Crock Pot Apple Butter Little Smokies–an easy 3-ingredient appetizer made with cocktail sausages, apple butter and barbecue sauce in the slow cooker or on the stove top. They’re sweet, smoky and perfect for parties, holidays and game day.
Crock Pot Apple Butter Little Smokies
Today’s recipe only takes three ingredients and about two minutes to throw together! The apple butter might sound like a strange addition, but it adds a little sweetness and a hint of apple and cinnamon flavor that goes really well with the smoky barbecue sauce. I thought these were a fun change from the usual grape jelly and barbecue sauce version. These are the kind of appetizer that you can set out with a bunch of toothpicks and watch disappear!
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Little Smokies–or any brand of fully cooked cocktail sausages
- Apple butter–I bought the Musselman’s brand
- Barbecue sauce–use your favorite brand, I used Sweet Baby Ray’s.
Steps
Add apple butter and barbecue sauce into a pot and stir. Stir in the Little Smokies.
Cover with a lid and heat over low heat. Cook for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Stir and serve.
Notes/Tips
- These are perfect for holiday parties, potlucks, football games and New Year’s Eve gatherings. Serve alongside cheese and crackers, chips and dip, sliders or a vegetable tray. Set out toothpicks for easy serving.
- After cooking, turn your slow cooker to the WARM setting and let guests serve themselves throughout the party.
- Apple butter is a thick, concentrated apple spread made with cooked apples, sugar and spices. It is different from applesauce and gives the sauce a richer flavor and thicker consistency. You can find it at the grocery store next to jams and spreads.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for 4 days. Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
- With 36 ounces of Little Smokies, this recipe should make approximately 18–24 appetizer servings, depending on what else you’re serving. You can easily cut this recipe in half for a smaller gathering.
- Other ways to use apple butter: spread it on toast, biscuits, English muffins or pancakes, swirl it into oatmeal or yogurt, use it as a filling for cinnamon rolls, or brush it onto pork chops or chicken as a sweet and tangy glaze.
- Tools:
- 4 quart slow cooker* or 6 quart slow cooker
- Magnetic measuring cups*
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
Crock Pot Apple Butter Little Smokies
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 18 appetizer servings 1x
Description
An easy 3-ingredient appetizer made with cocktail sausages, apple butter and barbecue sauce in the slow cooker or on the stove top. They’re sweet, smoky and perfect for parties, holidays and game day.
Ingredients
- 36 oz Little Smokies
- 1 cup apple butter
- 2/3 cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Add apple butter and barbecue sauce into a slow cooker and stir. Str in the Little Smokies.
- Cover and cook for 2-3 hours on low or 1½ hours on high.
- Stir and serve.
Stove Top Instructions
- Add apple butter and barbecue sauce into a pot and stir. Stir in the Little Smokies.
- Cover with a lid and heat over low heat.
- Cook for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.
- Stir and serve.
- Category: Sausage
- Method: Slow Cooking
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*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
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