Apple Butter Recipe: Easy Homemade Slow-Cooker Fall Preserves
Nothing says fall like a warm, spiced apple butter recipe that’s easy to make, perfect for canning, and ready to spread on toast, biscuits, or swirl into oatmeal.
Ingredients
- 6 pounds apples cored and quartered (Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala)
- 1 cup apple cider for depth; substitute apple juice if needed
- 1 cup granulated sugar adjust to taste
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar adds caramel notes
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon freshly ground if possible
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or freshly grated
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves allspice works too
- pinch salt balances sweetness
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract stir in at the end
Instructions
- Place prepared apples and apple cider in your slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6–8 hours, stirring once halfway through.
- Use an immersion blender right in the pot—or carefully transfer in batches to a stand blender—until silky. Let sit 5 minutes.
- Stir in granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Taste and tweak: add more sugar if you like it sweeter, or a pinch extra cinnamon for warmth.
- Cover and cook another 1–2 hours on low, stirring every 20 minutes to prevent sticking. Watch for a deep amber hue—your signal that caramelization is happening.
- Spoon a bit onto a chilled plate; if it holds a line for 30 seconds before filling back, it’s done. Remove the lid, stir in vanilla, and turn off heat.
- Ladle hot apple butter into sterilized half-pint jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe rims clean, seal with lids, and choose your storage method.
- Let sealed jars sit upright for 12 hours. Refrigerate unprocessed jars for up to 2 weeks or process in a 10-minute water bath for year-long, shelf-stable preserves.
Notes
Stirring every 20 minutes is key to prevent scorching and ensure even texture. If your slow cooker runs hot, switch to 'warm' after step 2 to avoid overcooking.
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