Crockpot Apple Butter

5 from 6 votes

It wouldn't be fall without a few batches of this easy Crockpot apple butter!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword apple butter for canning, Crock Pot Apple Butter for Canning, crockpot apple butter, easy apple butter recipe, slow cooker apple butter

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 12

Total Time 12 20

Servings cups

Calories 29kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

5 lbs. apples (any variety) (or up to 7 lbs. -- however many you need to fill up your slow cooker)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
¼ cup water

Instructions

Peel, core, and quarter the apples.
Spray the inside of a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray and place the apples inside. I use as many apples as it takes to fill up my slow cooker! Add the remaining ingredients to slow cooker and stir to combine.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 4-6 hours. Uncover, give it a good stir, and continue cooking uncovered for an additional 2 hours on LOW or 1 hour on HIGH. This will allow the apple butter to cook down and thicken.
Use a hand blender to puree until smooth. If you don’t have a hand blender, transfer to a regular blender and puree in batches.
Store in mason jars in the refrigerator for a few weeks, or keep in the freezer. If you want to store the apple butter in a pantry, be sure to follow proper canning procedures (sterilizing and processing jars). See the canning instructions in the notes below.

Notes

Homemade apple butter will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 7-10 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to Can Apple Butter:

Prepare the apple butter as instructed. Apples are naturally high acid fruits, with a pH somewhere between 3.2 and 4.0. That means they’re just fine for water bath canning without any added acid.

It’s a good practice to sterilize the jars and lids before canning in order to kill any bacteria, fungi, or yeasts before filling. There are a variety of ways to sterilize the jars (here’s a helpful article with different options). I typically use the dishwasher, and make sure that the jars and lids stay hot in the machine until I’m ready to fill them.

Once the apple butter is done and while it's still bubbling hot, ladle the butter into the hot, sterilized jars (a funnel makes this easy and not too messy). I recommend straight-sided half-pint jam jars, which are easy to pack cleanly without air bubbles. It's important to make sure that you don't have any air bubbles in your jars.

Fill the jars leaving ½-inch of headspace to allow room for expansion. Wipe the rims clean with a damp cloth, seal the lids, and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Leave the jars in the hot water for an additional 5 minutes (this stabilizes the temperature and prevents siphoning as the jars are removed). Carefully transfer the jars to a towel on the countertop and allow them to cool completely.

Once the apple butter has had a chance to cool, you can check the seals. The lids should be down in the center or stay down when pressed. Unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within 3 weeks. Properly sealed and processed jars of apple butter should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place (such as a pantry). The properly canned homemade apple butter will last for up to 1 year.

Nutrition