An easy Slow Cooker Apple Butter recipe with no sugar added that doesn’t require any peeling and doesn’t use any added sweeteners or juice!
Ahh, the weekend felt gloriously long. And full of tons of family fun!
Which is leaving me ready to tackle the week. A good feeling on a Monday.
So let's move right along to today's recipe...
I'm so excited to share this super duper easy slow cooker apple butter that has no sugar added.
It's so easy, so perfectly sweet and so appropriate for slathering on everything this fall.
I actually didn’t know until I made apple butter for the first time years ago that there’s not any butter in it. It’s just a very concentrated apple spread that’s smooth and rich and spreadable, like butter.
It's also a great way to use up a ton of apples! Perfect for that haul you got in the mountains or while apple picking or at the farmer's market.
And if you can get your hands on some local apples, have at it! If not, just buy any mix of good baking apples you like.
I usually use Gala but Red Delicious, Braeburn, Jonagolds, Melrose, Rome and even Honey Crisp will work.
If you've really got a surplus, you might also want to try this easy crockpot applesauce, which my kiddos love and is super easy to make.
Oh, and you can also check out my Google web story for this slow cooker apple butter recipe.
OK, let’s get to cooking.
Now, I’ve got some notes and tips coming up below on how to make apple butter. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Recipe Notes:
- Apples: I typically use Gala apples or a combination of Gala and Red Delicious. Any sweet, cooking apple will work. (Braeburn, Jonagolds, Melrose, Rome and even Honey Crisp are also good options.)
- Sweetness: You want sweet apples for this since we’re not using any sugar. If your apples aren’t very sweet, I would consider adding ¼ cup to ½ cup sugar (brown or white, or a mix) to your slow cooker to sweeten these up.
- Overnight: You can cook this overnight in the slow cooker, blend it in the morning and finish cooking it for the last couple of hours.
- Final cooking: Be sure to check and stir the apple butter while it’s on high at the end of the cooking time so it doesn’t burn on the bottom of your slow cooker. Mine never has, but it’s a possibility.
- Spices: You can omit the cloves and allspice if you want a plain, un-spiced version of homemade apple butter. (You’ll still have the cinnamon for plenty of flavor.)
And maybe the best part, besides eating it?
Your house will start to waft apple flavors and cinnamon flavors and deep, warm, comforting spices to you as this is cooking. It smells divine.
So let's get to enjoying it!
Ways to use apple butter:
- Slather it on some toast or an English muffin in the morning. It also goes great with bagels, muffins, waffles, pancakes… you get the idea.
- Try it on sweet potato toast for a fun fall treat.
- It's also great paired with pork, like these pork chops with apple butter.
- Pack some up in small glass jars and freeze for later.
- Or, give some away to friends, family, neighbors, teachers or as a hostess gift during the holidays.
My Dad is particularly fond of apple butter and likes to bring me back the empty glass jars so I’ll refill them for him again. And again. And again. 😉
Also, since this makes a big batch, let's discuss storage.
How to store apple butter:
- Apple butter, once cooled, can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 months.
- You can also freeze the leftovers. Place in a freezer-safe container, that's been labelled, and freeze for up to 6-8 months.
- Or you could also can this apple butter for storage. Just follow the instructions for your canning equipment.
I hope you give this a try soon for a really easy and healthy way to make homemade apple butter.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Slow Cooker Apple Butter {no sugar added}
Ingredients
- 5 lbs. apples (about 7 medium apples)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Core and roughly chop the apples. (You can leave the peel on.)
- Place apples in slow cooker and add spices and water.
- Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours.
- Use an immersion blender — or transfer apple mixture to a blender - and blend until smooth.
- Reset slow cooker to high and continue cooking for two more hours. Leave the lid partially open to allow some moisture to escape (this helps thicken the mixture). Stir every 30-45 minutes to ensure the apple butter doesn’t burn on the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Let cool and store apple butter in the refrigerator.
Vivian | stayaliveandcooking
I like the suggestions you added: it does sound good on toast! I've never actually had apple butter but man does it sound good. I'm definitely going to try some this fall!
