Apple Butter.

Butter...

No, just kidding. Despite the name, apple butter does not contain butter. I know, I know. But it's still equally delicious. The taste of apple butter takes me back to when I was a child as multiple family members of mine have made it throughout the years. I'm pretty sure it's a southern thing. If you have yet to try it, you're missing out. It's like a thick, sweet, cinnamon-y applesauce that goes great on so many things.
Most apple butter recipes call for a large amount of sugar; at least two cups. But since I limit my sugar intake as much as possible, I wanted a healthier apple butter that I could eat large amounts of. So I made my own no-sugar-added version. Apples have enough sugar in them to make the butter sweet. In this no-sugar-added recipe, there are about 20 calories per tablespoon. I also cut out a lot of the cooking time, most of it actually. If you looked up apple butters, you would find that most recipes call for 15 hours in the crock pot or a few hours of simmering in a pot on the stove. Mine took me less than 45 minutes. 
I win. 

So here it is. This recipe is great during the fall and holiday seasons as apple are prevalent during this time. You can experiment with different types of apples. You can also use multiple types in the same batch. 

What you will need:

13 Gala Apples
1 Cup No Sugar Added Apple Juice
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Cloves 
1/2 tsp Apple Pie Spice

Cut all apples into quarters, removing the core and seeds. DO NOT PEEL. Slice the quarters again so that each apple is now in eight slices. When all apples are cut and cored, add into a large pot. Next add all spices and 1/2 cup of apple juice. Cover pan with lid and cook on medium heat for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, remove lid and use a wooden spoon to mash the apples. Cook for 15 additional minutes uncovered. If at any point the apple mixture gets dry and begins to stick to the pan add remaining 1/2 cup apple juice. 
Apple butter is done when consistency is thick. When it reaches that point, remove from heat. Add contents of the pot into a blender or food processor and puree. 
Once the apple butter is cooled, add to jars or whatever containers you have and refrigerate.

Cooking Tip: With any food, try your best not to refrigerate it while it's still hot. Let it cool on the counter first. The more it's cooled before it's refrigerated, the longer it last. Just don't let your food sit out longer than 4 hours. That's when you begin entering the danger zone. 

 

What I Eat My Apple Butter With:

Whole Wheat Bagel Thins and Peanut Butter

Toasted Whole Wheat/Ezekiel Bread

Mix In with an Plain Oatmeal Packet

Add 2 Tbsp to Your Cottage Cheese

Add on Top of Your Baked Sweet Potato

Sometimes I just sit on my couch with a spoon and eat it out of the jar...:)

Enjoy!!

-RB Xx