Slow Cooker Honey Apple Pork Loin with just five ingredients is a show stopping meal with none of the effort! Perfect for holiday dinners!
This Slow Cooker Honey Apple Pork is going to wow your Holiday guests with it’s flavor and presentation and it will be your best kept secret that it took you no time at all to make it. For other family-favorite Pork recipes, try my Flavorful Garlic Pork Roast or Herb Crusted Pork Loin.
Why You’ll Love This Pork Loin?
- Only takes 10 minutes of prep time and just 5 hours in the slow cooker to get a tender, juicy, flavorful main dish.
- Made to serve a crowd and can be prepared in the slow cooker or in the oven.
Sabrina’s Slow Cooker Honey Apple Pork Loin Recipe
Are you having a lot of holiday dinners? Do you have family in town, and you’re stressed about how you’re going to survive work, kids, family, and the holidays while playing hostess? This is the perfect dinner you’ll love serving to all of your guests. It takes 10 minutes to prep, and five hours later, you have a delicious meal ready and waiting for people to compliment you on. It is truly the perfect holiday dinner!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 4 pound pork loin , not tenderloin
- 1/2 teaspoon Flake Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Coarse Ground Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 4 Granny Smith apples , sliced in ¼ – ½ inch thick slices
- 2 sweet onions , sliced
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
- Using a small paring knife cut about a dozen apple length slits about three inches deep into the pork.
- Rub the pork loin with the salt, black pepper and cinnamon.
- Reserve just enough apple slices to place into the pork. Put the remaining apples and the onion slices into the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Place the reserved apple slices into the pork, one slice per opening.
- Place the pork loin over the apples and onions. Cover the pork in honey.
- Cook on low for 5 hours.
- To serve carve the pork into slices, serve with the apples and onions and a couple spoonfuls of the liquid (once you’ve rendered off the fat).
Nutrition
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Note from Sabrina
I tested all different kinds of onions, from white to yellow and red. I settled on sweet onions so the flavors didn’t fight with each other. Additionally, I also tested browning the loin vs. leaving it raw. I found that with the fat cap on top of the pork loin, it wasn’t really necessary to brown it because the fat was going to render out over time, and there was no skin to crisp.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
Slow Cooker Honey Apple Pork Loin seems like it should take a long time to make, but this meal comes together quickly and with hardly any effort! With just 10 minutes of prep, which most of that is spent on slicing apples, and then all you have to do after that is let the slow cooker do all the rest. This recipe is a mixture of my Lemon Salt Pork Loin and Honey Roasted Apples and a stuffed pork loin in a Food Network magazine that I saw. After a bit of research, I found the idea to stuff the top of the loin with apples. And so, this beautifully flavored slow cooker version was born. I keep it easy by adding some simple seasonings, like cinnamon, flake salt, and Black Pepper, in addition to the pork, onions, apples, and honey.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes, the perfect thing about this recipe is that it is ment to be made ahead of time. With all the extra stress of the holidays, it’s nice to have a dish that will feed a crowd but doesn’t keep you trapped in the kitchen and unable to visit. Get this going in the slow cooker about 6 hours before you plan on eating and it will be ready in time. You could also make this ahead of time, fully cool it, and portion it out into lunch containers with a tasty side for a hearty lunch.
Cooking Tips & Tricks
- Build a good base of apples and onions at the bottom of the slow cooker to keep the pork out of the liquid.
- You don’t want to overcook this dish. It only needs five hours on low; and if you cook it for any longer, you may end up with dry pork.
- Let the pork rest for 10-15 minutes after pulling it out of the slow cooker, before slicing, to let the juices redistribute throughout the meat.
- If you want, you can add the honey to the pork after cooking it, instead of during the cooking time.
Pairing Suggestions
Pair this juicy pork loin with some Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts. For starters before this impressive meal, serve your guests a light Arugula Salad and a small cup of Carrot Ginger Soup. And since it’s the Holidays and calories don’t count (right?), add some add on a Caramel Apple Crumb Cheesecake for dessert since you saved so much time not having to babysit the main dish.
How to Store
- Store: Place any leftover pork loin in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat portions in the oven or on the stovetop for best results. You can also microwave pieces but do it for 20-30 seconds at a time so you don’t over cook it and dry it out.
