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Home » Slow Cooker » Slow Cooker Applesauce Apple Butter

Slow Cooker Applesauce Apple Butter

Jul 1, 2020 · 13 Comments

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Slow Cooker Applesauce Apple Butter pinterest pin
Slow Cooker Applesauce Apple Butter pinterest pin

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!

Slow Cooker Applesauce Apple Butter on a wood spoon

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).

apple butter in a white bowl with a wood spoonful above

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.

adding sugar and spices to the applesauce in the crock

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.

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apple butter in a white bowl with a wood spoonful above

Slow Cooker Applesauce Apple Butter

Slow Cooker Applesauce Apple Butter is an easier, faster way to make this delicious condiment. Spread on toast, pancakes, muffins, or even use in a cocktail.
5 from 3 votes
Print Rate
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple butter recipe, crock pot apple butter
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 9 hours
Total Time: 9 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 6 cups
Calories: 56kcal
Author: Sandy

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

You can halve this recipe (make it in a 3-4 qt slow cooker). Cook time will be about 8 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 56kcal

Pin This Apple Butter in the Crock Pot Recipe

Slow Cooker Applesauce Apple Butter pinterest pin

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Comments

  1. Sally Lehr says

    January 08, 2023 at 12:09 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  2. Linda says

    October 11, 2022 at 8:01 pm

    5 stars
    Looks good, smells wonderful, taste great ‼️👍

    Reply
  3. sue says

    August 18, 2022 at 12:59 pm

    How much of everything do you use to make a half batch ?

    Reply
    • Sandy says

      January 19, 2023 at 11:39 am

      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.

      Reply
  4. Lynda says

    July 10, 2022 at 2:39 am

    Have you canned/preserved this? If so, how long do you process it? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sandy says

      July 10, 2022 at 2:00 pm

      I haven’t canned this recipe. I’m not sure if there is enough acid in it.

      Reply
  5. Skylor Thompson says

    October 01, 2021 at 7:50 pm

    How much does one batch make?

    Reply
    • Sandy says

      November 09, 2021 at 12:34 pm

      About 3 pints

      Reply
  6. Sheila Stambush says

    February 06, 2021 at 5:32 am

    Can I use brown sugar

    Reply
    • Sandy says

      February 22, 2021 at 2:49 pm

      Sure!

      Reply
  7. Kelly says

    January 11, 2021 at 2:02 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious and easy!

    Reply
  8. Kimberly says

    December 19, 2020 at 3:50 pm

    I’m wondering, how do you preserve the finished product?

    Reply
    • Sandy says

      December 28, 2020 at 2:56 pm

      You can refrigerate or freeze.

      Reply

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