Slow Cooker Caramel Pear Butter Recipe {for Canning}
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Loaded with warm spices and cooked down into a thick, caramel-like mixture, this slow cooker pear butter recipe is both easy and incredibly flavorful. Let it cook low and slow in the crockpot until glossy and smooth. It’s the perfect spread for toast, spooning over waffles and pancakes, adding to quick bread, and more!
I’m a big fan of fruit butter, particularly apple butter, and pear butter is up there on my shortlist. I love how fragrant pears are, and they really take on a rich flavor in this crock pot pear butter recipe.
This version uses brown sugar and a little kosher salt for a caramel flavor that tastes even more decadent than other versions. It’s heaven over ice cream or folded into whipped cream!
Unlike other recipes that require you to baby the pear butter on the stove (or lug heavy containers in and out of the oven), this old fashioned pear butter recipe lets the mixture cook down low and slow in the crockpot. It makes the house smell amazing, and you’ll end up with a gorgeous, creamy pear butter to enjoy all winter long!
My recommendation? Prep the pear butter the night before and let it cook on low heat over night. Let it cook down until you reach your desired consistency the next day then can your jars like normal. Easy!
If you have too many pears on hand, save some for this vanilla pear liqueur! It’s the perfect sip for those cold winter nights. Dehydrated pears are one of nature’s sweetest snacks and last for around a year in the pantry!
Equipment
With any canning recipe, you need a variety of tools to complete the job. If you’re making this recipe to keep in the fridge or freezer, you don’t need to fuss with the canning equipment.
- Slow cooker
- 2 quart jars (for measuring pear sauce)
- Cutting board and knife
- Immersion blender or food mill
- Wooden spoon or spatula for stirring the pear butter
- Ladle
- Half pint jars
- Canning funnel
- Canning tongs (jar lifter)
- Headspace measuring tool
- Clean kitchen towel
- Water bath canner
- Half pint mason jars (one batch makes approximately 6 half pints)
Ingredients
- Fresh pears – I recommend using fully ripe pears that are already starting to soften. I used Bartlett pears, but this method works with all other types (except Asian pears). No need to peel – just remove the stems, blossom end and any seeds. One batch requires about 10-15 pears (enough to make 2 cups of pear puree).
- Brown & white sugar – Traditional recipes call for just white sugar, but using some brown sugar gives this version its caramel flavor. It’s so good!
- Spices – I used a mixture of ground cinnamon, allspice, and cloves.
- Kosher salt (optional) – This is totally optional, but it makes this taste similar to salted caramel sauce. It really brings out all the flavor. Feel free to use up to 2 tsp of kosher salt per batch for a salted caramel flavor!
Note: Save your stems and cores to make homemade pear vinegar! I’ll share the process soon. This is a great way to reduce your waste and make vinegar for your salad dressings and more.
How to Make Pear Butter in Slow Cooker
There are two phases here: cooking the pears down into pear sauce, then turning them into pear butter. You can cook the pears down in a large pot to speed up the process, but I like making the puree in the crockpot to avoid dirtying another pot.
Prepare the pears
- Place the prepared pears in a slow cooker over medium heat for approximately 1 hour.
- As the pears begin to soften, crush them with a potato masher and let them continue to cook down until soft enough to puree.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the cooked pears until smooth.
- Measure out 2 quarts of the pear puree. (I filled 2 quart jars with the pear sauce and reserved any leftover in a jar to use in another recipe.)
Make the pear butter
- Add the 2 quarts of pear sauce back to the slow cooker and add the sugars, spices, and salt. Stir to incorporate.
- Slow cook over high heat for 10-12 hours or until thickened (I let mine cook over low heat overnight, then increased to high heat the next morning until it cooked down). Leave the lid ajar to help evaporate extra moisture. Give it a good stir every 30-60 minutes to avoid burning.
- When ready, the pear butter should be thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon. The amount of cooking time will vary depending on the liquid in the pears. (If you make a double batch, it will likely take longer than a single batch.)
Water bath canning pear butter
- Fill your water bath canner with plenty of water and warm your canning jars. Remove from the hot water and place on a clean kitchen towel.
- Using the canning funnel and ladle, fill jars with the hot pear butter. Remove air bubbles and make sure there is 1/4 inch head space.
- Clean the rims of the jars. Center the lid over the jar, then add the ring. Seal until finger tight.
- Place jars into water bath canner and cover with at least 1 inch of water, Bring to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, process for 10 minutes. (Higher elevations may need to process for 15 minutes.)
- Remove jars from canner and place on a clean kitchen towel. Let the jars cool to room temperature, undisturbed, for 12-24 hours.
- Once cooled, check the seals and remove canning rings. Store in a cool, dark place for about 1 year and use as desired.
Is this a safe canning recipe?
This recipe was based on the pear butter recipe from Oregon State University, including the ingredients and processing time. The only changes are that I slowly cooked the pear butter down in the slow cooker (instead of doing it quickly on the stove), and I replaced half of the white sugar with brown sugar for a rich caramel flavor.
