Name: Apple Butter BBQ Spareribs Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 420 min
Total time: 430 min
Ingredients: 3 pound Spareribs; salt and pepper (to taste); 9 ounces apple butter; 18 ounces BBQ sauce; 1 medium onion (sliced); 2 Gala apples (peeled and sliced)

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This post is sponsored by Musselman’s, but all opinions are our own.

We couldn’t believe how easy these slow cooker spareribs are to make, and especially how delicious. Musselman’s Apple Butter adds such an amazing sweet taste to every recipe, and makes these ribs absolutely amazing. The apple butter adds a delicious sweet taste to the savory meat of these apple butter barbecue spareribs. Musselman’s Apple Butter is the best part of the whole recipe.

It has the most amazing flavor and pairs great with meat. The apples also add the perfect sweetness to the BBQ flavor. This will definitely be added to your meal rotation.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

To make our slow cooker apple butter BBQ spareribs, you will need the following ingredients:

Spareribs
Salt and pepper
Apple butter
BBQ sauce
Onion
Gala apples

Equipment Needed

For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:

How to Make Our Slow Cooker Apple Butter BBQ Spareribs

Lightly spray your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
Salt and pepper both sides of your ribs to taste, then set them in the slow cooker.
In a medium size bowl, mix together the apple butter and barbecue sauce until well combined. Pour the sauce mixture over your ribs.
Top the sauced ribs with onion slices and apple slices.
Cover and cook on low for about 7 hours.
Serve with baby red potatoes and cooked carrots. So delicious!

Freezer Meal Modification

In a gallon-sized freezer meal bag, add all ingredients. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal bag closed. Place freezer bag into freezer and it will last 60-90 days. When ready to use, spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and dump ingredients from bag into slow cooker. Place the lid on top and cook on LOW heat for 8-9 hours or until ribs are completely cooked through (some slow cookers may take 7 hours and some may take longer). Follow the rest of the instructions as written.

Serving Suggestions

We recommend serving this recipe with our Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes, Oven Baked Green Beans, or our Mom’s Sweet Potatoes. You can find more classic American recipes here.

Enjoy More Delicious Pork Main Dishes

Whether you like your pork cooked in the slow cooker, grill, or Instant Pot, pork is one of the most versatile main dishes. Check out our comprehensive collection of pork main dishes here.

A plate of cooked meat with onions in a brown sauce, with a jar of apple butter and a pepper grinder in the background.

Apple Butter BBQ Spareribs Recipe

5 from 3 votes

These slow cooker apple butter BBQ spareribs are tender, savory, and glazed in a sweet apple butter and barbecue sauce.

6 servings

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 7

Total Time 7 10

Save Print Review Pin

Ingredients

Equipment

Instructions

Lightly spray your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
Salt and pepper both sides of your ribs to taste, then set them in the slow cooker.
In a medium size bowl, mix together the apple butter and barbecue sauce until well combined. Pour the sauce mixture over your ribs.
Top the sauced ribs with onion slices and apple slices.
Cover and cook on low for about 7 hours.
Serve with baby red potatoes and cooked carrots. So delicious!

Notes

You can substitute apple butter for apple sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 698 kcal · Carbohydrates: 63 g · Protein: 26 g · Fat: 38 g · Saturated Fat: 12 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 127 mg · Sodium: 1010 mg · Potassium: 712 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 50 g · Vitamin A: 233 IU · Vitamin C: 5 mg · Calcium: 66 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Video

Cuisine: American

Cost: $14

Author: Steph Loaiza

Course: Main Course

Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.

Questions & Reviews

Bunny says:

Looks delicious. Just curious…I know the brand of BBQ sauce makes a difference in the end result as all BBQ sauces are made with different and unique ingredients. What brand BBQ do you prefer when you make this recipe. Thanks

Cyd says:

Hi Bunny. I have made this many times and I have used all different kinds of BBQ sauce. I like the Sweet Baby Ray’s, KC Masterpiece, Stubbs, and Bullseye. I have even used store brands. I usually buy original, or honey and brown sugar flavors.

Kendrick says:

I found your blog from a friend and I am really enjoying reading it.
Great recipe by the way,
It looks so delicious and so easy to make.
I think they will taste great too.
I am going to try to cook them on Sunday for my family.
Thank You!

Cyd says:

Hi Kendrick. Thanks for your nice comment. This is such an easy recipe and tastes amazing. Have a great weekend and Sunday dinner! 🙂

Sara says:

I’ve never bought apple butter before. Is there a certain brand/kind to buy?

Cyd says:

We usually use Musselman’s Apple Butter. But any brand will work great.

Jessica says:

How many pounds of spare ribs?

Cyd says:

The full recipe is posted on the post. Just scroll down to the recipe and it’s all there.

