Crock-Pot Apple Butter (Sugar-Free or Low-Sugar)

Make Crock-Pot Apple Butter sugar-free or with low sugar. This easy, healthy recipe naturally sweetens breakfast foods and desserts.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Best Apples for Sugar-Free Apple Butter
• Do you have to use sugar to make apple butter?
• Step-by-Step Process with Pictures
• How to Make Apple Butter Thicker
• FAQ
• Storage
• How to Use Apple Butter
• 📋 Recipe

Ingredients

You'll need just a few simple ingredients to make delicious apple butter with little to no sugar.

• Apples - only use sweet apples!
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Salt
• Vanilla Extract
• Optional Added Sweetener - see the section below for options.

The recipe card below includes ingredient amounts, step-by-step instructions, and nutritional information.

Best Apples for Sugar-Free Apple Butter

Use sweet apples if you plan to cut back on the sugar. A variety of apples will give the best flavor. Apples on the sweeter side include:

• Ambrosia
• Honey crisp
• Gala apples
• Pink Lady
• Golden Delicious
• Red Delicious.

Tart apples, like Granny Smith, are easy to find in the grocery store. Use those in another recipe.

Do you have to use sugar to make apple butter?

No. You don't have to add any sugar at all to this homemade apple butter recipe. It's a matter of taste and dietary restrictions. The amount and type of sugar added is up to you!

I adapted this recipe from the one at My Baking Addiction. And, yes...the apple butter is divine. But I found that I absolutely didn't need as much sugar. I cut the amount in half, and in later batches, I cut it down even further.

• I've made it with none at all. The sweetness of the apples and the spices make up the difference.
• You can also use a sugar substitute or a sugar blend with a combination of refined sugar and stevia or erythritol.

Step-by-Step Process with Pictures

Here's the easy process to make healthy slow cooker apple butter that's sugar-free or low-sugar:

1. Core, peel, and chop apples. It sounds like quite an ordeal. But it's not that bad, particularly if you use an apple corer. This recipe makes A LOT of apple butter. Make a half batch if you're not planning to share it as a gift or want to avoid stowing some jars away in the freezer.

Note: Peeling the apples is optional! Puree the apple peels with the softened apples. The skins will almost disappear at the end of the process, with just a few small pieces here and there.

2. Place the apple chunks in a slow cooker and toss with spices (except for the vanilla) and sugar (if using.) Cover and cook on low in a slow cooker for 10 hours.

Tip: Cook it overnight and wake up to a home filled with an amazing aroma. You're welcome!

3. After the apples have been slow-cooked for 10 hours, stir in the vanilla extract and break up the apple slices with a spoon or potato masher. Re-cover and cook for 2 hours more.

4. Allow the apple mixture to cool, then puree it with an immersion blender, a regular blender, or in batches in a food processor. Process until the finish is smooth. However, it's okay to leave some chunks if that's how you roll. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

FAQ

Storage

This recipe makes about 8 cups. So, there will be plenty to share!

Spoon apple butter into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to two months.

It makes a fun edible gift too. Decorate small mason jars with ribbons and tags if you are giving some away. Even better... pair it with a loaf of bread.

How to Use Apple Butter

There is no shortage of ways to enjoy it:

• Slather it on toast, an English muffin, or crackers.
• Stir it into oatmeal.
• Drizzle it over pancakes or waffles.
• Use as a dip for cookies and graham crackers
• Use it as a sweetener for recipes that call for applesauce.
• Top yogurt, whipped cottage cheese pudding, or ice cream with it.

These recipes also use or would be perfect with healthy sugar-free apple butter:

📋 Recipe

This post was originally posted on 12/17/13 and has been updated to improve the reader experience.