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Sharing my favorite homemade slow cooker maple apple butter recipe today, since you guys have been asking for it all month long.
As a lot of you have noticed, I’ve been using a ton of apple butter this September, see this honey, apple, cheddar, and bacon panini, this brussels sprout mushroom pizza, this honeycrisp apple old fashioned, and this pastry wrapped baked brie with maple roasted apples. To my surprise, many of you are actually unfamiliar with apple butter. If that happens to be you, apple butter is basically just apple sauce, but thicker and spiced with warm autumn spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. It’s sweet, smooth, and possibly one of the most delicious spreads to keep in the pantry and put on toast throughout the fall season.
I’ll usually buy apple butter from the store, but on my fall bucket list this year I had written down “make homemade apple butter”. I was so excited that I actually checked the item off my list within the second week of September! I mean, this is amazing because my fall bucket list is huge, and I’ll often make a bucket list and never check anything off!
Anyway, I guess my point is that I was very excited to finally make some homemade apple butter. I’m also extremely excited, not only in how delicious it turned out, but how easy was to make!
If you have been following along on the blog for a year or more, than you know, come fall, I love to break out my slow cooker. Something about slow cooking a recipe all day long, just screams out to me during the fall months.
This apple butter is the perfect recipe to make on a crisp Sunday morning. Then maybe go out for a mid-day hike or bike ride and when you come back in the house will smell all cozy and delicious. then just spend an hour or two curled up on the couch and taking in the smell of apples cooking with cider, maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg…nothing short of amazing. Honestly, I would make this apple butter recipe simply for the smell it gives off. It’s like your favorite fall candles, but so much better.
Of course, unlike a candle, you get to eat this at the end of cooking, which is obviously much more ideal than just blowing something out, you know?
OKAY, so here’s how this recipe works. Chop up your apples (I love using Honeycrisp) and add them to your slow cooker along with, apple cider, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cover and cook on low and slow all day long (or at least that’s how I prefer to do it). Then remove the sauce, puree in a blender and place back in the slow cooker for another hour or so. This will help thicken the sauce into more of a “butter”.
There’s almost zero work involved in the recipe and the end result is just so delicious. So far, I’ve used this apple butter in four recipes and it has taken them from good to incredible. AND I love that the only added sugar I used in the recipe is maple syrup, no brown sugar or coarse sugar needed. Meaning, this totally is totally acceptable to call healthy. Cool. Cool.
I have truly been using this apple butter almost daily. It is delicious in so many recipes (try it with pork chops!) or just spread it over a piece of toasted bread.
Plus, it’s the perfect way to use up all the fall apples you went and picked over the weekend…or that I hope you picked!
And you guys! Speaking of the weekend! I have so many fun details to share about the Half Baked Harvest Cookbook retreat. Would you like a full post on the retreat? I don’t have too many photos, but I have so much to say! Maybe I will share the details in my favorite’s post this Sunday!
Just to quickly recap though, the retreat went so amazingly well and was so much fun! Fortunately, the dinner on Saturday night went great. I worked with Crate and Barrel on the tables, and Kroger on the dinner. The tables turned out so cute that I might just need to recreate them and snap some better photos. I always LOVE the tablescapes I’m able to create with Crate and Barrel product. The actual meal thankfully turned out great. Thank you to Kroger for all my delicious produce…oh, and the ice cream social we did together was so delish.
Sunday morning was brunch with my friends at Land O’Lakes. It could not have been more delicious. All of their special butters take recipes to another level…their pumpkin spice butter is just too good.
I will go into more detail on Sunday, so stay tuned for that!
In the meantime, how about we all make some apple butter and then this apple cheddar Panini and this cocktail?!
Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter
Servings: 6 cups
Calories Per Serving: 232 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Honeycrisp apples, cored and diced
- 1 1/4 cups apple cider
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon or 1-2 cinnamon sticks
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 pinch ground cloves (about 1/4 teaspoon)
- 1 pinch sea salt or kosher salt
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- 1. In the bowl of your slow cooker, combine the apples, apple cider, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours, stirring halfway through cooking.2. Remove the cinnamon stick and then transfer the apples to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to the crockpot and cook, uncovered on high for 1-2 hours or until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust sweetness level to your liking by adding more maple. Cool and store in glass jars in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Instant Pot
- 1. In the bowl of your instant pot, combine the apples, apple cider, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Cover and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Release the steam.2. Remove the cinnamon stick and then transfer the apples to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to the instant pot and cook, uncovered on sauté for 15-20 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust sweetness level to your liking by adding more maple. Cool and store in glass jars in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Stove-Top
- 1. Combine the apples, apple cider, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and 1 cup water in a large, heavy bottomed pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are completely softened and the liquid has reduced by half, 30 to 40 minutes, adding water if needed to keep the apples in liquid. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.2. Remove the cinnamon stick and then transfer the apples to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to the pot and cook, uncovered over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust sweetness level to your liking by adding more maple. Cool and store in glass jars in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Notes
Nutritional values are based on one cup
Yes, lets! No boring Tuesdays around here!
Lastly, if you make this Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
This post was originally published on September 26, 2017
I am so excited about this recipe! Apple cinnamon combo is my favorite of all time! The only problem is, that I do not have a slowcooker 🙁 are there any other ways I could do this?? Rice cooker perhaps? Or just a normal pot on low heat? Thanks so much!
