supposed to be apple cider like the other two recipes and the cider makes it delicious!!!
Hey SaraAnne,
Happy Friday!🎃 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for trying it out and sharing your review! xx
Could you use something else in place of maple syrup?
Hi Mary Beth,
Brown sugar should also work well for you! I hope this recipe turns out tasty, let me know if you give it a try! xT
Hi! Just wondering if you can freeze the butter once it’s cooled?
Hi Megan,
Totally, that will work well for you! I hope this recipe turns out amazing, please let me know if you give it a try! xx