Apple Butter made with just apples, cinnamon, and sugar is rich, silky and incredibly easy to make. Prepare it in the slow cooker or instant pot!
Apple Butter was one of the first recipes I posted on my site in 2008 (when I only had two kids!). I perfected it for a few years and came back with the recipe you see here in 2011 (when I only had three and a half kids!). Try it on fluffy pancakes or homemade belgium waffles!
Apple Butter
Apple Butter {Slow Cooker or Instant Pot}
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Apple Butter Ingredients
- Apples – peeled, cored and sliced into wedges
- Sugar – This is actually optional!
- Cinnamon – Definitely an important ingredient!
Top left: apples and sugar, top right: add cinnamon, bottom left: all mixed up, bottom right: after cooking
How Do You Make Apple Butter? (Step-by-step)
⭐ First, toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and place in crock pot.
⭐ Then, cook on high for 2 hours, then low for an additional 6 to 8 hours. Remove the lid and stir during the last hour of cooking to thicken.
⭐ Next, blend with an immersion blender or in your upright blender to make smooth and buttery (be careful, it will be scalding hot!).
⭐ Finally, serve warm with biscuits, pancakes, over vanilla ice cream, or just with a spoon!
We like to use an immersion blender to make it smooth.
Preparation
Can you make apple butter in the slow cooker?
You can absolutely make this in a slow cooker. It will take about 4 – 6 hours on high or 8 – 10 hours on low.
Can you make apple butter in the instant pot?
To prepare apple butter in the instant pot, you’ll need to add at least cup of water (so the pot can come up to pressure). It takes about ten minutes of time at pressure, followed by a few minutes of sauteing to thicken the sauce.
Can you make apple butter without sugar?
This recipe can definitely be made without sugar (if you watch the video embedded in the recipe card below, you’ll see we tried it). Apples are so sweet on their own that sugar free apple butter is still delicious!
Silky smooth!
Leftovers and storage
How do you store apple butter?
If you are comfortable with proper canning methods, this recipe can be canned and stored in a pantry. I am not a canner though so we typically store ours in the freezer until we are ready to use it.
Make sure to allow your apple butter to cool before storing and leave at least 1″ of head space at the top of your container for expansion. Thaw in the refrigerator and give a quick stir before enjoying.
How long does apple butter last?
It will last about a week when stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator or indefinitely when stored below freezing in a sealed container in the freezer.
Store it in mason jars for easy access.
Variations
🟢 Try adding more apple-friendly flavors like clove or nutmeg.
🟢 Make it super healthy by skipping the sugar.
🟢 Prepare a tart apple butter by using granny smith apples.
So good on biscuits! (Or ice cream!)
How do you eat apple butter? (Serving suggestions)
My favorite way to eat apple butter is smothered on fresh pumpkin biscuits or classic biscuits. My kids love when we use it to make Apple Butter Swirled Pancakes. It’s also amazing on on baked pork chops, or as a dessert over vanilla ice cream.
More apple recipes to love!
- Apple and Onion Roast Pork Chops
- Apple Blue Cheese and Walnut Salad
- Apple and Onion Sausage Stuffing Recipe
- Apple Cinnamon (Un)oatmeal
- Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Apple Crescents
Nom nom nom.
More delicious slow cooker recipes
- BBQ Pulled Pork
- Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Crock Pot Chili
- Seafood Chowder
- Potato Soup
- See all our easy crockpot recipes
Awesome instant pot recipe to try next
- Wild rice soup in the instant pot
- Instant pot spaghetti recipe
- Instapot potato salad
- Instant pot Mississippi pot roast
- See more easy instant pot recipe ideas!
Can you believe it’s only 3 ingredients!
Apple butter making tools
- 7 Quart Crock Pot – This basic slow workhorse of a cooker has seen me through 14 years of marriage and 5 kids.
- Heavy Duty Apple Peeler -So much easier than a handheld peeler.
- Wide Mouth Pint and Half Jars – These are my absolute favorite mason jars ever. They make gorgeous drinking cups too. Might I suggest a margarita?
- Ball Wide-Mouth Plastic Storage Caps – I’m not a true canner, so these plastic mason jar lids are my go-to.
😍😍😍
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How to make Apple Butter
Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 15 medium/large apples (we used red delicious) peeled, cored and sliced into wedges
- 2 cups sugar optional!
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
SLOW COOKER
- Place all ingredients into the crock pot and stir to mix well.
- Cook on high 4 - 6 hours or low for 8 - 10 hours. (The longer it cooks, the darker and more rich it will become)
- Blend and serve hot or store for later.
INSTANT POT
- Place apples along with 1 cup of water (1.5 cups for an 8 quart pot) into the inner liner of the instant pot. Sprinkle evenly with sugar and cinnamon.
- Cook on manual (high pressure) for 10 minutes. Do a controlled quick pressure release, hit cancel, and then turn on saute function.
- Saute, stirring constantly, until extra liquid has cooked off and apple butter reaches your desired consistency.
- Blend and serve hot or store for later.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Apple Butter {Slow Cooker or Instant Pot}
Click the button above to save this recipe!
If you’re an apple fanatic like me, definitely try our cinnamon apple bundt cake next!
original post date 2008, updated 10/03/11, 10/4/15, 8/4/18
I am making this tomorrow. Thanks for sharing 🙂
mickey
Does it freeze at all? Have you tried? It sounds wonderful!
I have frozen some before! Thaws overnight in the fridge, just stir back in any water that might come to the top!
Thanks so much for posting, found you via Pinterest…and my house smells amazing with the scent of the crockpot's contents!!!
Just found you on pinterest. I've never appreciated the ability of a crockpot but make your baked potatoe soup yesterday and Loved it! So glad it makes extra. The apple butter in in the process right now. 🙂
In the process of making this now. How do you store it?
Am going to try this recipe out soon, but I was wondering what method of canning you used to store.
I am new to canning, so would it be the bath method or the pressure method.
Thanks.
I am in the process of making a different recipe for Apple Butter… and I know it can be frozen…
Can Splenda be used instead of sugar…. and still taste great??
This is the best apple butter for fall! I love how easy it is!
This is so good on homemade biscuits, thanks for the recipe!!
i bet this is just as good as the Apple Butter I purchase from Pennsylvania Dutch County……going to try this one. im running low
I have my batch cooking now love apple butter.
Fantastic! I have been looking for a non sugar apple butter recipe for years. The extra bonus is that I can make it in my crockpot. Will be making it soon.
This is in the crock pot at this very moment, and the house smells amazingly apple-y and cinnamon-y. It was so easy to chop big chunks of apples ( I used Granny Smith and Fuji apples) tossed in the cinnamon and only 1 cup of sugar. I cooked it for 2 hours then gave it a taste and decided it needed about 1/3 cup more sugar. Perfect! Smooth and saucy! Can’t wait for it to cool enough to fill my containers!
Have you tried this using peaches?