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Homemade Slow Cooker Apple Butter with Cinnamon Sticks

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This homemade slow cooker apple butter with cinnamon sticks is a hands-off recipe that fills your home with the warm aroma of fall. Made with simple ingredients and a clever technique, it yields a velvety, spiced spread perfect for toast, gifting, or enjoying by the spoonful.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 pounds apples (about 12–14 medium), a mix of sweet and tart varieties like Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, and Fuji
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 4 whole cinnamon sticks
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Wash all 6 pounds of apples thoroughly. Quarter them, removing the cores and stems. Do not peel them. Cut any large quarters into smaller chunks so they cook down faster.
  2. Place the apple quarters into a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the granulated sugar and packed light brown sugar. Tuck the cinnamon sticks down into the apples. Sprinkle in the ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt. Drizzle the lemon juice and vanilla extract over the top. Give everything a gentle stir with a wooden spoon to distribute the sugar and spices.
  3. Cover the slow cooker and set it to low. Cook undisturbed for 6 hours. The apples should be very soft and falling apart.
  4. Remove the cinnamon sticks with tongs and set them aside. Use an immersion blender to puree the apple mixture directly in the slow cooker until completely smooth. If using a regular blender, work in batches, letting the mixture cool for 10 minutes first. Fill the blender no more than halfway, hold the lid down with a folded kitchen towel, and blend until smooth. Return the puree to the slow cooker.
  5. Leave the lid off and cook on low for 2 to 3 more hours. Stir every 30 minutes to prevent scorching. The apple butter is done when you can drag a spoon across the bottom of the slow cooker and the apple butter parts like a curtain, slowly filling back in. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon heavily.
  6. To test for doneness, spoon a small amount onto a chilled plate and let it sit for 30 seconds. Tilt the plate. If the apple butter stays in place without liquid separating, it’s ready. If it runs, cook for another 30 minutes and test again.
  7. Let the apple butter cool in the slow cooker for about 20 minutes. Ladle it into sterilized mason jars, leaving about ½ inch of headspace. Wipe the rims clean, screw on the lids, and let the jars cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks, or process in a water bath canner for long-term pantry storage.

Notes

Don’t peel the apples—the skins add color and pectin for natural thickening. Use whole cinnamon sticks instead of ground to avoid cloudiness and grittiness. Stir every 30 minutes during the uncovered cooking phase to prevent scorching. The apple butter will deepen in color and flavor over the first week. For a low-sugar version, reduce granulated sugar to 1 cup and omit brown sugar; add 1 teaspoon apple pie spice.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple butter, slow cooker apple butter, homemade apple butter, cinnamon apple butter, fall recipe, apple spread, canning recipe

Find it online: https://sweetstirring.com/homemade-slow-cooker-apple-butter-with-cinnamon-sticks/