Homemade Apple Butter
Homemade apple butter made in the slow cooker could not be easier! Simply mix up your apples, sugar, and spices and let it cook down all day (or overnight), puree it, and enjoy. Slather it on bread or biscuits, top your pancakes with it, stir it into your oatmeal, or simply eat it with a spoon! The perfect fall (or year-round) condiment. Instructions are included for stovetop and Instant Pot preparation!
Apple butter has become one of my favorite things to stock up on during the fall season when it's plentiful at farmer's markets, orchards, and local grocery stores. I love piling it on top of brie and a cracker!
Once I discovered how incredibly easy it could be to make at home, I wasted no time making batches once apple season was in full swing each year.
Apple Butter 101
So if it's not actual butter, what is it?
Quite simply, it's homemade applesauce that has been cooked quite a bit longer, which intensifies the flavor and gives it a caramelized color. It is then pureed for a super-smooth texture.
It tastes like an ultra-concentrated, incredibly thick, and smooth version of applesauce.
Apples and Spices
Types of Apples to Use
The beauty of making homemade apple butter is that you can use whatever your favorite variety is! That said, softer varieties of apples lend themselves especially well to apple butter making because they break down more easily and can achieve that concentrated flavor we love. You can use all one kind or a mixture.
Some great choices would include:
- Braeburn
- Cortland
- Fuji
- McIntosh
- Golden Delicious
- Red Delicious
- Idared
- Gala
- Granny Smith, if you like a tart flavor!
How to Prep the Apples
To prepare the apples, simply peel and core them, then give them a rough chop. Nothing fancy is needed here!
I like to use this swivel peeler, but if you do a ton of apple baking, you may want to invest in a tabletop apple peeler.
The Spices
I use a simple mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to flavor the apple butter; the mixture creates such a warm, wonderful flavor!
I consider cinnamon a must, but feel free to play around with the others if you'd like; other options could include:
- Apple pie spice
- Allspice
- Ginger
Slow Cooker, Instant Pot, and Stovetop Instructions
CrockPot Apple Butter
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I love making apple butter in the slow cooker and is the version listed in the recipe below - it's totally hands-off and so easy!
To make this version, the apples are tossed with sugar and spices in a 6-quart slow cooker and cooked on low for 10 hours, then the vanilla extract is mixed in and any large chunks of apples are broken up, then it is cooked for two more hours. Then, use an immersion blender (or regular blender or food processor) to puree or blend the apple butter for that silky smooth consistency. Let it cool and transfer to jars or storage containers.
Instant Pot Apple Butter
If you have an Instant Pot, you can also make apple butter in it! Place the apples, sugars, and all of the seasonings (except for the vanilla) into a 6-quart Instant Pot and stir to combine. Cook on high pressure for 90 minutes, then natural release for 10 minutes. Puree the apple butter using an immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor. (If you do not use an immersion blender, return the apple butter to the Instant Pot.) Turn on “Slow Cook” function and cook on high for 2 hours with the lid only covering half of the pot. Stir in the vanilla, allow to cook and transfer to containers.
Stovetop
If you want to make it on the stovetop instead, you will need to add a bit of liquid to the apples, sugar, and spices so that the apples don't stick to the pan - you could use apple cider, apple juice, or water (about 1 cup). Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, then puree using an immersion blender, food processor, or blender. Return to the stove and continue to cook until it is thick and deep brown in color, about 1 additional hour.
How To Use Apple Butter
Apple butter can be used in the same way you'd use any other fruit jam, but here are some ideas:
- Spread on toast, biscuits, and muffins
- Top your pancakes and waffles with it
- Serve with crackers and cheese on a charcuterie board
- Stir it into oatmeal, yogurt, or ice cream
- Use it in place of pumpkin puree or applesauce in recipes
- Baste it onto chicken or pork chops
- Add it to your grilled cheese sandwich
- Gift it in a pretty jar with a ribbon!
Shelf life, storage, and freezing
This is a "refrigerator" version, meaning that it is not meant for long-time storage. If you are interested in a recipe suitable for canning and long-term, room-temperature storage, I recommend the recipe from Simply Recipes.
Once the apple butter has cooled and been placed into jars or airtight containers, store using the following guidelines:
- Refrigerator Storage - You can store the apple butter in the fridge for up to 1 month.
