My dad’s birthday fell on this past Saturday, and because the temperatures had been over 100°F the week before, I offered to treat everyone to ice cream to celebrate. With that kind of scorching hot weather, Dad loved the sound of my idea, so on Friday evening, we made plans to drive across town to the ice cream shop the following day shortly after lunch.
Yet somehow, the clouds rolled in overnight and the temperature dropped more than 30°F, so when I rolled out of bed on Saturday morning, I nearly dove back under the covers. Crazy bipolar California weather!
We waited all morning for the sun to start peeking through the clouds, but even though it never did, everyone else still agreed that they were craving ice cream. I threw on a big sweatshirt, hopped in the car, and browsed the sweet flavors alongside my family.
Although Mississippi Mud always calls my name (I am a huge chocoholic, after all!), I walked out with nothing. My fingers would’ve frozen to the cone the moment I stepped outside! I don’t exactly mix well with the cold… But the rest of my family happily licked their sherbet, sorbet, and ice cream cones as we walked back to the car.
I spent the rest of the day thinking about chilly fall weather and cozy comfort foods, so later that weekend, I cooked a batch of this Slow Cooker Apple Pie Filling to satisfy my cravings. With its warm cinnamon smell wafting through the entire house, my whole family followed their noses to the kitchen and couldn’t wait to sample a taste!
Unlike store-bought canned fillings, this easy recipe is much healthier! It contains no high fructose corn syrup, refined sugar, or artificial ingredients. Desserts don’t necessarily need any of those to taste delicious! Instead, this homemade version is made with wholesome ingredients, making it clean eating friendly—and basically healthy enough for breakfast!
Our homemade pie filling begins with big, juicy fresh apples. I used all red for this batch because they’re sweeter than green and thus require less additional sweetener. I’ve tried Fuji, Jazz, and Honeycrisp apples in this recipe, and all of those work great!
If you’re a traditionalist and prefer Granny Smiths for your pie fillings, they would be fine too, but I’d suggest increasing the sweetener to compensate for their tart taste. Another option that you could try would be half green and half red. You get the best of both worlds, and that’s perfect for indecisive people like me!
To help prevent the apples from browning, we’ll sprinkle them with a little freshly squeezed lemon juice while creating the syrup to pour on top. I promise that you can’t taste the citrus when we’re done cooking—only sweet apples!
The syrup is a combination of water, maple syrup, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I love warm spices and generally mix in more than most recipes, but my family agreed that this pie filling had the perfect amount! You’ll cook those ingredients on the stove for just a few minutes to activate the cornstarch and make it thicken the mixture before pouring that cinnamony goodness over the apples in the slow cooker.
Then all that’s left to do is wait for the slow cooker to work its magic and make your house smell like fall!
And yes, we did eat this by the spoonful… And over oatmeal… And on top of pancakes… And with ice cream…
But I managed to save enough to use in another new recipe, so stay tuned! 😉 And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy slow cooker apple pie filling!
| Healthy Slow Cooker Apple Pie Filling | | Print |
- 9 cups (1150g) diced red apple (see Notes!)
- 2 tbsp (30mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ½ cups (260mL) water
- ¼ cup (32g) cornstarch
- 3 tbsp (45mL) pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- Add the diced apple to a slow cooker, and toss with the lemon juice.
- Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a medium pot until smooth and the cornstarch has completely dissolved. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5-8 minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken and has reduced by a third. Pour the mixture over the apples, and toss until all of the apples are coated.
- Cover the slow cooker with the lid, and cook the apples on HIGH heat for 3 ½ hours, gently stirring after every hour, or until the apples are extremely tender. Cool completely to room temperature in the slow cooker before transferring to airtight containers and refrigerating.
I’ve tried this filling with Fuji, Jazz, and Honeycrisp apples, and they all work well. Gala and Red Delicious should work too. If you prefer Granny Smith apples, you may need to add additional maple syrup to compensate for the missing sweetness. A blend of half red and half green apples would taste great as well. I do not peel my apples, but you're welcome to remove their skins if you prefer.
Honey, agave, coconut sugar, or brown sugar may all be substituted for the maple syrup.
HOW TO USE THIS FILLING TO MAKE A PIE: Here is my apple pie recipe that uses this as the filling!
REGULAR OVEN METHOD: If you don't have a slow cooker, then you can bake this in the oven instead! In Step 1, add the apples to a large bowl instead of a slow cooker. Follow Step 1 and 2. After Step 2, transfer the mixture to a 2-quart Dutch oven with a lid or a 9x13" cake pan. Cover the pan with the lid (if using a Dutch oven) or with foil (if using a cake pan). Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir, and if the apples aren’t completely soft and tender, then bake for another 15-20 minutes more or until they’re fully soft and tender when pierced with a fork.
