Easy Apple Butter Recipe – Slow Cooker, Maple Sweetened (Can or Freeze)
This apple butter recipe takes just a few moments to prep and then lets the slow cooker do the work while a little maple syrup brings out the natural sweetness. Rich, smooth, and full of cozy fall flavor, this homemade spread is as perfect on toast as it is stirred into yogurt. Freeze to use all year in desserts and foods or water bath can to keep on the shelf and make wonderful gifts.
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While anytime is apple butter time in my book, fall just seems made for apple butter. Are you a fan? If not, this may be the recipe to win you over because the maple syrup compliments the apples and spices in a perfect way!
Why maple syrup? Traditional apple butter recipes call for a LOT of sugar – about 1 cup to 1 pound of apples (!), making it too sweet in my opinion since apples are sweet, too.
I think the natural sweetness of maple syrup helps create a perfect balance with the apple’s sweetness and flavor. There’s also a lot less of added sweetener, only about 1 cup to 8 pounds of apples), but it’s enough to render a true apple butter that’s just SO delicious on toast and with peanut butter.
You can, of course, make a version with no added sweetener at all – but that’s basically like spreading applesauce on your toast (again – my opinion, ha!).
In addition to spreading on toast, I also love having apple butter on hand to make these healthy apple butter bars and for gifting to people who love apple butter.
Oh, and if that’s not enough to get you on the apple butter train, how about the fact that you throw all the ingredients in a slow cooker before you go to bed and wake up to an almost-cooked apple butter?
That is a WIN.
Ingredient Notes
- Apples: One of the most often asked questions I’ve gotten is about the best type of apples to use. I’ve always said to use what you have – and if it’s free from a tree, all the better! Ideally using a variety of apples will produce the best flavor (similar to applesauce), especially if some of the apples are a tart variety like Granny Smith or Gravenstein, so I always try to have at least three varieties with one being a tart apple.
- Maple syrup: The flavor of this with apples is kind of amazing, so I hesitate to say you can use honey, but of course you can. I originally used 1 and 1/4 cups but have since decreased that to 3/4 (to 8 pounds apples) and it’s plenty sweet and flavorful to us. One comment even said they only used 1/4 cup (though it was tart), so feel free to experiment with the sweetness level.
- Lemon juice: The recipe uses just a bit of lemon juice for brightness and flavor, not for acidity levels for safe canning (as an example, see this traditional fruit butter recipe without juice). You can use bottled or fresh and if you’re using a lot of tart apples (or crabapples) you may want to leave it out.
- Spices: This is where you can put your own stamp on the butter. I like it lightly spiced, not a knock-you-out spice overload, so I use only cinnamon and the less traditional allspice, which I’ve found is wonderful in apple butter. There is an option for ground cloves and/or nutmeg which you can add as you wish. One commenter added 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice as the only spice and thought it was perfect.
I’m constantly amazed that these few, simple ingredients can cook down into a deeply flavorful spread!
How to Make Apple Butter
What I love about this recipe is that after prepping the apples there’s hardly any hands-on time as it cooks!
Step 1: Peel,* core, and quarter (or slice if using an apple peeler/slicer) the apples, placing them right in the bowl of a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Cook on HIGH, covered, 1 hour. Reduce to LOW, stir again, and cook, covered, for 8-10 hours (overnight works great).
Step 2: In the morning (or evening if you started in the morning), uncover the cooker, stir, and cook on HIGH for 1 hour to reduce a bit, leaving the lid off or partway on cooker as shown above.
*Want to try this without peeling the apples? While I haven’t done this, a number of commenters have. Meri said after leaving the peels on, “I don’t notice a difference in taste, or texture for that matter. Save yourself some work, and get the extra pectin.” And Paul said, “We leave the peels on to cook as we find it deepens the apple flavor and helps thicken the butter and then run the cooked apples through a food mill as one of our final steps before jarring to remove any large bits of peel.”
The easiest way to peel apples
If you do want to peel the apples, this classic apple peeler-corer-slicer is my go-to for recipes like this as well as apple pie and apple crumble. It makes it go so quickly and you don’t loose a lot of peel – I love it! (Note: This peeler has a suction base which may work better in your kitchen than the classic screw-on base that I have).
Oh, and this is the slow cooker I have and recommend. I’ve had issues with the Crockpot brand regular pots spitting hot liquid all over my counters, so I stick with the cook-and-carry slow cookers with rubber edging around the lid.
