Apple Harvest Treats

This fall had one of the best apple harvests in a long time. Most Upstate NY farms reported a yield of large, sweet, crisp apples which means this year all the baked pies, crisps and other treats will be quite tasty! So what do you do with all the treasures you picked and can’t use them fast enough? I have a great solution for you. Easy Apple Butter!

When I have apples that are starting to get a little soft, I usually chop them up, skin and all, and throw into my  slow cooker to make applesauce. With the setting on low, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a splash of cider, this cooks for hours until it becomes a soft, thick sauce with chunks of apple. Not only does this taste good, it makes the house smell amazing too!

You may notice jars of different “butters” made with apple or pumpkin when visiting orchards or road-side stands; you may even see them while going through the grocery aisle. Believe it or not, this variety of butter is easy to make. Like, so easy in fact, you will say to yourself “Why haven’t I made this before?!” and the best part is you know exactly what is going into your food.

Now, some of you may be thinking there is no substitute for good old butter and you are correct. Butter is delicious. But if you are looking for an alternative to save some calories and fat or as a baking substitute, then this is a recipe for you. Did you know that 1 pat of butter (about a tablespoon) has 36 calories and 4.06 grams of fat vs. 1 tablespoon of apple butter having 15 calories and 0 grams of fat? Pretty awesome, right?

Where can you use Apple Butter as a substitute?

Easy toppings for pancakes, English muffins, toast, crackers, ice cream or a nice sauce for pork chops. You can use it for baking muffins or quick breads too!

Easy Apple Butter

10-12 medium apples, peeled and cut into chunks

¼ cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp. honey

¼ cup apple cider (or water)

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground cloves

Stove top: Place all ingredients in a Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. With an immersion blender, blend ingredients until smooth. Cook additional 15 minutes uncovered, until thick.

Store in Mason jars in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Easy Apple Butter also makes great gifts for Thanksgiving or the holidays!

If you like this recipe, you may want to try our delicious compound butters with herbs or sweet with vanilla!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We love making this treat with all of our leftover apples! We've linked to our favorite products throughout this post, but here is another chance to see what we use in our kitchen!