- Freezer Storage - You can store the apple butter in the freezer for up to 1 year. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using it.
You'll love these other apple recipes!
- Easy Apple Crisp
- Apple Dumplings
- Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie
- Apple Fritter Doughnuts
- Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
Watch the Apple Butter Recipe Video
If you make this homemade apple butter and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating - it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Homemade Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 6½ pounds apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (213 g) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place apples in slow cooker. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Sprinkle over the apples and stir gently to combine. Cook on low for 10 hours.
- Stir in vanilla extract, breaking up any large chunks of apples that remain. Cover and cook for an additional 2 hours.
- Remove the lid and use an immersion blender to puree the apple butter until completely smooth or to desired consistency. (Alternately, you could puree in batches in a food processor or regular blender.) If you want the apple butter thicker, you can continue to cook it on low with the lid of the slow cooker slightly ajar so that steam can escape.
- Allow the mixture to cool, then spoon into jars and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month, or freeze for up to 1 year.
Notes
- Equipment: 6-quart slow cooker, 6-quart Instant Pot, or Dutch oven for stovetop.
- For Blending: Use an immersion blender, food processor, or traditional blender.
- Apples: Use your favorite or a combination of different varieties. See the post above for suggestions.
- Refrigerator Storage - You can store the apple butter in the fridge for up to 1 month.
- Freezer Storage - You can store the apple butter in the freezer for up to 1 year. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using it.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I hadn’t made apple butter in a few years. I used the recipe as written except I didn’t weigh the apples. I just kept cutting the apples up until the crockpot was full. I used a blender to puree the apples and continued as written. After the apple butter was done, I processed the pint jars in a water-bath for 15 minutes. I gifted the first batch and everyone loved it, they said it was way better than store bought apple butter. I’m working on my second batch right now and actually bought a second slow cooker for just this purpose! I was given two pallets of apples from the food pantry for feed for my animals but there are so many good apples that I couldn’t pass up a good opportunity to make apple butter!
If you cook in slow cooker it is still needs to get more of the water out to thicken it up.
The best. And I don’t measure out the apples, I have been using all the older ones from my neighborhood mauradings, so the parts cut off make it hard to know how much is really there. I don’t have a crockpot, so I just stuffed my biggest pot as full as I could and covered and left it on the lowest setting possible for 10 hours. Immersion blend it, then cook until thick. Taste for sugar and spices.
Love this recipe
Very good. I did the stovetop. Turned out great. Daughter and son in law loved it
Very easy and delicious. Being diabetic I substituted the sugar with Monkfruit with Allulose and brown sugar with Swerve brown sugar. Came out perfect!
after preparing this apple butter can you water bath them in quart jars so they are shelf stable?
A water bath to keep the apple butter shelf stable has worked well for me.
Hi, I made this 2 days ago and it turned out great! I’m making more today.May I ask a question? Why the additional 2 hours? By the Time it cooks for ten hours, it’s already Way soft. Just curious? Thanks and have a blessed Day!
Hi, I made this 2 days ago and it turned out great! I’m making more today. May I ask a question? Why the additional 2 hours? By the time it cooks for 10 hours it’s already Way soft. Just curious,.. Thanks and have a blessed day!!
If you cook in slow cooker it is still needs to get more of the water out to thicken it up.
This apple butter recipe is really good this is my first time using this recipe and so far the apples taste really good. This is going to be my go to recipe for apple butter. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Wow! Wonderful recipe~
Cooked this overnight in the crockpot, the house smells great!
Thank you
Love your recipes.
I only have a small crock pot, so I halved the recipe, using 3 pounds of Gala apples. I didn’t reduce the spices too much, though. The only change I made (and I HATE when people change a recipe) is to sub in allspice for the cloves, simply because i was out. The results were far beyond anything that can be bought at a grocery store. The best apple butter that I’ve ever had! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Is the apple poundage before or after peeling and coring?
Love this recipe! I used a mix of sweet (Gala) and tart (Pink Lady) apples for more depth of favor. My apple peeler and corer made it really fast to prepare the apples. You can get that on Amazon. I used an emulsion blender to break down the apples. Next I added 3 Tablespoons of butter with the vanilla (because everything tastes better with butter), left the lid ajar and cooked for the last hour. The butter adds another layer of favor. I wanted my apple butter to be thicker. Leaving the lid ajar helps to reduce it to a thicker consistency. This received rave reviews from all my family and friends. I’ll be making this many times this fall and winter! Thanks Michelle!
