Next Post
Pumpkin Beer Broccoli Cheddar Soup + Video
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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
Can I make this in the instant pot?
Hey Olivia,
Yes, instant pot instructions have been added:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
quick ? not necessary to peel the apples?
Hey Kristen,
I love to leave the skin on the skillet, I think it adds so much flavor:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Could you do this in the instant pot instead?? How long would you cook it in the instant pot? Definitely will be making this!!!
Hey Kaitlyn,
You can cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, release the steam and then cook on saute for 10-15 minutes to thicken the sauce. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
How long does this last and how do I store it?
Hey Dianna,
Cool and store in glass jars in the fridge for up to 1 month. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
How long for oven cooking?
Hey Karen,
I would recommend using the stove top for 20-30 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Really wish the recipe had of stated the Apple cider is not the same in the UK. I went through the comments after 8 hours of cooking this because I wanted to see if anyone had mentioned how thick it should be and came across a comment that said the cider is different in the US and UK people should just use apple juice which I didn’t know because I’ve never made this or applesauce before… gutted that I wasted 8 hours and £25 trying out the recipe 🙁
Hi Samantha! I am really sorry that this did not turn out well for you. I unfortunately do not know what kind of apple cider there is in the UK.. but it is more of an apple juice yes. Please let me know if there is anything I can help with! xTieghan
Is it possible to do this without a slow cooker?
Hi Evelyn,
You could do this on the stove top following the same instructions! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I am trying to use up the apples on my counter which are a mix of green apples and honey crisp, would mixing be ok?
Hi Naomi! Yes, that will be fine! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
This looks wonderfully delicious! Is there anything I could substitute the apple cider for if I don’t currently have apple cider?
HI! Do you have apple juice? Or grape juice? Use either of those or just water. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
This sounds delicious! I want to make this for the french toast sticks 🙂 I’m just wondering, is apple cider same as apple cider vinegar?
Hi Mirka! It is not the same! Apple cider does not have a vinegar taste it would be found near the apple juice section of the grocery store! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Thank you so much for this lovely recipe, dear Tieghan! It is so tasty, and everybody loves it in all the recipes. Great job!
Yes that is amazing to hear! Thank you so much Marija! xTieghan
I admire this article for the well-researched content and excellent wording.I got so involved in this material that I couldn’t stop reading.I am impressed with your work and skill.Thank you so much
Thank you so much Berita! xTieghan
Is there a way that I can convert this to an Instant Pot recipe? Or does it need to be in a slow cooker?
HI! I recommend cooking on high pressure for 20 minutes. I did an IG story on this and it can be found below. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ??
https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17874919612457084/
So I just bought an instant pot!! I’m so excited,and wondered if I could do this in there? What would the timing be?
Hi Hannah! I recommend cooking on high pressure for 20 minutes. I did an IG story on this and it can be found below. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ??
https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17874919612457084/
Can this be canned for Goff’s using water bath canning or frozen?
Hi Chanel! I am not too familiar with canning, but I would image that this would work well and I know others have done so with success! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???