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!
EmaLee
Sooooooo good!
Amy
I’ve made this twice in two days, once un-peeled and once peeled. Can you get away with not peeling if you chop/dice the apples small enough, cook it long enough, and immersion blend the heck out of it? Yes, but also yes, you’re going to see tiny flecks of peel if you look for them and taste them if you think about it. Peeling the apples though, you get the silkiest smooth apple butter ever. The sugar and spices are spot on. I just think it’s absolutely worth peeling the apples first.
Pamela A
Thank you for that information, I am about to try this recipe and wanted to know how people felt about the peels. I now know I will be peeling the apple for that smooth texture you expressed.
Sam
The apple butter shown in the video and in all of the photos was made as described in the recipe and without peeling. We make this pretty often and never peel them and have never had an issue with the peel but if you are concerned it won’t hurt to peel them. Enjoy! 🙂
Carol L deSousa
Want to make this but I only have an instant pot. Has anyone made this using one?
Sam
Hi Carol! I know others have used their instant pot on the slow cooker setting. The few commenters that have done it have added a few hours to the cook time. I hope that helps! 🙂
Leigh
Perfection!! I used Honey Crisp apples and even opted for sugar free. I used Splenda brown sugar and regular sucralose instead of sugar. I barely had to use the pulse on my blender because the peels were completely cooked and already incorporated in.
Thank you for this recipe! Best tasting apple butter I’ve eaten!
Tricia
Can you half this recipe?
Sam
Sure thing! 🙂
Shirley Claiborne
I made this and it is Great. The only thing is the apple butter is too watery. I also peeled the apples. it there some to make it thicker?
Sam
Hi Shirley! It’s possible that peeling the apples are making it a bit runnier, but you can fix that issue by continuing to cook it a little bit longer with the lid off. 🙂
Shirley
Thank you Sam
Chrystal
What if you do not have a slow cooker? Can you cook apples another way?
Sam
I haven’t tried it on the stovetop. I’m hesitant to say exactly how it would need to be done without trying.
krystal gottwald
This is my first time making apple butter. It’s delicious but going forward I will always peel the skins off the apples. Me and my whole family were spitting out apple skins. I ended up having to put it in my food processor which made it more like apple sauce. This would have been perfect if I peeled the skins off first.
Sam
Hmmm that is very odd. Were your pieces much larger than mine? They should break down without issue after cooking for so long. 🙁
Pam
I understand the pectin to thicken is in the peels. Learned that the hard way. Better to just cook them 12 hrs and blend thoroughly
Steve
I made it today it’s way too much sugar almost two cups. I would cut back to less than one cup if I made it again.
Sheila
Funny, I made it today but I actually added twice as much brown sugar….I think it depends on the type of apples, mine were from my backyard and super tart.
Jo Nell Hellmann
A very good recipe. Not peeling the apples really works. Great apple flavor with nice consistency. Making my third batch today.
Regina Grimes
I just finished my first ever batch of apple butter using this recipe and it tastes amazing! Super easy with almost no “hands on” time needed. Definitely a great substitute for applesauce as a way to use the apples from our trees! Thank you.
Holly
Hey this is the best apple butter I have ever had. I do have a question: since you didn’t can the jar after pouring them up did you go straight to the fridge or did you let them cool to room temp then put them in the fridge?
Sam
Hi Holly! I let them cool a little bit and then put them in the refrigerator. 🙂
Karen Ross
First time I’ve tried making apple butter. I’ve done apple sauce and apple pie filling but this is my first go at butter. I have it down to the last step to cook it until the thickness wanted. The flavor is outstanding!! I cannot believe how freaking good this is (and the flavors have yet to cool and meld!) wish I had a 2nd crockpot on hand to get the next batch going. I am really looking forward to the finished product.
Mary B
Can this recipe be doubled?
Sam
Yes, so long as you have a slow cooker that is large enough.
Jay
This apple butter recipe is great I was short on brown sugar but we always use natural sugar and I substituted the difference with that and I came out fantastic this will be my go to recipe for apple butter.
Katelin Bahl
Can you can this recipe? or freeze it?
Sam
Hi Katelin! It can be canned, but I am not familiar with the process of canning so I can’t advise how to do it. 🙂
Ken Allen
Sam, you will need a large pot for the water-bath, deep enough to cover the jars by at least an inch. I use only Ball jars and lids. Have the butter hot and ready. Clean the jars and lids. I usually fill the jars (using a jar-funnel) with very hot water until I’m ready to fill. Fill the jars to within 1/2 inch of the lid. Wipe the rim and place the lid, then tighten the ring. If you have a canning pot and basket, then place the jars in the basket and lower it into the boiling water. For pints and 1/2 pt jelly jars I go 10 minutes. For Qts, 20 minutes. Using some sort of protective hand covers, lift the basket from the pot, then remove the jars (using jar tongs) to a towel. I give the lids another tightening twist and then leave them for 24 hours before moving them to the pantry.
Sam
Thank you so much for that feedback! That’s very helpful. 🙂
Wanda Antuna
I’ve seen 10-20min water bath per pint depending on altitude.
Carol L deSousa
Apples are a low ph and need either bottled lemon juice or citric aced added to the jars.
Kim
Very easy and delicious I would recommend this recipe. Will make it again!
Beth
So, so good! Making again. Made for great little gifts too.