STOVETOP METHOD: Use a very large soup pot (one that holds 10-12 cups) to prepare it on the stove. After adding the apples, cover the top and let them simmer over low heat for about 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the apples towards the bottom of the pot from burning, or until the apples are extremely tender.
{gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat}
Hi, do you think I could use arrowroot powder instead of corn starch? Thank you 🙂
I haven’t worked much with arrowroot powder, but I think that should work. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try the apple pie filling Lizzy!
Hi! Wondering if you or anyone has tried this with crab app,es?
I haven’t Ashley! If you’ve been able to substitute crabapples for apples in most other baking recipes, then they should work here too. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try this recipe!
Hi! Did arrowroot powder work?
Hi Amy! I don’t have a slow cooker at the moment but really would love to try out this recipe. Any suggestions on other pots I could use?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe! You should be able to use a very large soup pot to prepare it on the stove. Make sure it can hold at least 10-12 cups to be safe! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this apple pie filling!
This year my tree has produced a ton of apples. I hosted a harvest party yesterday and served apple criso using your recipe. It was delicious! I was wondering if you have tried freezing the filling?
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the apple crisp Yolanda! I’m honored that you’d consider using one of my recipes at your party. That means a lot to me! 🙂 I’ve actually covered this exact question in comments above yours! I know it can be easy to scroll right past them. 😉
I haven’t had the filling last long enough to freeze, but I think it should work. I’d recommend adding the filling to a gallon-sized zip-topped bag, squashing all of the air out, and laying the bag flat on a baking sheet to freeze. (You could also portion it out into smaller bags if you prefer.) That way it freezes in a nice stackable shape and doesn’t take up as much space in your freezer. 🙂
Hello Amy! I am pretty new to your website, but I have already used a ton of your recipes, which have all been delicious! However, I did have a question about this recipe, since I do not have a slow cooker. Although you said you could use it on the stove, would you be able to tell me how long and at what temperature I would be able to cook the apple filling in a 2 quart dutch oven? Thank you!
I truly appreciate your interest in my recipes Julia! That means the world to me, and I’m so glad you’re enjoying them! 🙂 I don’t actually have a Dutch oven (it’s on my list!), so I’m not 100% sure. Do you want to cook them on the stove or bake them in the oven? (I wasn’t quite sure by the way the question was phrased, so I just wanted to double check!)
If you do not have a dutch oven, that is perfectly fine! I was just wondering about how I would be able to cook this recipe in the oven!
Thanks for clarifying Julia! I usually think of cook = on the stovetop and bake = in the oven, so I was confused when you said “cook” but asked about an oven temperature. 😉 I’d recommend baking it covered at 350°F for 50-60 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir, and if the apples aren’t completely soft and tender, then bake for another 15-20 minutes more or until they’re fully soft and tender when pierced with a fork. I can’t wait to hear how that turns out!
I was able to do as you told me, and it turned out great! Thank you so much!
Wonderful!! Thank you so much for letting me know Julia! I’m going to add that as an option in the Notes section right now! 🙂
are the apples peeled? This looks wonderful and I want to try it 🙂
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe! If you look through the photos in my blog post above the recipe, you’ll see that I didn’t peel them. I know it can be easy to scroll right past all of the photos! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think if you try this apple pie filling!
Can this recipe be put in the instant pot?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Kelsey! I don’t have very much experience with instant pots, so I’m really not sure and don’t want to lead you astray. I’d love to hear what you think of this apple pie filling if you decide to make it! 🙂
So about how many ???? equal 9 cups? Just want to make sure I buy the right amount. Thanks!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Whitney! I think if you bought 7-8 medium sized apples, that should be enough. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this apple pie filling!
Hi Amy, How much do the apples cook down to in the slow cooker? Also, about how many apples make nine cups? Thanks!
I’m honored that you’d like to try making this recipe Rachel! I’ve actually answered your first question directly underneath the recipe title in the recipe box, where I shared the total amount of apple pie filling this recipe yields next to the word “Yields.” I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 As for the number of apples, it varies with the size. If you buy 7 or 8 medium apples, that’s usually enough. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try making this apple pie filling!
Hi Amy,
Could I use this recipe and saute the apples instead of a slow cooker or baking them?
I’m honored that you’d like to try this recipe, Emily! You should be able to use a very large soup pot to prepare it on the stove. Make sure it can hold at least 10-12 cups to be safe! Let the apples simmer for about 45-60 minutes instead; it just requires stirring occasionally to prevent the apples towards the bottom of the pot from burning. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of this apple pie filling if you try making it!