- Freeze: Transfer leftover pork to a freezer-safe bag or container. It will freeze well for up to 3 months. Take it out the night before you want to eat it again so that it can thaw and reheat per instructions above.
Ideas to Serve
You can make a gravy with the liquid in the slow cooker to serve over the top of the pork. Add the strained liquid to a saucepan to a cornstarch slurry (2 teaspoons room temperature water mixed with 2 teaspoons cornstarch) and cook on medium heat until thickened (3-4 minutes).
Oven Roasted Method
- Season the pork with cinnamon, salt and black pepper.
- Add the apples and sliced onions to a large Dutch pan or baking dish.
- Add in the sliced apples to the top with the seasoned pork loin and put it on the bed of apples and onions.
- Cook at 400 degrees for 55-65 minutes.
- Check that the internal temperature is 145°F on a thermometer.
- Let it rest for 10-15 minutes to let the juices redistribute.
- Serve and enjoy!
Variations
- Apples: I used Granny Smith apples because the tartness cuts through the sweetness of the honey. For a milder flavor, use Fuji or Honeycrisp.
- Potatoes: If you want to omit the onions or just add to them, you can use baby Yukon potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker. Diced sweet potatoes would also be another great addition.
- Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork: Instead of honey use ⅓ cup dark brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. This is another great flavor profile that will pair well with the pork and apples.
- Cranberries: You can add a cup of fresh or frozen cranberries to the bottom of the slow cooker. These tart little berries also help make the dish look even more festive.
Related Recipes
More Tasty Pork Loin Recipes
Photos used in previous posts:
My family and I thought this was wonderful! I was hesitant about the cinnamon but it was great and the pork was not dry! Yum! I’m fixing it tomorrow for a potluck! Yum!
What would be the cook time on a pound and a half pork loin
Made this today!! Sooooooo good! Moist and tasty!! Will definitely be making again!
I have a ton of apple sauce we made last fall. Could I use that with the sliced apples. I’m trying to use it up before this years crop comes. Thanks!
Wouldn’t making slits into the pork dry it out? I would think the “juices” from the meat would hold better if left uncut?
I must agree I made this for our Easter dinner and followed the recipe exactly. It was very bland and had no flavor at all. I will also not make this again.
I’m sorry it didn’t live up to your expectations. You can always adjust the seasoning to fit more to your liking.
I added chicken stock and used a dry rub to add flavor and make it less dry. I also didn’t do the apple slices in the pork and honestly it’s amazing!
Do you need to core the aples
Yes, core the apples.
Going to make this for Christmas. Could only find a 4lb pork loin roast. What adjustments would I need to do in order to make in crockpot?
This recipe was made with a 4 pound pork loin roast so no adjustments needed. Enjoy!
IM about to try this but mix two of your recipes together. I want to try wrapping it with bacon after adding the apple slices. Should i use the brown sugar or honey for this?
Both sound amazing! Enjoy!
Wasn’t very flavorful. I followed the recipe exactly and it came out super bland. I had to doctor it up before serving in order to make it enjoyable enough to eat. Could use some brown sugar and some thyme or rosemary while cooking and much more s n p and cinnamon. The thankfully meat did come out very tender.
I’m glad you were able to customize it more to your liking and that it was tender for you.
This recipe is fabulous! The pork is delicious and tender and comes out perfect every time. I actually use a hand blender to blend the onions and apples at the end to make a sauce- absolutely delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jen.
I made this last night and it was phenomenal. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Gonna give this a try tonight. Except, I’m going to use a 3.11# boneless pork loin roast with minced garlic, bacon, Granny Smith apples, and black pepper and not slit it. Will try to post results afterward.
Last night bacon was frozen. So I just put the roast into the crockpot. Set it for 5 hours and also inserted a meat thermometer set for 145 degrees.
As far as prep….
Rinsed 3.11# boneless pork loin roast and patted dry with paper towels.
Slit across top from end to end apx. 1” deep.
Drizzled apx. 3 tbs minced garlic liquid from jar across the top end to end.
Inserted 2 1/8” slices of Granny Smith apple into each slit.
