20 Best Crab Apple Recipes

Try these crab apple recipes when you aren’t sure what to make with them!

Looking for a new way to enjoy apples? Crab apples might be the perfect solution!

With a tart and slightly sweet flavor, they make a great addition to all sorts of dishes.

There are only so many times I have the patience and desire for apple pie. 

Apples are so functional and work beautifully in sweet and savory dishes with a candied and tangy taste.

Let’s get down to business with this ingenious list of 25 recipes that elevate crab apples.

1. Slow Cooker Crab Apple Butter

Need to use up large quantities before they rot? This apple butter is perfect for when your apples have softened or are too bitter to enjoy in a dish.

Cut them up and place them in a slow cooker with water, sugar, and lemon juice.

Mash it all together with an immersion blender, season with some cinnamon, and store for up to 6 months.

2. Homemade Crab Apple Jelly

Not into apple butter? Take a stab at this homemade crab apple jelly.

Consider this a side project to span a few days, as this dish might take you a bit to get just right.

After properly extracting the juice from the crab apples, you’ll cook it on the stovetop with sugar till it reaches its jelly-like consistency.

Need a thoughtful gift? Wrap a bow on a personal-sized jar to make the cutest present!

3. Crab Apple Crisp

I’ve always referred to apple crisp as the sleepy apple pie, and that’s why it’s so beloved.

No need to peel the apples, just slice and add to an oven dish and cover with your crumbling topping.

Bake it to perfection and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate dessert.

4. Spiced Pickled Crab Apples

I knew you can ferment fruits, but I had never thought of pickled apples!

This recipe breaks the mold by jarring spears of crab apple that have been cooked in apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

Make the most of nature’s bounty!

5. Fall Crab Apple Jam

This fall chunky apple jam might actually stop me from overdosing on pumpkin everything this autumn season!

This recipe includes a blend of rosehips along with ginger and orange slices for an aromatic and indulgent jam fit for your epic charcuterie board.

6. Crab Apple Fruit Leather

Are you dying to toss out those pesky fruit roll-ups your kid can’t stop eating? Try this tempting fruit leather.

Sound like too much work? Don’t worry, you won’t be biting more off than you can chew.

Simply put together a basic apple sauce, dehydrate it, and boom, homemade candy.

7. Caramel Crab Apple

As much as I love a caramel apple at the festival, I can barely finish it.

Crab apples are the perfect option for petite and fun caramel apples you can even serve as finger food.

These cuties are dipped in homemade caramel sauce and rolled in tiny chocolate chips.

8. Crab Apple Sauce

Enjoy this crafty sauce for breakfast or as a nutritious snack for your children. It’s simple in prep and ingredients, using only the apples, water, and cane sugar.

Pro tip: repurpose your apples again by using the sauce in a bread recipe or in oatmeal!

9. Overnight Crab Apple Juice

There’s no need for a juicer for this recipe, just a cheesecloth!

With a handful of crab apples, water, sugar, and cream of tartar, all you have to do is pour the mixture over the apples and let it seep overnight.

Drain it using the cheesecloth in the morning, and enjoy a refreshing glass with your morning meal.

10. Crab Apple Liqueur

Looking for a more festive way to enjoy your pile of heirloom apples?

Try crab apple two ways in this recipe that creates a chutney and chilled liqueur. Use the chutney on your holiday cheese plate or to season a pork roast.

Pair it with the vodka-based liqueur for a sweet and fruity martini all of your family will love.

11. Honey-Spiced Crab Apple Syrup

I beg your pardon, strawberries, but you’re not the only fruit used in syrups. That’s right, even crab apples can do the job.

Mix your apples with water, honey, cinnamon, and vanilla, and bring it all to a boil. The result is a velvety syrup you can pour on pancakes, waffles, or French toast.

12. Crab Apple Cake

Similar to a tart, prepare this flaky pastry and fruity filling with just a few ingredients.

This makes for a light and airy treat that satisfies your sweet tooth and is irresistible with a morning cup of coffee.

13. Crab Apple Yogurt Bundt Cake

This star-shaped bundt cake is straight out of a food magazine.

It stands proud with its rose-colored hue and tangy twist, and it will shock your tastebuds into a food coma.

Sprinkle powdered sugar on top with fresh raspberries for an unforgettable dessert.

14. Crab Apple Pie Bars

Crab apples show off in these crumbly and gooey apple pie bars. 

Marvel at the incredible layers created with an unreal shortbread base, applesauce filling, and oatmeal topping.

It’s the perfect family baking activity and a seductive treat when a late-night craving strikes.

15. Crab Apple Fritters

If I had to choose my final meal, it’s entirely possible it would be these apple fritters.

My last moments would be filled with true euphoria as I sink my teeth into fluffy dough stuffed with cinnamon apple filling and drizzled with glaze.

16. Crab Apple Bread

Sometimes, I don’t have much of an appetite in the morning, so a slice of bread with a cup of joe is just enough to fuel my day.

So grab some butter and slather it on this apple bread before heating it up in a skillet..

You’ll have a warm, sweet, and soft breakfast loaded with crab apple, candied orange slices, and nuts.

17. Crab Apple Raisin Muffins

I give you the world’s best homemade snack option. These bad boys are spongy and flavorful and are easy to store and freeze.

Forget dishing out cash to enjoy snacks at the theme park or the lake, these apple raisin muffins are here to save the day.

18. Crab Apple Hot Pepper Jelly

Grab a tall glass of milk because this jelly brings the heat.

An excellent addition to your pork or chicken marinade or as an appetizer with cream cheese and crackers, it’s got a kick that’s sure to break a sweat.

19. Crab Apple Pie

We wouldn’t leave this one off the list!

Cooked in a deep dish, this pie is robust and isn’t for the faint of heart. 

Using brown sugar in the pastry as well as the filling makes it a madly addictive dessert that you might need the help of two spoons for.

20. Crab Apple Strawberry Tart

Okay, I talked a little smack about strawberries earlier, but it’s clearly water under the bridge.

This recipe prides itself in the crispy but doughy crust that circles around its open fruit tart center, displaying crab apple, strawberry, and sliced almonds.