Crockpot Apple Butter Recipe
A is for APPLE…B is for BUTTER…and it’s what we’re up to this time of year!
Last year we made some crockpot apple butter and it was such a hit and super easy, we decided to do it again. This year we had three crockpots going. We used a recipe from Simple Bites as our base.
We made two batches and a few modifications that we think are worth sharing. We let both batches cook down overnight. This resulted in about a 15-hour reduction period. The longer time produced a very rich and almost caramelized product! 
It was a delightful aroma to wake up to, and the kids got to enjoy apple butter on their waffles in the morning!
Notes from our first batch: We did not include the peels and simply used an immersion blender at the end of the reduction period to turn it to a smooth consistency.
Notes from our second batch: We included peels and again, used an immersion blender at the end to get the smooth consistency. We really liked this version for several reasons. We were able to reap more benefits from the apple – fiber and nutrients. It does change the flavor, as the taste of apple really shines through, allowing us to cut back on the sugar. Plus, you have less waste and less mess in the end!
Apple butter after using an immersion blender for smooth consistency.
Both batches were promptly scooped into clean, hot 8 oz. jars, rims cleaned, jars capped with plastisol lids that had been simmering in water. We processed in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. We used 1/2 pint (8 oz) tapered canning jars and 1/2 pint square Mason jars along with one-piece plastisol lids.
The apple butter on the left is the first batch with no peels. The apple butter on the right was the second batch with peels. Notice the color difference.
Here are a few links to some pretty great apple butter recipes:
- If you just don’t have the time to process in a canner & have plenty of freezer space, try this recipe from Taste of Home for freezing apple butter.
- This recipe from Eating Richly uses peels. It has less waste and it pairs nicely with canning applesauce.
- Oh She Glows has a recipe that is minimal on adding spices and sugar.
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To save on cleanup time, I used a crockpot liner. It worked like a charm! No sticky mess to clean up.
Thank you for the excellent advice. I had never made apple butter before. I really wanted to include the apple peels. I did and cut the sugar, per your recommendations. I also would never have cooked the butter 15 hours but did, on your advice.
It was perfect.
Hi Georgi,
That’s great! So glad you’re apple butter turned out perfect!
You stated that you use simple bites as your base recipe but you fail to show how to find the simple bites recipe
Hi Glen,
Sorry about that. We updated that link. But you can also find it here – https://simplebites.net/preserving-autumn-maple-apple-butter/