Would this just be a sweet applesauce?
Hi Diane, Apple butter is basically a very concentrated version of applesauce, and has a much more intense apple flavor. A good comparison is that of tomato sauce vs tomato paste. I hope that helps!
I have a small slow cooker so I made one half on the first day, the other half on the second day. I tried an experiment. For the first batch I left the peels on and used a food mill. Big mistake. The texture was very soupy going through the food mill, with the peels sticking to the blades. Huge mess. And the resulting texture was uneven and kept separating. For the second batch I used the actual directions (lol!) and peeled the apples. I used an immersion blender. Beautiful texture and appearance. I worried that the spices would be too strong. They are perfect. This is a wonderful recipe just as written. ( P.S. I use apple butter to cook a pork loin in the slow cooker. I brown the pork, one sliced sweet onion and about 1 t. chopped garlic and place it in the slow cooker. Then I mix 1/2 c. apple butter,1 c. apple juice or chicken broth, about 1/4 t. dried thyme and put that over the pork. Cook on low about 6-7 hours until tender. Remove about 1 c. of cooking liquid and thicken in small saucepan with instant blending flour to be gravy. Serve with mashed potatoes). Thank you so much for this fantastic recipe for apple butter.
Super easy and tastes amazing!!!!!
Do you weigh the apples before or after peeling and coring?
I bought 6.5 lbs of apples, then peeled and cored them. Came out to be about 5.75 lbs.
Guess what? You don’t have to peel the apples. I just made this for the first time in the slower cooker (Instant Pot function). I used the immersion blender, and the peels ground up so smoothly you didn’t even notice them in the final product.
Hi folks. Never made apple butter but my husband loves it and for some reason hard to find at grocery stores around. This was so easy. Used my pampered chef apple peeler corer which also cuts apples in spirals. Only had 6 pounds of organic apples and no ground cloves so used Penzy’s apple pie spice. Followed recipe otherwise. I immediately filled my Mason jars and loosely covered till cooled. So glad I didn’t hafta do the hot water bath too. Must remember to start earlier than 3pm in future. 😮 Get outta here! So much better than store bought! My husband’s now a very happy camper.
It looks great, but I’ve had some questions. When the apple butter is done, can I place it in the jelly pots, must I leave it for 12 hours before I cool it and can I freeze it? If I may, shall I wait until it cools before the freezer is placed? How long is the freezer going to last?
Hi Peggy, I can’t guarantee that this recipe is suitable for long term storage at room temperature, but you can definitely freeze it! Let it cool, then place in jars and you can freeze for up to 1 year.
I lost my recipe so went on a search. I like that this recipe doesn’t require apple cider like my old recipe. You don’t need to peel the apples if you don’t want to. I never have. Thanks for the recipe!
This looks delicious! Any particular type of
apples?
We have found where I live in the mountains of NC Wolf River apples are the best apples to make apple butter. If you have never used them give them a try if you can find them.
We just went apple picking yesterday, perfect timing!
I’ve made apple butter quite a few times in the 47 years I’ve been married. It’s a fav around here. This last time, last week, I smoked the apples first and OMG what a fantastic compliment it is to meats! Holly cow! Used as a glaze it’s unbeatable!
Lee, did you add all the sugars/spices after you smoked them?
Delicious on cottage cheese.
This recipe looks great , but I have a few questions. When it is finished, can I put the apple butter in jelly jars, do I have to let it set out for 24 hours before I refrigerate it, and can I freeze the apple butter? If I can, do I have to wait for it to cool down before it is put in the freezer? How long will it last in the freezer?
Hi Adrian, You do not need to let it sit out for 24 hours, just until it is cool. Yes you can freeze, definitely let it cool first if you freeze, as well. You can freeze it for up to 6 months. Enjoy!
Overall, this recipe turned out beautifully and I’m glad I kept the peels! It took MUCH longer to reduce than 2 hours and my crock pot could not reduce it on low with no lid, so I had to use high, but the end result was great and my kids smelled it outside when they got off the bus and said I was torturing the neighborhood!