Easy Electric Roaster Apple Butter (Big Batch Recipe)

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Electric roaster apple butter is a large-batch version of my classic slow cooker apple butter, made in an electric roaster oven instead of a crockpot. It’s the easiest way to turn a bushel of apples into rich, spiced apple butter. It’s perfect for stocking your pantry or giving away as gifts.

Unlike a regular slow cooker, which only holds a few pounds of apples at a time, a roaster oven has the room to process your big harvest all at once.

Homemade apple butter in a jar and spread on two slices of bread.

If you’ve got a smaller amount of apples to work with, my Easy Slow Cooker Apple Butter guide uses the same method scaled down for a regular crockpot.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

Recipe Name: Easy Electric Roaster Apple Butter
Cook Time: 10 to 12 hours
Servings: about 18 pints
Main Ingredients: apples, brown sugar, cinnamon
Dietary Info: Vegen, gluten-free
Difficulty Level: Easy

I make this big-batch version whenever we come home with a full bushel of apples from picking, since it’s so much more efficient than running several small slow cooker batches back to back.

The roaster does just as much of the hands-off work as a crockpot. It just holds a lot more. Below I’ll walk you through how much fruit to use for a full batch, plus tips for handling that much apple butter once it’s done.

Best Apples For Apple Butter

You can use just about any apple for this recipe, but a mix of sweet and tart varieties gives the best flavor, and it’s an easy mix to get naturally when you’re processing a whole bushel picked from different trees.

Soft-cooking apples like McIntosh or Golden Delicious break down easily into a smooth, thick butter, while a tart apple like Granny Smith or Jonathan adds a little brightness so the finished apple butter isn’t overly sweet.

If you like a deeper, more old-fashioned flavor, Honeycrisp or Fuji adds natural sweetness without needing much added sugar. Get more ideas in my guide on the best baking apples.

Why You’ll Love This Large Batch Apple Butter Recipe

Makes a big batch in one go: About 18 pints from a single batch, so you skip running multiple small batches back to back.
Still mostly hands-off: The roaster does the same slow, steady cooking as a crockpot, just at a much bigger scale.
Great for gift-giving: With this many jars, you’ll have plenty to can and share with family, friends, and neighbors.
Peeling is optional: Just like the slow cooker version, the long cook time and pureeing break the peels down, so you can skip peeling if you’d rather save the time on a big batch.
Freezes or cans well: Preserve it however works best for your pantry and freezer space.

Equipment You’ll Need

Nesco Electric Roaster Oven – any roaster oven with a similar capacity will work, this 18 qt is the one I use.
Victorio Apple Peeler, Corer, and Slicer – with this much fruit to prep, this gadget earns its keep.
An immersion blender works best for pureeing a full roaster, since it can reach the depth of the pot better than a hand mixer.
Canning jars, if canning – you’ll need about 18 pint jars for a full batch, so wash and prep them ahead of time.
Canning jar lids and rings, if canning
Jar Lifter, if canning
Canning funnel, if canning
Water bath canner, if canning – most canners only hold 7 to 9 jars at a time, so plan on running a few loads to get through a full 18-pint batch.
Wide Mouth Canning Jars and Ball Plastic Storage Lids, or other freezer-safe containers, if freezing

If you’re freezing your apple butter, make sure to use wide-mouth jars instead of regular ones. Wide-mouth jars have straight sides, so they can handle the apple butter expanding as it freezes without cracking at the shoulders the way a regular jar can.

Any brand works fine, Ball, Kerr, Bernardin, whatever you have on hand, as long as it’s wide-mouth for the freezer. You can, of course, also use plastic freezer containers.

Ingredients

1 cup water, to keep the bottom from sticking
About 1/2 bushel of apples (roughly 24 pounds), enough to fill a large electric roaster
8 cups brown sugar, optional (white sugar also works, or skip it if your apples are sweet or you’re watching sugar) — adjust to taste
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon, adjust to taste

How To Make Easy Electric Roaster Apple Butter

Prep The Apples

Wash your apples well, then peel, core, and slice them.

To Peel Or Not To Peel?

You don’t have to peel your apples for this recipe. The long cook time and pureeing break the peels down so much that you’ll barely notice them in the finished apple butter.

I still like to peel mine for a smoother texture. But I’ve made it both ways, and both turn out great. It really comes down to personal preference, and how much time you want to spend peeling this much fruit.

Fill The Roaster

Fill your electric roaster with the sliced apples, then add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and water. Stir everything well until the apples are evenly coated.