Step 3: Use an immersion blender right in the cooker, blending until smooth. (No hand-held blender? You’ll have to carefully transfer to a blender or food mill and return to the pot.)
Step 4a: Now cook uncovered on HIGH until the desired thickness, about 30 minutes to 1 hour longer. Sometimes you may need up to 2 hours depending on your apples or how your fast your crockpot cooks.
TIP: I wouldn’t be without a hand-held immersion blender in my kitchen anymore! I use it for so many things. This is the one I have – make sure to get one with an all-metal base since you’ll be blending hot foods. (Here’s a less expensive version with decent reviews.)
Step 4b: You’re looking for a jam-like consistency. Check by seeing how slowly the butter falls from a spoon or place a spoonful in a small container to see if it keeps it shape a bit, like the photo above.
Step 5: Now you choose to either freeze it or water-bath can it using the directions in the recipe card.
TIP: New to canning? This is really easy to can and is a good recipe to start with if you’re just learning to can. You can see the steps to water-bath canning in this post that covers what isn’t mentioned in the recipe below. And if you love canning and would like more easy recipes like this, check out the recipe index or my Easy Water Bath Canning Cookbook with 40 recipes, tips, and safety info.
Want to make this, but don’t have a slow cooker?
Place the ingredients in a large 6-quart stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered for about 1-2 hours or until desired consistency, stirring every 10-15 minutes to make sure it doesn’t burn. Continue with the recipe as written (blending, canning or freezing).
Notes: You shouldn’t need to add water, but you will have to stir more as the apples break down to prevent sticking. And then at the end you’ll have to stir often like this commenter, “By the end of cooking time, I had to stay close and keep turning it so it would not stick, and this for about an hour.”
Storage
- Canned: If it’s water-bath canned the jars are good for 18 months, the standard for canned foods with the two-piece lids.
- Frozen: It’s best used within a year to 18 months, but it’s not for safety reasons, just the apple butter quality degrading over time.
- Refrigerated: Once opened, a jar should last in the fridge 2-3 weeks.
I’m loving this lower-sugar apple butter recipe so much and I hope you do, too! Be sure to leave a rating and review to let me know how you liked it.
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Apple Butter Recipe – Slow Cooker, Maple Sweetened (Can or Freeze)
Equipment
- 5-6 quart slow cooker
- hand-held immersion blender or food mill or blender
Ingredients
For a 5-6 quart slow cooker (halve recipe for smaller cookers):
- 8 pounds apples peeled, cored and quartered
- 3/4 to 1 ¼ cups pure maple syrup (I only use 3/4 cup syrup now)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice optional, but my favorite*
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves and/or nutmeg optional*
Instructions
- Prepare the apples, placing them right in the bowl of a 5-6 quart slow cooker as you peel, core, and quarter/slice them.
- Add all the remaining ingredients and stir well. Cook on HIGH, covered, 1 hour.
- Reduce to LOW, stir again, and cook, covered, for 8-10 hours (overnight works great).
- Uncover, stir, and cook on HIGH for 1 hour to reduce a bit, leaving the lid off (or halfway on) cooker.
- Use an immersion blender right in cooker, blending until smooth (or a food mill or transfer to a blender and return to crockpot). Continue cooking uncovered on HIGH until desired thickness, about 30 minutes up to 2 hours longer, as needed.**
- If canning, prepare canning jars, lids and canner while reducing. If freezing, let apple butter cool before adding to freezer-safe small jars.
- To freeze: Leave at least a 1-inch headspace in the jars to allow for expansion once frozen.
- To can: ladle into warm 1/2-pint jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace, wiping rims & attaching lids. Place in water bath canner, bring to a boil, lower heat to maintain a low boil and process for 10 minutes.
- Turn off burner, remove lid and jars let sit in canner for 5 minutes. Transfer to a towel-lined surface and let cool at least 12 hours without touching them. Check seals, label and store in a cool place.
Notes
- Canned: If it’s water-bath canned they are good for 18 months, the standard for canned foods with the two-piece lids.
- Frozen: It’s best used within a year to 18 months, but it’s not for safety reasons, just the apple butter quality degrading over time.
- Refrigerated: Once opened a jar should last in the fridge 2-3 weeks.
Nutrition
Questions Answered
When I’ve cooked apple butter on the stove, I haven’t added any extra water since it needs to be thick. There is liquid as the apples cook down, which will boil – you just have to stir often and watch it for sticking to the bottom of the pot.
The thickening stage can actually take up to 2 hours with lid off – and it may take longer if your crockpot cooks slower. Keep cooking as long as it takes to get the spreading consistency.
