My super easy Apple Butter recipe is perfectly spiced with rich fall flavors. It takes just 10 minutes to prep with NO peeling required! Recipe includes a how-to video.
All the Best Flavors of Fall in a Jar
Apple butter is the richer, prettier, and perhaps more sophisticated sister to plain-Jane applesauce. It’s truly the embodiment of fall, with colorful crisp apples cooked down and caramelized in spices, brown sugar and vanilla. It tastes great on just about anything, but we love it spread over an English muffin or warm scone (heavenly!).
My favorite thing about this apple butter recipe is that there is NO peeling required! I’ve tested this recipe with peeled and unpeeled apples, and I didn’t notice a difference between the two. When cooked for as long as my recipe calls for, the peels break down completely and are not perceptible in the finished product. Save yourself the time and skip the peeling!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Easy: only 10 minutes of prep before the slow cooker takes over.
- Perfectly flavored: the apples are the true star, with just enough sugar and spices added to accent them and make a warm, cozy fall flavor.
- Plentiful: this recipe makes a lot (3 pints!), so you’ll have some to share or gift (if you’re the generous type).
- No peeling: saves you SO much time and effort.
What You Need
To achieve a silky smooth and flavorful spread, you’ll need to slow cook just a few simple ingredients:
- Apples. What I love about my apple butter recipe is that there is no peeling needed! Just core and dice your apples into small, even pieces. Do not use a firm, tart apple like Granny Smith; stick with softer, sweeter apples like Golden Delicious (my favorite all-around apple for most recipes, like my apple turnovers!), Fuji, Gala, or McIntosh. A combination of apples works too!
- Sugar. A combination of brown and white sugar provides depth of flavor and helps the apples to break down and caramelize, giving the final product a fantastically rich fall flavor. Don’t forget, if you don’t have any on hand just follow my tutorial on how to make brown sugar!
- Spices. Lots of ground cinnamon and a pinch of cloves elevate the flavor of the apples by providing warmth and richness.
- Vanilla. A subtle hint of vanilla rounds out all of warm flavors. I recommend using a vanilla bean if you have one, but otherwise regular vanilla extract will work.
SAM’S TIP: The hardest thing about this recipe is waiting for it to be done. To mitigate this, I often like to prep everything before going to bed and let it cook while I sleep, but please always check your own slow cooker’s safety guide before leaving it unattended.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Apple Butter
- Core and chop (don’t peel!) your apples and place them in the basin of a slow cooker.
- Mix together spices and sugars. Sprinkle these over the apples and toss to combine.
- Cook apple mixture on low heat for 10 hours.
- Puree apples. I like to use an immersion blender (I linked to the one I use, affiliate), but you can use a regular one instead.
- Remove the lid and cook for another 2 hours or until the consistency has thickened to your liking.
SAM’S TIP: The additional two hours of cooking might seem like a pain, but it’s important and worth it to get the proper consistency. If you want an even thicker butter, you can continue to cook yours even longer; but I’ve found the two hours to be plenty (and keep in mind it will continue to thicken as it cools!).
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically it is used as a topping for biscuits or bread, but it’s also delicious on oatmeal, pancakes, my favorite waffle recipe, crepes, etc. Some people even serve it with scrapple, or you can take my dad’s approach and enjoy it by the spoonful!
Apple butter is typically sweeter, richer, and thicker (more of a buttery/spreadable consistency). It’s often much darker in color than applesauce, largely because of the added ingredients (in this instance, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, etc) and the caramelization that occurs from the longer cook time.
Yes it does. If you’d like to try canning yours, that’s a great option for extending its shelf life outside of the fridge (I don’t have experience canning, so I can’t offer any advice there, but here is a guide on canning I found that should be helpful.).
Apple butter gets its name from its butter-like consistency, there’s no actual butter in it. If you’re looking for a flavored butter, try my honey butter instead
Looking for more? Here are some of my favorite fall recipes.
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
The Best Apple Butter Recipe (No Peeling!)
Ingredients
- 5.5 lbs (2.5 kg) soft, sweet apples (see note 1) Cored and chopped into small pieces, about ¼"
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar firmly packed
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 vanilla bean (may substitute 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Slice apples into small pieces (about ¼") and dispose of cores (you do not need to peel the apples).5.5 lbs (2.5 kg) soft, sweet apples (see note 1)
- Place apples in the basin of large slow cooker
- In a medium-sized bowl stir together sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cloves until well-combined.1 cup (200 g) brown sugar, ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- Pour sugar mixture over apple pieces and stir until well combined.
- Place lid on crockpot and cook on low heat for 10 hours.
- Once 10 hours has elapsed, use an immersion blender to puree apples until smooth and no chunks remain (see note 2 if you do not have an immersion blender).
- Scrape the inside of the vanilla bean into your apple puree (or add vanilla extract).1 vanilla bean
- Turn crockpot on to low heat and cook another 2 hours uncovered, stirring occasionally.
- Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container, where it will keep about 2 weeks.
Notes
1. Apples
I recommend using Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Fuji, or Gala. Don’t use Granny Smith; they are too tart and firm for this recipe. Weigh your apples before coring and chopping. Do not peel them! For me this was about 13 apples but this could vary wildly depending on the size of your apples.2. Pureeing
If you do not have an immersion blender, pour the apples into a blender and puree until smooth, then return to crockpot. You may need to work in batches, depending on the size of your blender.Storing
Store apple butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks or freeze for up to several months.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Related Recipes
This recipe was originally published in October of 2017, photos and recipe remain the same but text has been updated to be more helpful and I’ve added a how-to video!