Cook Until Tender

Put the lid on and cook at 350°F, stirring the apples every 20 to 30 minutes, until the apples are completely tender.

Puree The Apples

Once the apples are soft, you can puree them right in the roaster with an immersion blender until smooth. Then give it a taste and adjust the sugar or cinnamon if you’d like.

Thicken It Up

Turn the heat down to 300°F, and tilt the lid so steam can escape. This is really important to let the moisture out so it can reduce. Let the apple butter continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until it’s as thick as you like.

Check For Doneness

Cooked overnight slow cooker apple butter.

You’ll know the butter is ready when it’s a deep brown color and thick enough that a spoon can stand up on its own in the center.

Overnight Electric Roaster Apple Butter

If you’d rather not babysit the last stretch of cooking, you can let the apple butter finish overnight instead. Turn the roaster down to its lowest setting it should be about 200°F.

Then tilt the lid so steam can escape, and let it cook uncovered while you sleep. It’ll be just as thick and ready by morning, and it’s an amazing smell to wake up to.

Now it’s time to preserve all that apple butter so you can enjoy it through the winter.

How To Freeze Apple Butter

If you’re freezing it, let the apple butter cool completely. Then ladle it into freezer-safe containers or wide-mouth canning jars, leaving about an inch of headroom for expansion. Cover tightly and freeze for up to a year.

I like using wide-mouth jars for freezing since their straight sides handle the expansion well. A regular jar can crack at the shoulders if you fill it too full before freezing. So you would need to make sure the food is at least an inch lower than the jar shoulders.

By that point, you are wasting a lot of storage space. So plastic freezer containers or wide-mouth jars are a better option.

How To Can Apple Butter

Canning is a great way to preserve a big batch like this without needing freezer space, and it makes it easy to give jars away as gifts too.

Fill your hot, sterilized canning jars with hot apple butter, leaving 1/4 inch of headroom. Run a spatula around the inside edge of each jar to remove any air bubbles, then wipe the rims clean and add the lids and rings on finger-tight.

Process in your water bath canner, using the times below (from the USDA) based on your jar size and altitude:

Jar Size	0-1,000 ft	1,001-6,000 ft	Above 6,000 ft
Half-pints or pints	5 minutes	10 minutes	15 minutes
Quarts	10 minutes	15 minutes	20 minutes

With 18 pints to get through, you’ll likely need to run the canner in multiple loads, since most canners only hold 7 to 8 jars at a time. Another option is to use multiple canners, this really helps me get more done on canning days.

When the time is up, remove the jars from the canner and set them on a towel. Let them sit undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours so the seals can set. Any jars that haven’t sealed after 24 hours should go in the fridge to use first, or be reprocessed.

You’ll know your apple butter is ready when it’s turned a nice brown colour and is very thick. A good old fashion guideline is to take a spoon and stand it up in the middle of the apple butter. If it can stand on its own without falling over it’s done!

Homemade apple butter spread on toast next to a jar filled with apple butter.

How To Freeze Apple Butter

Now it’s time to preserve that delicious apple butter so you can enjoy it all year.

If you’re going to freeze it simply let the apple butter fully cool down. Then ladle it into small plastic storage containers or canning jars. Make sure to leave some headroom for expansion, cover, and freeze.

I love to use wide mouth canning jars and plastic lids to freeze apple butter and other jams. They stack really well in my freezer!

How To Can Apple Butter

Canning your homemade apple butter so so easy to do and it’s a great way to enjoy it all year. Don’t forget to can some extra apple butter to share as gifts too.

Fill your canning jars with hot apple butter and leave 1/4 inch of headroom.

Run a spatula around the inside edge of the jar to remove any air bubbles and then wipe the jar rims clean, add the lids and rings.

Process in your water bath canner for 10 minutes or according to your altitude.

When the time is up, remove the jars from the canner and place them on a towel. Allow the jars to sit undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours so the seal can set well.

Any jars that haven’t sealed after 24 hours should be placed in the fridge to use first or can be processed.

Recipe Notes & Tips

Have your jars ready before you start canning: With 18 pints to process, you’ll likely need to run your water bath canner in multiple loads, so wash and prep all your jars ahead of time. Keep your apple butter hot and fill the jars as you start each batch.
Know your storage timeline: It’ll keep about 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge, up to a year in the freezer, and 12 to 18 months or longer in the pantry once properly canned.

