Slow Cooker Apple Butter

My apple butter recipe uses only 3 ingredients and there is no extra added sugar to it. Your house smells amazing while this is cooking all day long! Apple butter and applesauce are something that I love to make in my slow cooker when the weather starts getting cooler out.

All you need to make apple butter is apples, cloves, and cinnamon. That is it. Oh yes, and a slow cooker is also very helpful. I have found that a 3-pound bag of apples only makes about 2 cups of apple butter. That is not enough because your friends will ask you for the recipe and you can easily give them a container of it.

I love using apple butter on top of things like waffles, English muffins, freshly-baked muffins, scones, pumpkin spice bagels, and it is very good as a sauce on top of pork tenderloin. Make a stuffed pork tenderloin like this recipe and top it off with some apple butter. Your friends are going to think you're some kind of fancy chef!

How to Make Overnight Apple Butter

Slow Cooker Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 10 hours or until apples are very tender.

After the apples are done cooking, use an immersion blender to puree the apples inside the slow cooker or take the apples out carefully with all the juices and puree them in a blender or food processor.

Stovetop variation: Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 1 hour or until apples are very tender, stirring occasionally. Strain through a sieve as recipe instructs in Step 2. Return mixture to pan. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently.

What is the difference between Apple Butter and Apple Sauce?

Both applesauce and apple butter are made the same way but the difference is the spices added to it and apple butter is cooked longer. Applebutter is much darker in color than applesauce and uses dark spices such as nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. I have a zero-point applesauce recipe here if you would like to check that recipe out as well.

Tips for Apple Butter:

Use an immersion hand blender to puree the apples in the crockpot or slow cooker.

Different varieties of apples can be used. I like honey crisp apples but you can mix and match depending on what apples you like.

I made this recipe very easy to half by using a bag of 3 pound apples.

Can you freeze apple butter? Yes, Just ladle into freezer safe jars, leaving a ½ inch headspace (for expansion). Cover, label and freeze. Best used by 6 months. If I don't freeze the apple butter you can store the apple butter in air tight containers in your fridge.

Apple butter can be canned as well. Just follow proper canning procedures for this. This is something that I don't really mess with or haven't in a long time. I used to be into canning when I had a garden but I am not anymore.

Recipe FAQs

How is this a WW recipe?

 NO FOOD is off limits on WW and WW themselves stresses that a lot on their social media pages. That is one reason why I love WW. You can pretty much eat ANYTHING to lose weight just as long as you stay in your daily points range or are in a calorie deficit.  

How does Weight Watchers work? 

Each recipe or food has a Smart Points value. This is calculated using calories, saturated fat, protein, and sugar. It is best to stay away from foods that are loaded with saturated fat and sugar on the plan because those foods are higher in points. When you register with Weight Watchers you are given a daily set of points to target based on your age, gender, height, and activity level. Think of it as an easier way to track your macros. 

Can I make this recipe in my Instant Pot? You sure can! Place all the ingredients in your Instant Pot and close the lid. Pressure cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes, then 20 minutes Natural Release. Open the lid carefully.

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