Dana
When a bushel of apples was delivered to my doorstep from my dad’s “accidental orchard,” I was both overwhelmed and joyed.
I asked around what recipes use a ton of apples that are easy. Several mom friends said apple butter. This was the first recipe that came up with my search.
I’m a bit unfamiliar with apple butter, but stuck to this recipe for the first batch. Now that I’m three batches in, I have adjusted the spice and sugar quantity to suite my family’s pallets. (This recipe is very tasty, just a bit too sweet for us.) I use the same method, but I completely omitted the white sugar and decreased the amount of brown sugar. I increased the cinnamon and added just the slightest pinch of nutmeg.
We love it! 🙂
Sam
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Dana, thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Tonya M
This recipe is phenomenal!!! I didn’t read the directions thoroughly before starting and actually used 5.5lbs of chopped apples instead of weighing beforehand…..it still turned out amazing!!! My family and friends LOVE this stuff!!!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear it was such a hit! Thank you for trying my recipe, Tonya!
Vicky
Loved this receipt!! Super easy, but I couldn’t get the consistency of the mixture any finer than the consistency of apple sauce. Not sure what I could do differently. However, it was super yummy and will make again. I froze some in mason jars and so far so good.
Ken
If you have a Vitamix, use it to puree the apple butter to a smooth consistency. The Vitamix does a much better job than an immersion blender or your standard blender..
Janice Hoffman
This is an outstanding recipe. I followed your directions as written. The trouble I’m having is eating it before I bake with it. Thanks for all the details you included- so helpful.
Janice Hoffman
Sam
🤣 I’m so glad you enjoy it so much, Janice! 🙂
Valorey
A friend and I have now made four batches (fundraiser) I steam pint jars in the dish washer, while I immusify the apples. I then place the mixture in the hot jars just above the neck (do not fill to rim or the jar will spring a leak and not seal) Place the lid and ring on tight. Wipe jar down with a warm rag.Flip jar upside down until completely cooled. The lid should invert. Proof of seal. I have done 20 jars, everyone, has sealed
Rusty Briggs
You may want to reconsider your technique. A 15 minute boiling water bath for those hot, clean jars (0.25 inches head space) for sealing would be safer, and is recommended by Ball and every canning recipe I’ve seen for safe shelf stability. Better safe than sorry, especially with gifts.
Sue
How long will the apple butter keep like that?
Teri
I was so excited when I read this receipe. My niece brought me approx. a bushel and a half of apples. All varieties. Some very small, some very large. SO….. I just diced and followed the receipe.
THIS was the absolute best apple butter I have ever made or tasted.
I only got 3 pints as it was so thick and I gave away 2. I intend to do this again next week-end and use much smaller jars and do a water bath canning process so I can have enough to get through the winter.
Thank you so much for sharing.
TD
Sam
I’m so happy to hear the recipe was such a hit for you, Teri! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for letting me know how it turned out, I really appreciate it!
Esther Coyle
This was delicious and came out perfectly. I followed your instructions and didn’t change a thing. Love this recipe!
Constance
Do you have simple apple butter bar and apple butter pie recipes?
Sam
Hi Constance! Unfortunately, I do not but those would be some great additions to the lineup. I’ll have to see if I can perfect them. 🙂
Demi
I’m new to making homemade apple butter, and was wondering if honeycrisp apples would work for this recipe. They’re my family’s favorite and we always have some on hand, I just wasn’t sure how they would do in this recipe. Thanks!
Sam
Hi Demi! Honey crisp apples will work. You may want to reduce the sugars added in by just a bit as the honey crisp are a sweeter apple. 🙂
Pam
Lazy stack cake
1 large box graham crackers
1 quart apple butter
Place layer of graham cracker on cake plate. Top with apple butter and repeat layers until graham cracker are gone. Cover and refrigerate overnight before eating. First layer can be any size and shape to fit your cake plate. For a taller cake I sometimes use 2 boxes of graham crackers
Lisa Holmes
This recipe was so simple and such a huge hit with the friends and family that received them after I made the first batch. They went so fast, I am making another batch this weekend! May even double it!
Linda Anderson
Hi Sam. I used your recipe and it is really good. The only thing I forgot was to leave the lid off for the last two hours of cooking, but it turned out ok. My great grandkids are patiently waiting. LOL! I used a combination of sweet apples because I have a tree that has 5 kinds of apples on it.
DoctorDiesel
Sooooooooo good. Made it as gifts to hand out to friends and they keep asking for more. Used honeycrisp apples and the sweetness was perfect.
Jennifer
This recipe looks delicious! Could it be canned?
Sam
Hi Jennifer! I believe it could be canned, but I’m not familiar with the process so I can’t advise on how to do it.
Diane
First time making Apple Butter, it couldn’t have been easier and the result is delicious. Bonus – my house smells fabulous!
Michael G Sotak
I actually additionally poured 1-1/2 cups of apple cider over everything, cooked it on the stove and reduced it until the liquid was fairly pasty – three to four hours on a percolating boil. Everyone thought it was perfect. I used it on pork tenderloin with sides of scalloped potatoes and oven-fried broccolini.
Rina
Hello! I’ll be trying this soon, it looks great! However, I have an apple corer / slicer that has to slice when it cores. It comes out in a long ringlet. Will that affect the cook time or instructions at all?
Sam
Hi Rina! I think that will work fine. 🙂
Lyne
Would it be possible to preserve this using a hot water bath canner?
Sam
Hi Lyne! I’m not very familiar with the process, but I believe it could work. 🙂