This recipe for Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter is super easy to make and the final product is versatile and full of cozy fall flavors. You can spread homemade apple butter on toast, fresh biscuits, pancakes, or even make an apple butter sandwich! You can also use apple butter to add flavor and moisture to baked goods. Think apple butter muffins or apple butter quick bread. You can even add a small dish of apple butter and some sliced apples to a cheese board! The possibilities are somewhat endless, but it all starts with a great apple butter like this Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter.
Many apple butters are loaded with sugar, but this one is different. Initially, you will sweeten your apple butter with only maple syrup. Once the apple butter has finished cooking, you will then sweeten to taste with maple sugar or some light brown sugar. I like to use either Cortland, Macintosh, or Honey Crisp apples for this recipe. This apple butter recipe is the perfect way to use those extra apples you have hanging around from apple picking. You can preserve apple butter by canning it and it will last up to a year. Beautiful jars of apple butter make the perfect homemade holiday or hostess gift.
So get your slow cooker ready, it’s time to make some apple butter!
Making Maple Apple Butter in Your Slow Cooker:
You’ll begin with 6-7 large apples that have been peeled, cored and sliced. This recipe will make about 3 cups of finished apple butter. If you want more than three cups, simply double, or even triple the ingredients. Next you’ll add 1/2 cup of apple cider, 1/2 cup of maple syrup, the juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon vanilla and the spices to your apples. Mix to coat the apples.
You will cook the apples, completely covered, on low for 6-8 hours. Check on your apples periodically to make sure there is still a bit of liquid left in the bottom of your slow cooker. You may need to add an additional 1/4 of apple cider. You want to make sure the apples are not browning on the edges or sticking to your slow cooker.
Once the apples have cooked, you will puree the apple butter. You can use your immersion blender for this. Otherwise allow the apple butter to cool a bit and transfer to your blender and puree. Once you have pureed the apple butter, add it to a sauce pan, sweeten with maple sugar to taste, and warm on low for about 5 minutes.
Storing Your Maple Apple Butter:
Once the apple butter is finished, you will transfer the butter to containers for storage. You have three options for storage:
- “can” your apple butter and it will last in your pantry for 18 months – 2 years (some people say indefinitely)
- store your apple butter in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks
- freeze your apple butter for up to a year
I decided to store my apple butter in these beautiful canning jars from Bormioli Rocco. Because I was planning to use this apple butter right away for baking, I stored my apple butter in the refrigerator and it barely lasted the week.
If you want to can your apple butter, check out my recipe for Slow Cooker Maple Peach Butter, or read the end of this recipe for canning directions.
I hope that you love this recipe for Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter. I’d love to hear your feedback so please comment here on the blog or be sure to tag your Instagram photos #mapleandthyme. We love to see what you are cooking!
Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 7 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced about 6 - 6.5 pounds
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 cup maple or light brown sugar
Instructions
- Place sliced apples into your slow cooker. Add maple syrup, apple cider lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and ground cloves. Mix gently to combine. Cook on low, with the lid tightly secured for 8 hours.
- After 8 hours, use your immersion blender to puree the apple butter. If you don't have an immersion blender, use your regular blender and puree until smooth.
- Return the apple butter to a medium sauce pan, sweeten with the maple sugar to taste and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes on low, stirring often.
- Cool and store apple butter in the refrigerator or freezer or follow the directions below for canning your apple butter.
Canning Maple Apple Butter
- If you decide to can your apple butter, start by sterilizing your jars in boiling hot water. Carefully lower the jars, their lids and rims into boiling hot water for ten minutes and then allow the jars to cool and then dry them out. Ladle the warm apple butter into your canning jars, leaving a little bit (about 1/4 inch) of room at the top of the jar. Wipe the jars off and then seal with the lid and rim. Finally, submerge the filled jars in boiling water and process for 10 minutes. Remove the jars from the boiling water using tongs and allow to cool completely. The lids should be sealed tight and should not make a popping sound when you push down on them.
Nutrition
KITCHEN TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS THAT CAN BE USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:
AFFILIATE DISCRETION:
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About how many cups would you say your 7 apples turned out to be? We recently went apple picking and the apples I have are quite a bit smaller than what you would find in a store, so I always have trouble gauging how many I should actually use!
Hi Ali!
I used really big apples – I would say that I used 6 – 6.5 pounds. If they are smaller, gala size, I would go with 12-14 apples. If you have a way to weigh them, that will be your best bet. If not, I would say that I used 16-18 cups of apples. Hope you had fun apple picking!!!
wow this is really amazing recipe you shared here i really love this apple butter recipe.
Thanks so much!!! I’m glad you like it!