Kathryn
You gotta try it Vivian - it's so smooth and delicious and perfect for fall!!
Kathy
Can you water bath can this recipe for longer storage?
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Kathy! Yes, you can definitely follow your canning instructions and procedures and can this apple butter to store. (I’ve also skipped the canning part and stored it in the freezer, which works great too.) Hope you enjoy it!
Shirly Williams
This sounds amazing, and I can't wait to try it. One question though: is the apple weight of 5 lbs the weight of whole apples or after they are cored and chopped? I find that measures of "small" or "medium" are so variable, and I like to use weight when possible.
Kathryn Doherty
Hi! It's the weight of the whole apples that you'll start the recipe with, before chopping and coring them. Hope that helps and hope you love this easy apple butter!
Laura
Making homemade apple butter is totally on my list this fall! I Love that you let the natural sweetness of the apples stand on it's own!! Looks delicious!
Kathryn
Thanks Laura! If you've got good apples, you really don't need anything else!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
OMGeee, it's like you are a mind reader!! I was testing apple butters yesterday, and I wasn't happy with the one I made, so I can't wait to try this one, Kathryn!! LOVE that it is made in t he slow cooker and without sugar! Hello easy healthy deliciousness! Pinned! Hope you have a lovely time with your father at the game!!! SO FUN! Cheers, dear!
Kathryn
Haha, great minds 😉 Have a great week friend!
Kelly Jones
I really need to try this! I buy unsweetened apple butter from a local farm but bet it tastes SO good warm out of the slow cooker too!
Kathryn
Definitely give it a try! Homemade is always better, I think 😉 Plus you get the glorious smell as it's cooking away!
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings
I've never made apple butter but your looks delicious. I love all the step but step photos!
Kathryn
Thanks Karen! I hope you try it - it's SO easy to make this way!
Chelsey
Want to reach through my screen and eat that spoon of apple butter...looks SO delish! 🙂 Beautiful photos!
Kathryn
Haha, thanks Chelsey! I wish I could share it through the screen with you 😉
Kristen Chidsey
Sounds like a great Monday!! And this is perfect.
Kathryn
Thanks Kristen 🙂
Carly @ FitLiving Eats
Wow! I never realized apple butter was so easy to make! It's like making applesauce. Pinned for later!
Kathryn
Yes!! It's basically a reduced-down version of applesauce (plus some spices)... definitely easy!
Dianna
Can this be canned to preserve?
Kathryn
Yes Dianna! I do the cheater's way of canning -- just put it in freezer-safe containers and pop whatever I'm not using right away into the freezer for later. But I'm sure you could do the more traditional canning with this and store it away in the pantry for later.
Heather Kinnaird
apple butter is one of our fall favorites, I cannot wait to try making it in the slow cooker.
Kathryn
Ours too! I think you'll love how easy it is this way!!
DessertForTwo
Love this!
Kathryn
Thanks girl!
Sabrina Zaragoza
I always prefer making different types of spices at home to finding in in supermarket. Because I think the homemade one is much more delicious, fresh and healthy than things sold.
Your apple butter looks tasty and its color is perfect. Thank you so much for sharing with us.
Kathryn
I agree completely Sabrina!
Bebe Beattie
I just made this with Granny Smiths and Fujis.
It's not for the ordinary, nor for the faint of heart, but what a delightful topping for something that's already sweet enough. I made it that way, because I figured you can add sweet to a spread, but you can't take it out. My friends raved about it. When I asked what they sweetened it with the answer was "nothing". They convinced me, and now i know it's like having Apple pie with your coffee when you spread it on buttered toast.
Kathryn
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed them! Sounds like a perfect breakfast with coffee and this apple butter on buttered toast!
Julie H
My husband is a Type 1 diabetic and No Sugar Added Apple Butter is one of the very few sweet things he'll occasionally indulge in. The problem is we live so far from the larger grocery stores that carry it, and it's relatively expensive, so I was happy to have found your recipe and eagerly tried it out.
