Go Back
–+ servings
Homemade apple butter stored in glass jars with gold lids.
Jacob Hensley

Easy Slow Cooker Apple Butter

No ratings yet
A simple homemade apple butter made in the slow cooker with sweet apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and a little lemon juice. No peeling required.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 5 1/2 lbs sweet apples 2.5 kg, cored and chopped into approximately 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar 200g
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150g
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Equipment

Method
 

  1. Core and chop the apples into approximately 1/4-inch pieces. Leave the peels on.
  2. Place the apples in a large slow cooker.
  3. Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
  4. Pour the sugar mixture over the apples. Add the lemon juice and stir well.
  5. Cover and cook on LOW for approximately 10 hours, until the apples are extremely soft.
  6. Use an immersion blender directly in the slow cooker to purée the apples until completely smooth.
  7. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  8. Leave the slow cooker uncovered and continue cooking on LOW for approximately 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  9. For thicker apple butter, continue cooking uncovered until it reaches your preferred consistency.
  10. Cool before transferring to airtight containers and refrigerating or freezing.

Notes

  • Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Fuji, and Gala are good choices.
  • You do not need to peel the apples.
  • The lemon juice balances the sweetness without making the apple butter taste lemony.
  • The finished apple butter gets thicker as it cools.
  • For baking, continue reducing until the apple butter is especially thick.
  • This is a refrigerator/freezer recipe, not a tested canning recipe.

Tried this recipe?

Mention or tag @bakedlean!