I haven’t, but a number of commenters have. One said it was fine as-is and another ran the butter through a food mill after blending to get all the peels out.
More Apple Recipes To Try
- Whole Grain Oat Apple Butter Bars
- 21 Easy Apple Pie Recipes
- Caramel Dip for Apples Recipe (+ Lower Sugar Option and Easy Microwave Method)
- 3 Unique Recipes for Canning Apples (Including A Marmalade and A Chutney)
This recipe has been updated – it was originally published in 2015.
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I was looking for a no sugar option for apple butter this year and found your recipe thanks to Google. My family kept commenting on how good it smelled throughout the afternoon wait was cooking. I blended it up this morning and put it on a piece of toast and it was heaven!!! This apple butter is so good! Even my husband who doesn’t normally like apple butter thought it was really good. I will definitely be making this again and I can’t wait to hear what my kids think.
I’m so glad, Alysa! Thanks so much for the great review!
Hi
How long does this apple maple butter keep
If it’s canned, 18 months (that’s standard for canned foods with the two-piece lids).
Frozen it will last longer – and it’s not safety reasons, just the apple butter quality degrading after 2 years.
When cooking stove top do you add any water? In order to get it to boil.
When I’ve cooked apple butter on the stove, I haven’t added any extra water since it needs to be thick. There is liquid as the apples cook down, which will boil – you just have to stir often and watch it for sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Hi Jami, your recipe sounds great–have you ever made it without peeling the apples? If so did it turn out OK? Peeling’s not my favorite thing (LOL) and it would be nice to retain the nutrients. Really have enjoyed your emails and blog over the years, you’re a bright spot in my day–such a consistently positive and uplifting tone in a world with more than enough complications. Thank you!
Oh, thank you, Amy for your sweet comment – I’m SO glad that you feel that way!!
As for this recipe, I haven’t left the peels on, as apple butter should be really smooth and I’m not sure you could get that with the peels. Plus, canning apple peels tends to make them tougher, creating a texture that’s not pleasant. Imagine peels in applesauce. Unless you’ve done that and don’t mind?
That said, there’s nothing wrong with it and if you think you wouldn’t be bothered by the texture, you may want to experiment with it. 🙂
How do you make this apple butter in a regular pot? I don’t have a slow cooker.
I’ve added the option to the directions!
Place the ingredients in a large 6-quart stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered for about 1-2 hours or until desired consistency, stirring every 10-15 minutes to make sure it doesn’t burn.
Thanks so much! Still collecting early dropped apples. Excited to try your recipe when I have enough!
Hi Jami. Is there a noticeable maple flavor? I recently made your Rhubarb butter and it is so good. I started late in the season for rhubarb so only made one batch. Will make much more next year.
Thank you.
Gosh, I didn’t notice it, Dee – just the apple butter flavor, which also has the cinnamon and allspice. But I’m not sensitive to it, either. I think because there’s a lot more apples to maple that it just enhances the flavor. 🙂
Thanks Jami. If you didn’t notice maple flavor I will go with it. And the apple farms here in Willamette Valley are hitting their stride. I intend to use a variety.
love love love this recipe
Thank you!
Hi Jami, so glad to find this recipe! My apple tree has so many apples this year that th e branches have had to be propped up to stop them breaking! So guess what everyone’s getting for Christmas this year! I love that it’s sweetened with maple syrup as well. Dumping all that sugar in always makes me cringe. I think this will even be ok for my diabetic friends! Big thumbs up, high five, or fist bump from me!
My grandparents built a cottage on 200 acres, 10 miles north of Brookings on 101, just south of Thomas Creek bridge. They retired there, and were pretty much self sufficient, growing their own fruit and veg, canning and pickling anything that held still long enough to be processed, or didn’t get eaten by ravenous grandkids when we visited. Grandpa was a great hunter and fisherman, so there was a morgue sized freezer full of meat as well. He didn’t hunt much as he got older, but he traded with friends who did. The highlight of our visit was always broiled Chinook Salmon with new potatoes and edible pod peas from the garden. Ah memories!😊
Obviously I’m with you on the sugar, and while I’ve seen some recipes for no-sugar apple butter that’s just always seemed like applesauce to me. 🙂 I think you need some sweetener to bring out all that flavor when it’s cooked down – and to be more like a spread. Hopefully this will work for everyone on your list.