I used a combo of gala and Fuji, I believe. It was super easy, though the immersion blender does take some time if you really want it smooth. The end result was DELISH, and I liked it even better than a special-recipe apple butter from the Smoky Mountains that our daughter brought home to me. My husband said it's the best he's ever had.
I am now making my second batch and will be gifting batches to family & friends. Lovely color, texture and flavor. Thanks so much for sharing it!
Kathryn
Oh I'm so very happy to hear that Julie - thank you so much for sharing!
Holly
If I am making a no sugar added apple butter, can I water bath process it to store on shelf?
Kathryn
Hi Holly! Yes, you can definitely follow your canning instructions and procedure and can this apple butter to store. (I've also skipped the canning part and stored it in the freezer.) Hope you enjoy it!
Mary
Im making this right now its in the slow cooker as i type this out..
Kathryn
Oh yay! I hope you enjoy it Mary! 😊
Shawndra Scanlon
Can this receipe be doubled
Kathryn
Yes, as long as your slow cooker is large enough to hold all of the apples, you should be able to double this recipe. I hope you try it!
Janetlowly
I am a family maker. Always I find the good delicious food for my family. It will be helpful for me and will be enjoyable for my family members. Thanks
Mary Willman
I made this with my sister during the holidays. It was WONDERFUL!!!! So happy to have such an easy recipe that eliminates all the sugar and tastes so great. We will both be adding this to our collections, and bringing apple butter back into our lives! Thanks so much!
Kathryn
I'm so happy to hear you both enjoyed it Mary! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Alana
My super fussy daughter eats apple butter at preschool but I haven't been able to find a sugar-free version in a close grocery store so I was excited to find this. I want to try it but I don't quite have enough gala apples on hand. Do you think if I made it with mostly gala and added a few extra granny smith that it would be sweet enough? I'd really like to avoid adding more sugar.
Kathryn
Hi Alana! I think that should be OK... it of course depends on the sweetness and tartness of the exact apples you have right now but I bet it would work. Can't wait to hear what you (she) thinks!
JULIE M HUMPHREY
I have only been sugar free for about 6 months and still trying new recipes. This is a winner and so yummy and easy.
Kathryn
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it Julie! 😊
Elpida
Hello. Your recipe looks really good, but I don't have a slow cooker (not a very common household appliance in Greece), so I'd like to ask if you have tried making this in a regular pot on the stovetop. Are there any adjustments that need to be made? Also, if I freeze some of it, do I need to leave it in the fridge overnight before using it? Thank you.
Kathryn Doherty
Hi, you can certainly make this on the stovetop. I think you'll need to add more water to have extra liquid - start with 3/4 cup and see how that does. Based on what I've seen for other recipes, you'll cook the apples over medium-low for about an hour, until they are very tender. Then puree them and return to the stove for another hour or so, until thick and well browned, stirring occasionally. Also, yes, once it's frozen, it will be solid so you'll need to defrost it in the fridge overnight to be able to use it. Hope that helps!
Elpida
Thank for the immediate reply! I'll let you know how it turned out when I make it 🙂
Dawn Peeters
You can try pouring the apple butter into ice cube trays, once frozen you would transfer them to a freezer-safe container. This way you only take out what you need and it defrosts quickly.
Kathryn Doherty
Yes! That's a great tip, thanks for sharing!
Marius
I've just made this and it's delicious! Many thanks and hugs all the way from Bucharest, Romania! 🙂
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you loved it Marius! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Carole
With a husband and sister-in-law who love apple butter, but have pre-diabetes/ diabetes, I was looking for a tasty, no added sugar apple butter recipe. This checked all the boxes. Best of all it is easy to make and with using unpeeled apples and an immersion blender, you get extra fiber. You do have to be sure you don't over cook it.
Because I like to have a fair number of jars on hand, I use a canning process so the jars are self stable and don't take up valuable real estate in the refrigerator or freezer.
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you loved this recipe Carole - and so glad it works well for your family! Also love that you canned it - such a great way to store it!