Wrapped top and around sides and part of the bottom with bacon.
Layered crockpot with 1/4” slices of yellow onion and placed prepped roast on top.
I will try to post my family’s average opinion tomorrow. Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020.
Just found your website. This dish was savory and had a bit of sweet. I did not use onions, but used potatoes. It is very creative to accomplish a beautiful savory/sweet dish. I will be making this again. Good job young lady.
Thanks for the 5 stars.
Want to make this for Christmas. Could not find pork loin but got a 4 lb pork loin roast. What changes would I need to make to do this in crockpot?
It’s the same 🙂 Enjoy!
Made this in the slow cooker and it was absolutely delicious!! The only modification we made is that we doubled the rub ingredients (cinnamon, salt and pepper). Otherwise it was JUST PERFECT. Making it again tonight in the oven — hoping and anticipating the results to be just the same. Will cover with foil for the first 30 minutes and then uncover for the rest of time.
Can you do all the prep the night before, including the apples?
Yes but make sure that the apples aren’t exposed (push them all the way into the slits) so they don’t oxidize. Enjoy!
I just put this in the slow cooker, but all I had was a bone-in pork loin. Should I adjust the cook time in my slow cooker?
So sorry I didn’t see this until now, hope it turned out! You would want to adjust the time slightly.
Very bland. Though the pork was moist, none of the seasoning flavor came through. We couldn’t even taste the cinnamon or honey.
I’m so sorry that it wasn’t to your taste. I wonder if there was too much liquid from the pork that didn’t allow the seasoning to sink in.
I have 2 1.5ish pound pork loin rib end roast, will they work for this recipe? And how much should I adjust the cook time. I can only use the slow cooker atm.
It will probably only need to cook 3-4 hours. Enjoy!
Followed this recipe exactly as written and it was not good. Smelled great but the meat was dry (yes I made the exact weight of pork and cooked for the time recommended) and the flavor was bland. Will not make this again.
Sorry it didn’t live up to your expectation.
When you recommend cooking times (in the comment section) for different size loins- you might mention slow cooker or oven. I saw a ? Where you said 20-25 minutes per lb. I assumed that was oven-not slow cooker (referring to your reply to kelse in march)
That is correct, that’s the oven timing.
I must agree I made this for our Easter dinner and followed the recipe exactly. It was very bland and had no flavor at all. I will also not make this again.
I’m sorry it didn’t live up to your expectations. You can always adjust the seasoning to fit more to your liking next time.
Why can’t this be done with tenderloin?
Pork tenderloin is best cooked quickly over fairly high heat, while pork loin is better for slow-roasting or grilling methods.
If I am cooking a 2.2 lb pork tenderloin, should I half the time?
The recommended cook time is 20-25 minutes per pound. I would use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
Would this recipe work by using a 10.69 lb Pork Butt Roast?
Yes though with that size you’ll probably need to use the oven method. Enjoy!
When you recommend cooking times (in the comment section) for different size loins- you might mention slow cooker or oven. I saw a ? Where you said 20-25 minutes per lb. I assumed that was oven-not slow cooker
Sabrina, I am hoping to try this recipe tomorrow on a Pork Tenderloin. I’m assuming I need to cook longer, but my question is, do you have the full nutritional information available? One of my family members is on a low sodium diet.
Thanks in advance.
P.S. I’m cooking this anyway, I’ll use my temperature probe to test for correct internal temperature, and I will remove any additional salt, but your input would be great. Thanks again
I just updated the recipe card to show the nutritional information. It calculates from a program so if it’s a strict diet, you may need to calculate on your own to double check. Hope this helps! Enjoy!
Thank you so much for the nutrition info. We have two type 1 diabetes in the family and need to count carbs per meal to allow for insulin. We really appreciate it!
I’m all out of regular honey but I have ancho Chile honey. Do you think it would taste okay? It’s not a strong flavor.
Sounds delicious!
My pork loin has a fairly thick fat all over the top which I leave up in the crockpot. My question is do you put the apple slices on top into the fat or should I just leave fat side down?
You can trim up the fat a bit if needed but you’ll slice into it to place your apples in the fat cap. You’ll want to cook it fat side up. Hope this helps!