Substitutions

White sugar for brown sugar: Works just as well if that’s what you have on hand, but the flavor will be a little different.
Skip the sugar entirely: If your apples are very sweet or you’re watching sugar intake, you can leave it out and still get a great result.
Apple pie spice for cinnamon: Swap in apple pie spice, or add a pinch of nutmeg or cloves, for a different warm spice flavor.

Variations

Add a splash of vanilla: Stir in a little vanilla extract near the end of cooking for extra warmth.
More warm spice: Add a pinch of nutmeg, cloves, or allspice along with the cinnamon for a more deeper fall flavor.
Smaller batches: If a full roaster batch is more than you need, my Easy Slow Cooker Apple Butter guide covers the same method scaled down for a regular crockpot.

FAQ’s

Plan on about 18 pint jars for a full batch. It’s a good idea to have a few extra washed and ready, since the exact yield can vary a little depending on how much your apples cook down.

Any electric roaster oven with a similar capacity works, not just a Nesco. If yours is smaller, just scale the amount of apples down to fit, and keep the brown sugar and cinnamon in the same rough proportion per pound of apples.

It depends on how you store it. In the fridge, plan on using it within 2 to 3 weeks. In the freezer, it’ll keep well for up to a year. Properly canned and sealed, it’s good in the pantry for 12 to 18 months, though it’s best used within a year for the best flavor.

A little liquid pooling on top is normal, especially right after cooking. Just stir it back in. If it separates more than that, it usually means it needs more time cooking uncovered to reduce down and thicken further.

This usually just means it needs more time. Keep it cooking uncovered on low, stirring occasionally, until enough moisture cooks off. A very full roaster can also mean it takes longer than a smaller batch.

Yes, apple butter that’s too thin still works great stirred into oatmeal, yogurt, or a glaze for pork or chicken instead of spread on toast. If a canning jar didn’t seal properly, just move that jar to the fridge and use it within a few weeks instead of storing it in the pantry.

An immersion blender is my favorite way to puree apple butter, especially for a batch this big, since you can do it right in the roaster.

Two slices of bread spread with thick dark brown apple butter beside a glass jar filled with apple butter and a spoon. The finished electric roaster apple butter recipe is shown ready to serve.

Electric Roaster Apple Butter

An easy crockpot apple butter recipe that you can freeze or can. You can also let the apple butter cook overnight for a fuss-free treat!

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 12

Total Time 9 30

Serving Size servings (18 pints)

Ingredients

1/2 bushel apples about 24 lbs
8 cups brown sugar optional, adjust to taste
3 TBS cinnamon adjust to taste
1 cup water

Instructions

Wash the apples, then peel, core, and slice.
Fill your electric roaster with sliced apples. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and water, and stir until the apples are well coated.
Place the lid on the roaster and cook at 350°F until the apples are tender, stirring every 20 to 30 minutes.
When the apples are fully cooked and soft, puree with an immersion blender until smooth.
Turn the heat down to 300°F, tilt the lid so steam can escape, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until it’s as thick as you want.
The apple butter is done when it’s dark brown and thick. Test by standing a spoon up in the center of the pan. If it stands on its own, it’s ready!
Store in the refrigerator in airtight containers for up to 2 weeks, or can or freeze for longer storage.

Notes

How To Freeze

Let the apple butter cool completely.
Spoon it into freezer-safe containers or wide-mouth jars, leaving about an inch of headroom for expansion.
Cover tightly and freeze for up to a year.

How To Can

Fill your canning jars with hot apple butter and leave 1/4 inch of headroom.
Run a spatula around the inside edge of the jar to remove any air bubbles, then wipe the jar rims clean, add the lids and rings.
Process pint jars in your water bath canner for 10 minutes, adjusted to your altitude. You’ll likely need multiple canner loads to get through a full batch.
When the time is up, remove the jars from the canner and place them on a towel. Allow the jars to sit undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours so the seal can set well.
Any jars that haven’t sealed after 24 hours should be placed in the fridge to use first or can be processed.

Canning Times:

0–1,000 ft: 5 minutes
1,001–6,000 ft: 10 minutes
Above 6,000 ft: 15 minutes

Nutrition

These values are from a nutritional database and automatically calculated, and should only be used as an approximation.

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Kim

Kim Mills is a homeschooling mom of 6 and lives on an urban homestead in Ontario, Canada. Blogging at Homestead Acres she enjoys sharing tips to help you save money, grow and preserve your own food.