I also added salt like this recipe from Ball. Salt is an optional ingredient in canning recipes, so this should not affect the safety of the final product.
Storing Suggestions
If properly canned, your homemade pear butter can be stored at room temperature in a cool, dry place for about a year (or longer).
Note: Remove the rings from your canned pear butter before storing in the pantry. If any of the jars lose their seal or show signs of a bad seal, dispose of the contents.
If you do not follow canning instructions, it can be refrigerated for 2-3 weeks or frozen for several months.
For freezing, I recommend adding the pear butter to your jars, leaving at least 1 inch of headspace and filling below the shoulders of the jar. Chill the jars of pear butter in the fridge, then transfer to the freezer. This minimizes breakage.
Tips & Variations
- Adjust the spices. You can add different types of spices if you prefer, or change up the ones here. I recommend sticking with the guideline for 2 teaspoons of cinnamon per quart of pear sauce. More than that can be kind of bitter.
- Make a big batch. After I finished the batch in the pictures, I made a double batch that I let cook overnight. This made it worth the long slow cooking process and resulted in more jars. My crockpot comfortably held 4 quarts of pear puree, which resulted in 12 half-pint jars.
- Scale the recipe. If you want to adjust this recipe, remember to add 1/2 cup of sugar per 1 cup of pear puree (or 2 cups of sugar per 4 cups of pear puree).
- Use apples instead. This easy pear butter recipe can easily be turned into apple butter! Just use apples instead.
How to Use Pear Butter
Once you have a bunch of old fashioned pear butter on hand, you can use it in many different ways.
I love adding some to toast or eating it over yogurt or vanilla ice cream, but that’s just the start.
You can bake it into muffins, quick breads, pies, tarts, and more!
Related Recipes
- Homemade Maple Pumpkin Butter
- Slow Cooker Apple Butter
- Golden Raspberry Jam
- Low Sugar Blueberry Jam
- Sugar Free Raspberry Jam
- Marionberry Jam
Caramel Pear Butter for Canning {Slow Cooker Version}
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- 2 quart jars for measuring pear sauce
- Cutting board and knife
- immersion blender or food mill
- Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
- ladle
- Half pint jars
- Canning tongs (jar lifter)
- Headspace measuring tool
- clean kitchen towel
- Half pint mason jars
Ingredients
- 10-15 pears, cored, destemmed, and cut into pieces
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp kosher salt, optional, brings out flavor
Instructions
Prepare the pears
- Place the prepared pears in a slow cooker over medium heat for approximately 1 hour.
- As the pears begin to soften, crush them with a potato masher and let them continue to cook down until soft enough to puree.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the cooked pears until smooth.
- Measure out 2 quarts of the pear puree. (I filled 2 quart jars with the pear sauce and reserved any leftover in a jar to use in another recipe.)
Make the pear butter
- Add the 2 quarts of pear sauce back to the slow cooker and add the sugars, spices, and salt. Stir to incorporate.
- Slow cook over high heat for 10-12 hours or until thickened (I let mine cook over low heat overnight then increased to high heat the next morning until it cooked down). Leave the lid ajar to help evaporate extra moisture. Give it a good stir every 30-60 minutes to avoid burning.
- When ready, the pear butter should be thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon. The amount of time will vary depending on the liquid in the pears. (If you make a double batch, it will likely take longer than a single batch.)
Water bath canning pear butter
- Fill your water bath canner with plenty of water and warm your canning jars. Remove from the hot water and place on a clean kitchen towel.
- Using the canning funnel and ladle, fill jars with the hot pear butter. Remove air bubbles and make sure there is 1/4 inch head space.
- Clean the rims of the jars. Center the lid over the jar, then add the ring. Seal until finger tight.
- Place jars into water bath canner and cover with at least 1 inch of water, Bring to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, process for 10 minutes. (Higher elevations may need to process for 15 minutes.)
- Remove jars from canner and place on a clean kitchen towel. Let the jars cool to room temperature, undisturbed, for 12-24 hours.
- Once cooled, check the seals and remove canning rings. Store in a cool, dark place for about 1 year and use as desired.
Notes
Is this a safe canning recipe?
This recipe was based on the pear butter recipe from Oregon State University, including the ingredients and processing time. The only changes are that I slowly cooked the pear butter down in the slow cooker (instead of doing it quickly on the stove) and I replaced half of the white sugar with brown sugar for a rich caramel flavor. I also added salt like this recipe from Ball. Salt is an optional ingredient in canning recipes, so this should not affect the safety of the final product.Storing Suggestions
If properly canned, your homemade pear butter can be stored at room temperature in a cool, dry place for about a year (or longer). Note: Remove the rings from your canned pear butter before storing in the pantry. If any of the jars lose their seal or show signs of a bad seal, dispose of the contents. If you do not follow canning instructions, it can be refrigerated for 2-3 weeks or frozen for several months. For freezing, I recommend adding the pear butter to your jars, leaving at least 1 inch of headspace. Chill the jars of pear butter in the fridge, then transfer to the freezer. This minimizes breakage.Pin this recipe for later!