Lori says:

Could this be made in the Instant pot? How much time? Any liquid added?

Cyd says:

Here is a post we did to help you convert recipes to instant pot. https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/how-to-convert-recipes-into-instant-pot-recipes/

Jennifer Natale says:

I have been using your recipes for years and have never been disappointed! I found you sister’s on pinterest. I have 5 children and needed simple, quick meals to make. So Thank you!

Cyd says:

Hi Jennifer. Thanks so much for stopping by our blog. We hope you enjoy our simple and easy recipes for your family. Have a terrific week.

Varun Sharma says:

Those Spareribs are looking amazing. Apple butter just makes them look so delicious.

Sue says:

I have what might be a dumb question, but I’ll ask anyway. The recipe says that this serves 6, but the video only shows 5 rather small pieces. Do I need to buy more ribs for everyone to eat at least one piece? haha Can they be more than two layers deep and still cook all the way through, or would they need to be rotated part way thru the cooking? Thank you.

Momma Cyd says:

It just depends on the cut of the ribs in the 3 pounds. You can gage by how many ribs come in your package. They can vary by a few ribs. If they overlap, just be sure the sauce is over all of it.

Bonnie says:

Are you using country style ribs? How can I oven bake the recipe? We don’t like BBQ sauce, can I use apple butter/apple sauce mix? Thanks!

Bobbi @ Six Sisters says:

The original recipe calls for spareribs, which generally have the bone still in them. However, you can substitute country style ribs, but they may need a little more cooking time to become tender. A recipe like this one: https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/easy-oven-baked-bbq-ribs-2-2/ will give a good guideline for how to cook them in the oven. The bbq sauce definitely adds seasoning, so while you could use apple butter and applesauce, the ribs would be pretty bland.

Join The Discussion

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Bunny says:

Looks delicious. Just curious…I know the brand of BBQ sauce makes a difference in the end result as all BBQ sauces are made with different and unique ingredients. What brand BBQ do you prefer when you make this recipe. Thanks
Cyd says:

Hi Bunny. I have made this many times and I have used all different kinds of BBQ sauce. I like the Sweet Baby Ray’s, KC Masterpiece, Stubbs, and Bullseye. I have even used store brands. I usually buy original, or honey and brown sugar flavors.
Kendrick says:

I found your blog from a friend and I am really enjoying reading it.
Great recipe by the way,
It looks so delicious and so easy to make.
I think they will taste great too.
I am going to try to cook them on Sunday for my family.
Thank You!
Cyd says:

Hi Kendrick. Thanks for your nice comment. This is such an easy recipe and tastes amazing. Have a great weekend and Sunday dinner! 🙂
Sara says:

I’ve never bought apple butter before. Is there a certain brand/kind to buy?
Cyd says:

We usually use Musselman’s Apple Butter. But any brand will work great.
Jessica says:

How many pounds of spare ribs?
Cyd says:

The full recipe is posted on the post. Just scroll down to the recipe and it’s all there.
Lori says:

Could this be made in the Instant pot? How much time? Any liquid added?
Cyd says:

Here is a post we did to help you convert recipes to instant pot. https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/how-to-convert-recipes-into-instant-pot-recipes/
Jennifer Natale says:

I have been using your recipes for years and have never been disappointed! I found you sister’s on pinterest. I have 5 children and needed simple, quick meals to make. So Thank you!
Cyd says:

Hi Jennifer. Thanks so much for stopping by our blog. We hope you enjoy our simple and easy recipes for your family. Have a terrific week.
Varun Sharma says:

Those Spareribs are looking amazing. Apple butter just makes them look so delicious.
Sue says:

I have what might be a dumb question, but I’ll ask anyway. The recipe says that this serves 6, but the video only shows 5 rather small pieces. Do I need to buy more ribs for everyone to eat at least one piece? haha Can they be more than two layers deep and still cook all the way through, or would they need to be rotated part way thru the cooking? Thank you.
Momma Cyd says:

It just depends on the cut of the ribs in the 3 pounds. You can gage by how many ribs come in your package. They can vary by a few ribs. If they overlap, just be sure the sauce is over all of it.
Bonnie says:

Are you using country style ribs? How can I oven bake the recipe? We don’t like BBQ sauce, can I use apple butter/apple sauce mix? Thanks!
Bobbi @ Six Sisters says:

The original recipe calls for spareribs, which generally have the bone still in them. However, you can substitute country style ribs, but they may need a little more cooking time to become tender. A recipe like this one: https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/easy-oven-baked-bbq-ribs-2-2/ will give a good guideline for how to cook them in the oven. The bbq sauce definitely adds seasoning, so while you could use apple butter and applesauce, the ribs would be pretty bland.