Hi, My grocer only had small meat portions, so I have two 1.5 pound pieces. How long should I cook it for? Thanks!
I would recommend baking it at 375° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until thermometer registers 160°. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Hope this helps!
I want to make this today. I normally cook with fat on top so the meat stays moist. Do you put the fat side up or down in the crockpot for this recipe.
Totally agree! Fat side up. 🙂
My family loved this recipe! The 5 hours on low was perfect timing. Made a delicious gravy too!
So glad you all enjoyed it, Debbie! Thanks for the 5 stars.
Hi, Sabrina, this looks delicious, and I am looking forward to making it. Someone in the comments asked about the rendering, and you said this will happen during the cooking. I am thrown off though by step 9 in the recipe, and just want to double check that there isn’t another step I am missing since “rendering” is a new term to me. Thank you!
It just means to separate the fat from the liquid. You can either use a strainer to separate or if making the next day, put it in the refrigerator overnight and skim it off the top. Hope this helps!
This is an awesome recipe!! The cooking time is right on – the roast was cooked perfectly. I added some chopped up bacon to the onion and apple mix, as well as draped some over the top of the roast. I used spiced paprika, onion powder, cinnamon, cracked pepper, and a bit of garlic salt with the honey on the roast and on the onions and apples. I also tossed a bit of brown sugar and Dijon mustard in the apple onion mix. The apples disintegrated while cooking, so I was able to spoon that mixture over the pork slices when serving. SO< SO GOOD!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Brooke! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know!
Can I use potatoes instead of onions in the crockpot?
Sure 🙂
My family loved this dish and they are some of the pickiest eaters that you so much!
I take this as a huge compliment! Thank you!
Would you advise searing the meat first, before placing in the Slow Cooker
No need to sear the meat. Enjoy!
I’ve made this several times. Always turns out, always DELICIOUS!!! one of my favorite recipes.
Aw, thanks Kristie! I’m so glad it’s a favorite.
I used apples and peaches together…just put it in the crock pot. I’ll let you know how it turns out! Thanks for this recipe. I’m excited to see how it turns out. Smells awesome already!
The peaches will break down faster, so they’ll probably be mushy by the time it’s done cooking, but I bet the flavor combination will be delicious!
If you make this is a Dutch oven do you cover while cooking or leave uncovered?
You’ll want to cover it. 🙂
What do you do with the honey if you bake this?
Add the honey to the pork after it’s finished cooking.
But the recipe calls for the honey to be put on the pork and then cooked?
Just to clarify….No additional liquid besides what the ingredient list includes.
How do you render the fat?
Thanks 🙂
The fat will render out through the cooking process.
Is this an oven recipe? Do you use any liquid like stock or does the liquid build up while cooking?
Thanks!
This is a slow cooker recipe and no liquid is needed. The pork loin will release liquids during the cooking process. Enjoy!
Do you put the slow cooker in the oven for this recipe? Probably not, I’m just a bit confused since you don’t put any liquid (like stock) into the cooker…the liquid probably builts up?
I’ll try it out this Christmas! 🙂
You’ll be cooking this all in a slow cooker. No need to add any liquid as the pork loin will release liquids while it cooks. I hope you enjoy it!
How long would you cook a 2 lb roast without drying out?
3-4 hours 🙂
If I wanted to make a 2 lb roast, how long should I cook it to not dry out?
For a 2 pound roast, you’ll want to cook it 3-4 hours depending on your crock pot. Some run hotter than others.
If I only want to use a 2 lb pork loin, how long should I cook it for so it doesn’t dry out?
You’ll want to cook it on low 3-4 hours.
I love slow cooker roasts! Can’t wait to try this one!
I hope you enjoy it!
I want this for dinner!
It’s so good!!
I always love reading your tips! Great advice on the apple choice!
Thanks Dorothy!
Best looking pork loin I’ve ever seen!
Thanks Amanda!
we love pork at our house, so I’m always looking for new recipes…….and extra points if it’s slow cooker!!
It’s great to switch up the menu to keep it fresh!
This is such a great idea! I love the apples stuffed in there!
Thanks Krista!
I gotta pull my slow cooker out for this!!
Definitely! I hope you enjoy it!