Also I have to say, I randomly found you on instagram a long time ago and always liked your posts, the pictures are so inviting and yummy.. Only recently I started to look into your recipes a bit more and I am just amazed. I love your blog!
HI! I would recommend a normal pot over medium low heat for about 102 hours or until the apples are extra soft. Let me know if you have any questions at all, but I think that should work great!
And thank you! What a kind comment! So glad you are enjoying my work. Hope you love all the recipes you try! 🙂
Hi, thank you for your answer!
I will definitely try the normal pot. I got a bit confused, because you wrote 102 hours. Did you really mean that, or did you mean 10 hours? Thanks! Looking forward to your new recipes. Warm autumn greetings from Prague!
Hi! Sorry, I meant 1-2 hours! Clearly was typing too fast, sorry about that. Let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love the this. thanks! 🙂
Hey Tieghan,
I’m looking forward to making this apple butter recipe and filling my apartment (or mom’s house) with the smell of fall. I would love a full post on the retreat! Haha I don’t have an instagram so I didn’t get to see your stories, but I’d love to hear about how everything went! I’m glad it seemed to go well and you can now (somewhat) breathe. ?
(Or at least make more apple butter).
Awh thank you Krisin! I can’t wait to show you guys the retreat, it was so fun! Anyway, I hope you love this recipe and love the smell!!
I just made some apple butter in the slow cooker and I love it. I peeled the apples which takes some time ( my husband does it) and is kind of wasteful. I am going to try your recipe because you don’t peel the apples.
I am sure both ways taste great, but I hope you love this recipe! Let me know ? Thanks Gerlinde!
Hi there- 1- do you peel the apples and 2- can you use other kinds of apples? Thank you!
Hi Juliet! No, you do not peel the apples and yes, you can use other apples, but I do like honeycrisp the best. Just use a firm, tart apple. Hope you love this!
Yes! Definitely post on the weekend; I followed on Instagram but I’m sure there was so much more that we all missed.
This apple butter looks amazing. I hope you’re thinking about doing a pumpkin butter too!
Ooo pumpkin butter sounds so good.. I’ll keep it in mind! Thank you Penny!
This looks delicious! What a fun twist on traditional apple butter!
Thank you Kari!!
Can you halve the recipe, or if not how long with the apple butter keep?
Hi! Yes, you can halve the recipe, that works great! The apple butter keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge in a sealed container. Let me know if you have other questions. Enjoy the apple butter!
Can this be frozen?
HI! I have not tried freezing this, so I am not sure. I would think it would freeze just fine though. Please let me know how it goes. Thank you and enjoy the apple butter!
I cannot wait to make this apple butter..oh my! It’s looks delicious! I need to go apple picking this weekend and then make this recipe and the old fashioned!
I am excited to hear about the retreat and how everything went. Sounds like everyone had a great time.
Made the Apple Pandowdy for a desert on Sunday, it was delicious! Everyone loved it! Thanks for the great recipe!
I am so glad to hear that! Thank you! ?
Thank you Joshua! I hope you absolutely love both recipes! I can’t wait to share with you guys the retreat, it was so fun!
Yes yes yes please post a full recap of the retreat! So excited to hear about it!
Yay! Thanks Erica!
YES been looking forward to this one! I assume the apples should also be peeled, or not?
Thank you! No need to peel the apples. Hope you love this!
Thanks Victoria! No need to peel the apples. Let me know if you have other questions. Enjoy!
Thank you! I have this in my instant pot on the slow cook high setting now. I’m at the open cooking stage, but it doesn’t really seem to be thickening after an hour and a half. Any advice?
Hi Victoria! So this will thicken more as it cools. I am thinking what you have is probably fine. Hope it all turned out great! Let me know if you have other questions. Thank you!
Tieghan thanks for the lovely recipe. I’ve been meaning to comment on here for ages (been horribly busy). Anyway, what I’ve been meaning to say is, not only do I love your recipes, I also love the photos (I’ve published over 500+ magazines), so I do know good photography when I see it! In fact, I’ve been known to pin some of your recipes that for whatever reason, I know I won’t cook, but I love the pics so pin them anyway! I do enjoy your posts I just wish I was in synch with your seasons (I live in Australia, so the seasons are opposite (Christmas is the height of our summer!). Anyway, thank you for all the lovely recipes And I will be buying your book (& one for a friend) this Christmas!
Wow thank you so much Victoria! Oh ya, it is Spring in Australia right now. Well I hope you enjoy some of my recipes from our spring season! Also, it makes me so happy to hear that you like my photos and you are purchasing the book! Let me know what you make! ?
This look so delicous, I can only imagine how great it tastes and smells to… I’m wondering how I could make this since I don’t own a slow cooker
Just make this on the stove, simmer on medium low for 1-2 hours, stirring often until the apples are super soft. then puree. That will be great! Let me know if you have questions. Hope you love the apple butter!
Thanks for this recipe, Tieghan, been waiting for it! Also, would love to hear all about the HBH weekend and see all the photos. Glad it went well.
Thank you Jean! I can’t wait to share it!
YES!!! Want to hear more about your weekend and see pictures. Apple butter is great and so is sweet potato and peach butter.
Yum! Sweet potato and peach butter sound amazing… I think I need to make those! Thanks Charlotte!
Thank you! I’ve been looking forward to this recipe (and I’ve already made the panini from last week ;-)) I’m also looking forward to more details about the retreat – the snaps on InstaStories looked cool! You make me want to travel to Colorado!
You totally should, its such a cool place to see! I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes Vera, thank you!