Crabapple Slow Cooker Apple Butter Recipe
Tart crabapples slowly cook with brown sugar and warming spices into a rich, smooth, deeply flavored apple butter. This thick homemade spread is delicious on toast, biscuits, pancakes, oatmeal, or yogurt.
- Prep Time: 20–30 minutes
- Cook Time: 7–11 hours
- Total Time: 7 1/2–11 1/2 hours
- Yield: 4–5 cups, approximately 32 servings
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 4 pounds crabapples
- 1 cup water or apple cider
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Instructions
- Wash the crabapples thoroughly, remove the stems and damaged areas, and cut larger fruit into halves or quarters. Remove the cores and seeds when practical.
- Place the prepared crabapples in the slow cooker. Add the water or apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on low for 6–8 hours, or until the crabapples are extremely soft. Stir occasionally when convenient.
- Puree the softened crabapples with an immersion blender until smooth. For an especially silky texture, pass the puree through a fine-mesh sieve or food mill.
- Return the puree to the slow cooker and stir in the lemon juice. Cook uncovered for another 1–3 hours on low or high as appropriate for your slow cooker, stirring occasionally, until dark, thick, and spreadable.
- Taste and adjust the sweetness or spices as desired. Stir in the optional vanilla extract after cooking.
- Allow the crabapple butter to cool before transferring it to clean jars or airtight containers. Refrigerate or freeze for storage.
Notes
- Crabapple varieties vary considerably in tartness, so adjust the brown sugar to taste.
- For maple crabapple butter, replace some of the brown sugar with pure maple syrup.
- Add ground or freshly grated ginger for an extra warming flavor.
- For a naturally sweeter version, replace some of the crabapples with Fuji, Gala, or Golden Delicious apples.
- If the apple butter is too thin, continue cooking it uncovered so additional moisture can evaporate.
- Store refrigerated in an airtight container for about 1–2 weeks or freeze in freezer-safe containers for longer storage.
- For shelf-stable canning, use a current, specifically tested home-canning recipe and processing method rather than adapting this slow-cooker recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 70 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 20 mg
- Fat: 0.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 0.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
