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Easy Slow Cooker Apple Butter: Rich, Spiced Homemade Spread

A spoonful of thick, dark homemade apple butter being lifted from a small glass jar.
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Make rich, thick apple butter with minimal effort using your slow cooker. This recipe delivers deep, spiced flavor perfect for toast, baking, or fall preserving.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 pounds apples (Fuji, Honeycrisp, or a mix), peeled, cored, and chopped
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Instructions

  1. Place the chopped apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice into the basin of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
  2. Stir the ingredients together until the apples are evenly coated with the spices and sugar.
  3. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. The apples should be very soft and easily mashed.
  4. Carefully transfer the cooked apple mixture to a blender or use an immersion blender directly in the slow cooker. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth and velvety.
  5. If the apple butter seems too thin, return it to the slow cooker (uncovered) and cook on HIGH for 30 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to your desired consistency. This step is key for thick apple butter.
  6. Taste and adjust spices if needed. For canning, ladle the hot apple butter into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes for shelf stability.

Notes

  • For a no-peel apple butter option, you can skip peeling the apples before cooking; the skins will break down during the long cook time, but you must blend thoroughly afterward.
  • If you prefer a less sweet spread, reduce the total sugar by half a cup and rely on the natural sweetness of the apples.
  • This recipe is excellent for making winter pantry staples; process according to standard home canning guidelines for safe storage.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cheffinity.com/easy-apple-butter-slow-cooker-recipe/