Slow Cooker Applesauce Apple Butter is a delicious and convenient way to make sweet, Autumn spiced homemade apple butter in your crock pot. No need to peel and core any apples! This crockpot applebutter recipe is so easy, and it makes a wonderful food gift!
What is Apple Butter?
Apple Butter is a condiment, or spread. It is thick like jam, but not as sticky.
Contrary to what the name says, there is no butter in apple butter! There is no fat at all, actually.
The apples, or in this case, applesauce, cooks over a long period of time so it reduces and becomes nice and thick and spreadable.
The flavors of the apples and the warm spices become concentrated, giving this delightful Slow Cooker Applesauce Apple Butter amazing flavor.
Not only can you spread it on toast and muffins, you can dissolve it in liquid (such as this Apple Butter Old Fashioned Cocktail from Simply Happy Foodie).
Who doesn't Like a Shortcut?
This yummy recipe is a favorite in my family. If you have never eaten apple butter, I urge you to make this! It is the easier, shortcut version.
That means you don't have to peel, core, and chop up 5 pounds of apples to make it. Just use applesauce!
What Does Apple Butter Go On?
My favorite way to eat apple butter is on an Elephant Ear at the Fair. So delicious!
Otherwise, Apple Butter is yummy on Buttermilk Biscuits, Butter Dip Biscuits, toast or Pancakes.
This is such an easy recipe to make. You just add the applesauce, sugar, and spices to the crock and cook until it is thickened.
A Few Tips for Slow Cooker Applesauce Apple Butter
• Be sure to use unsweetened applesauce.
• Use Apple Cider and Not Apple Juice (it needs the acidity)
• Cook the first couple hours of the time with the lid on, and a tea towel between the lid and the crock. This will absorb extra condensation.
(Be sure to fold the ends of the tea towel on top of the lid so it doesn't touch the sides of the slow cooker).
• Remove the lid and stir. Then continue cooking with the lid off, that will help the apple butter thicken.
You Might Also Like
Easy Buttermilk Biscuits
Buttermilk Pancakes
Slow Cooker Yogurt
Hard Apple Cider Bread
Raisin Spice Bars
If you make this delicious apple butter recipe, let me know how you liked it. Please leave a comment with a star rating below.
Slow Cooker Applesauce Apple Butter
Equipment
- 6 quart slow cooker (3-4 qt size if halving the recipe)
- Pint Jars with Lids
Ingredients
- 2-3 quarts Unsweetened Applesauce
- 1 cup Apple Cider (not juice)
- 2-3 cups Sugar
- 3 tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Ginger
- ½ tsp Allspice
- ¾ tsp Ground Cloves
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the crock and stir.
- Place a tea towel between the lid and the crock. This is to absorb condensation. (Be sure to fold the ends of the tea towel on top of the lid so it doesn't touch the sides of the slow cooker).
- Cook on High for 8-10 hours, removing the lid and tea towel after 2 hours. Then cook without the lid for the remainder of the time. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn. Cook longer to make it thicker and darker in color.
- Apple butter will be done when it is thick, sticking to a spoon when the spoon is turned upside down, and is dark in color.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin This Apple Butter in the Crock Pot Recipe
Lynn M Clendenin says
Best apple butter I've made. It has taken forever to thicken, but it's worth the wait!
Sally Lehr says
After making apple butter for several years every fall and getting EXHAUSTED smashing the cooked apples through my mothers old ricer, I wondered to myself if I could just skip all that preliminary work and start with grocery store apple sauce and that is how I found this great recipe! It is SO much easier and just as good and less expensive that buying apples and making it from scratch. I accidentally changed something--I thought I was buying apple cider and instead it was apple cider vinegar, so since the old way called for vinegar, I just used it and it turned out great. I like the tartness that the vinegar added. One other change was that I doubled all the spices and since I like it tart and spicy, that was fine too! I had been giving friends jars of apple butter at Christmas so this year after discovering this wonderful shortcut recipe I gave jars of it and never mentioned the change and no one noticed or mentioned the difference! They just said how good it was. I didn't tell them how easy it is. I LOVE this recipe. You can try my variation of substituting apple cider 'VINEGAR and doubling the spices according to your own taste.
Kathie Salter says
After reading through many apple butter recipes, I noticed one thing, almost all of them started with essentially cooking the fresh apples down into applesauce before commencing the major process, (adding the sugar and spices and cooking it down). So my bright idea was why not buy unsweetened applesauce and starting from there? I tried it and it was good, but needed more acidity and more spice, so I added things in various combinations, but it sure is nice to have a real recipe to get it absolutely perfect! This one is my guideline and the only variation I make is adding an extra teaspoon of cinnamon!
Linda says
Looks good, smells wonderful, taste great ‼️👍
sue says
How much of everything do you use to make a half batch ?
Sandy says
I haven't tested it, but I believe half of everything. You can taste it midway through the cook time to see if the spices are to your liking.
Lynda says
Have you canned/preserved this? If so, how long do you process it? Thanks!
Sandy says
I haven't canned this recipe. I'm not sure if there is enough acid in it.
Belinda says
I would just add a tsp of lemon juice for one quart.
Lynn M Clendenin says
I have a pH tester; it's fine to process in a water bath for 10 minutes per pint and 15/quart.
Skylor Thompson says
How much does one batch make?
Sandy says
About 3 pints
Sheila Stambush says
Can I use brown sugar
Sandy says
Sure!
Kelly says
Absolutely delicious and easy!
Kimberly says
I'm wondering, how do you preserve the finished product?
Sandy says
You can refrigerate or freeze.