Autumn is my favorite time of year, and the season’s apples are one of the most versatile fruits to cook and bake with! When I finally got back online last month one of the first things I did was look up the Easy Slow Cooker Apple Butter recipe I remembered reading about on Oh My! Sugar High. My Aunt had brought over a bag of windfall apples and I needed to use them up quickly before the spots spread!
The crock pot apple butter recipe was perfect! It was so good that I made another batch yesterday with the wrinkly apples in the crisper. This is the easiest thing to make ever and your family will just love you for it!
You’ll need about twenty large apples to completely fill your slow cooker. A variety of different types makes for a very yummy butter. I never shy away from using up the old ones in the fridge, or ones that have fallen off the trees. Just cut off the bad spots and no one will ever know :)
Your apples will reduce down quite a bit after you’ve pureed and cooked them for 13 hours … umm or 24 :) I was bad and forgot all about my apple butter. Then I forgot that I didn’t have any more of the jars I like to use so… my apple butter ended up cooking for closer to 24 hours before I got it in the freezer. Though I wouldn’t recommend this, it did turn out very good, much thicker and spicier than the first batch I made. The point is, you really can’t mess this recipe up!
I love, LOVE, love these 8oz size Ball plastic freezer jars and have been using them for all my jam freezing this year. I can’t wait to break one of these open in the middle of January! You should have enough left to make yourself a piece of toast to reward yourself for a job well done! If your family has been salivating over the scrumptious smell all day (and night!) then I suggest making some fresh homemade biscuits, slathering them with a healthy spoonful of apple butter, and reveling in the hugs and kisses they bestow upon you!
- 16 - 18 c. Apples, peeled, cored and chopped (about 20 - 25 apples depending on size)
- 2 c. white sugar
- ½ c. good quality apple cider
- 2½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ - 1 tsp allspice
- ½ tsp. ground cloves
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
- ½ tsp salt (optional)
- Measure out and place apples in large 5 quart crock pot.
- In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients.
- Add sugar mixture to apples and stir to coat.
- Pour apple cider over apples and give it a quick stir.
- Cover crock pot and cook on high heat for 2 hours.
- Stir, then reduce heat to low and continue cooking for another 8 - 11 hours.
- Using an immersion blender gently puree apple mixture to desired smoothness, Be very careful! It's hot!
- Place crock pot lid at an angle so that steam can escape and continue cooking on low for 3 - 6 hours until a blob of the mixture placed on a plate holds its shape and doesn't spread.
- Ladle Hot apple butter into clean and sterilized freezer jars. Twist on lids and freeze.
- To use, thaw in refrigerator and use within 1 week.
- Store your apple butter either in the fridge or freezer, do not keep it at room temperature unless you've canned it properly.
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Oh yum! This sounds delicious!
It really is good! I’ve been eating it every morning on toast :)
This is very yummy I must say, my daughter brought me over some and it’s so good that I talk her into giving me another jar. Just love it:)