Slow Cooker Stewed Apples (Printable)

Tender apples slowly simmered with cinnamon and honey, perfect for a naturally sweet finish or breakfast topping.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Fruit

01 - 6 large apples (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Fuji), peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks

→ Sweeteners & Flavors

02 - 1/4 cup honey
03 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
04 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice

→ Liquids

05 - 1/4 cup water

→ Optional Additions

06 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - Pinch of salt

# How To Make It:

01 - Place peeled, cored, and chopped apples into the slow cooker.
02 - Drizzle honey and lemon juice over the apples; sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg if using.
03 - Pour in water and add a pinch of salt if desired; stir gently to combine all ingredients.
04 - Cover and cook on low for 3 hours until apples are tender and juicy, stirring once or twice during cooking.
05 - Stir in vanilla extract if using, at the end of cooking.
06 - Serve warm as is, or as a topping for oatmeal, pancakes, yogurt, or dessert with ice cream.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It practically makes itself—just chop, combine, and let your slow cooker handle the rest while you do literally anything else.
  • The texture is naturally forgiving, whether you like chunks or silky smoothness, and you control it entirely.
  • One bowl works as breakfast topping, dessert, or a side dish that somehow feels like a splurge even though it's just fruit and honey.
02 -
  • Don't skip the salt or the lemon juice; both are invisible but essential, making everything taste more like itself rather than like sugar and spice.
  • If you prefer a chunkier texture, stir gently and pull it off heat at around 2 hours; for silky smoothness, let it go the full time and mash with a fork afterward—there's no wrong version.
03 -
  • If your slow cooker runs hot, start checking at two hours; if it runs cool, you might need the full three or even thirty minutes more—every slow cooker has its own personality.
  • Store leftovers in a jar in the refrigerator for up to a week, and the flavor actually deepens and develops as it sits, making day-old compote sometimes even better than fresh.
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