13 Slow Cooker Apple Butter Recipes & Ways to Use It

Apple butter is fall concentrated into a jar — silky, caramelized, and spiced. The slow cooker does all the work in these thirteen recipes, turning pounds of apples into spreadable gold, plus clever ways to use it in baking, breakfast, and even savory dishes.

1. Classic Slow Cooker Apple Butter

The essential recipe: silky, deeply caramelized apple butter.

Ingredients

• 6 lb mixed apples (Honeycrisp, Fuji, Granny Smith), cored and quartered
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Fill the slow cooker with apples.
2. Cook on LOW 10 hours, stirring once, until very soft and dark.
3. Blend smooth with an immersion blender.
4. Stir in sugar, spices, vanilla, and salt.
5. Cook 2 more hours uncovered, stirring occasionally.
6. Jar and refrigerate up to 3 weeks.

2. Maple-Spiced Apple Butter

Sweetened only with maple syrup for a deeper, woodsy flavor.

Ingredients

• 6 lb apples, cored and quartered
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Cook apples on LOW 10 hours until soft.
2. Blend smooth.
3. Stir in maple syrup and spices.
4. Cook 2 more hours uncovered until thick.
5. Jar and refrigerate.

3. Bourbon Brown Sugar Apple Butter

A grown-up apple butter with warm bourbon and brown sugar.

Ingredients

• 6 lb apples, cored and quartered
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 2 tbsp bourbon
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Cook apples on LOW 10 hours; blend smooth.
2. Stir in sugar, spices, and bourbon.
3. Cook 2 more hours uncovered.
4. Stir in vanilla.
5. Jar and refrigerate up to 3 weeks.

4. Pear-Apple Butter

Pears add floral sweetness to this silky hybrid spread.

Ingredients

• 4 lb apples, cored and quartered
• 2 lb pears, cored and quartered
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Cook apples and pears on LOW 10 hours.
2. Blend smooth.
3. Stir in sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom.
4. Cook 2 more hours uncovered.
5. Stir in vanilla; jar and refrigerate.

5. No-Added-Sugar Apple Butter

Naturally sweet apple butter with cider and spice only.

Ingredients

• 6 lb apples, cored and quartered
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Cook apples with cider on LOW 10 hours.
2. Blend smooth.
3. Stir in spices.
4. Cook 3 more hours uncovered until very thick.
5. Stir in vanilla; jar and refrigerate.

6. Apple Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Chewy cookies with apple butter baked right in.

Ingredients

• 1 cup apple butter
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Cream butter, brown sugar, and apple butter.
3. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; fold in walnuts.
4. Scoop onto lined sheets.
5. Bake 10–12 minutes.

7. Apple Butter Swirl Biscuits

Flaky biscuits with ribbons of spiced apple butter.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup apple butter, plus more to serve

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 425°F.
2. Cut butter into flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Stir in milk to form a dough.
4. Roll out, spread with apple butter, and fold like a letter; repeat twice.
5. Cut biscuits and bake 14 minutes.
6. Serve with more apple butter.

8. Apple Butter Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Savory-sweet glazed pork with caramelized apple butter.

Ingredients

• 1 pork tenderloin (1.5 lb)
• 1/2 cup apple butter
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400°F.
2. Rub pork with garlic powder, salt, and pepper; sear 3 minutes per side.
3. Whisk apple butter, Dijon, and soy sauce.
4. Brush over pork and roast 18–20 minutes to 145°F.
5. Rest 5 minutes; slice and drizzle with pan juices.

9. Apple Butter Overnight Oats

Tastes like apple pie for breakfast, prepped in 5 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup apple butter
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup dried apples, chopped

Instructions

1. Mix everything in a large jar or 4 individual jars.
2. Refrigerate overnight.
3. Stir and serve cold, or warm gently.
4. Top with a spoonful of extra apple butter in the morning.
5. Sprinkle with cinnamon just before eating.

10. Apple Butter Snack Cake

A moist, one-bowl spice cake with apple butter in every bite.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup apple butter
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F; grease a 9-inch pan.
2. Whisk dry ingredients.
3. Stir in apple butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
4. Bake 30–35 minutes.
5. Cool and dust with powdered sugar.

11. Apple Butter Baked Brie

Five-ingredient party brie with spiced apple butter.

Ingredients

• 1 wheel brie (8 oz)
• 1/3 cup apple butter
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Crackers, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Place brie in a small dish.
3. Top with apple butter, pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
4. Bake 14 minutes until melty.
5. Serve with crackers.

12. Hot Apple Butter Cider

The coziest drink: cider whisked with apple butter and spice.

Ingredients

• 2 cups apple cider
• 1/2 cup apple butter
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 1-inch ginger, sliced
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• Whipped cream, to top

Instructions

1. Simmer everything except whipped cream 15 minutes.
2. Strain into mugs.
3. Top with whipped cream and cinnamon.
4. Garnish each mug with a cinnamon stick.
5. Serve with a plate of gingersnaps for dunking.

13. Spiced Apple Butter Thumbprints

Buttery thumbprint cookies filled with spiced apple butter — a fall cookie jar star.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup apple butter
• Sugar, for rolling

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350F; line baking sheets.
2. Cream butter, sugar, yolks, and vanilla.
3. Mix in flour, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Roll into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar.
5. Press a thumbprint into each; fill with apple butter.
6. Bake 12 to 14 minutes until set. Cool on the pan.