Gosh, thanks so much for sharing your memories of your grandparents place – wow how blessed were you to have had that experience and example! And that salmon meal is pretty much my favorite – I love it and usually ask for it on my birthday. 🙂
I made this overnight last night. The thickening up stage took 2 hours, but maybe that’s because it was humid here? Anyway, it got 5 stars with my grown up girls. I only have a little crock pot though, so I’ll have to look at getting a bigger one!
I’m so glad you and your girls like this, Diana! Yes, humidity could cause that, also more juicy apply varieties.
We leave the peels on to cook as we find it deepens the apple flavor and helps thicken the butter and then run the cooked apples through a food mill as one of our final steps before jarring to remove any large bits of peel
I’ve made this a couple years now. I love it. Your picture makes it look thick. Mine comes out very thin. Any idea what I may be doing wrong?
I’m so glad you like this! I just keep cooking until it’s as thick as I’d like with the lid half off, Stacey, and it always looks like this. Maybe your apples are juicier and you need longer cooking – go by what the butter looks like and not just the time I list. 🙂
Thanks Jami. I’ll try cooking longer. It’s a great recipe though 🙂
Thanks for this recipe. Have been looking for one with maple syrup instead of refined sugar. I am making food gifts for family and it is a challenge not to load them up with sugar (which they don’t want). Making tamari almonds, cajun spice mix, lemon curd (sugar!) and I just added your lovely apple butter to the plan. Thanks again!
This is everyone’s favorite I serve it to, Kate! Your food gifts sound wonderful – wish I were on your list. 😉
Do you have recipes for other fruit butters?
I have a rhubarb butter (https://anoregoncottage.com/honey-lemon-rhubarb-butter/), but that’s it right now – one day I hope to add a pear butter, which I love!
Is there an apple that would not be a good choice? I would like to try this soon.
Nope, all apples are good apples. 🙂
I’ve made apple butter last night, because I read your blog and love apples. But I did it on the stovetop with a non stick pot . It took forever, but it turned out great. By the end of cooking time, I had to stay close and keep turning it so it would not stick, and this for about an hour. I added the maple syrup at the end, and not even 1/4 cup. The butter is very tart, so it will be great to put in your bars. Heading to the kitchen to make these for my grand-children.
Next time, it will be in the crockpot….lol
Glad you liked it, Carole! Yes, the slow cooker makes thick things like this so much easier, huh? Oh, and I’m thankful you are reading and finding useful things here. 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! I just finished canning a batch–I used cinnamon but not the other spices, and for the last hour or so I added some fresh rosemary. So yummy!
Great sounding variation, Rosie!
i have made two batches of this. Love it…and the smell that permeates the house is wonderful. I have found that 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice in it is perfect.
Looking forward to making this for Christmas gifts for colleagues at work! Just wondering if one variety of apple works or tastes better than another. Jami, do you have a preference of which type of apple to use?
I just use what I have, Kris, but I do prefer apples that are more tart like Gravenstein or Granny Smith. A mix of apples is nice, too.
Thank You so much>>> Turned out so well. Didn’t change a thing. I put it into freezer bags and will use it for making Muffins for Muffy and some on ice cream. I will be making it again next year
You’re welcome, Wayne – I’m glad you liked it, too!
I’ve never made apple butter before. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Love apples and love maple so this is perfect! 🙂
Hi Jami
I always get hung up on wording in recipes. Specifically, when you say “8 lbs apples, peeled, cored and quartered”, do you mean that they weigh 8 lbs before you peel, core and quarter then, or after? I always worry that the difference may be significant! I am going to make this recipe as I have a load of frozen windfall apples (which I have already peeled, cored and quartered!).
Liz
I don’t think you can go wrong with the amount since you can add more spices and syrup if you think you need it! Fill up that crock pot and let it cook to amazing-ness! My guess is that Jami meant 8 lbs before cutting up, but in my opinion, the more the merrier for this recipe!!
Thanks, Jami! (I hope you agree!)
Yes (thanks Shelby!!) – it’s 8 lbs. weighed apples, THEN peel and core. In some canning recipes (salsa and tomato sauces especially) it’s very important to keep to the measured amounts, but fruit butters are much more forgiving. You can increase the amount if your cooker holds it and adjust up the other ingredients as you do – it’s okay to can still.
And maybe this will help with reading recipes – it’s all about the comma (or lack of one):
8 lbs apples, peeled and cored
VS.
8 lbs peeled and cored apples
or
3 cloves garlic, minced
VS.
3 cloves minced garlic
Does that make sense, Liz? 🙂