A silky, velvety homemade apple butter, delicately scented with cinnamon. Its natural sweetness comes from slowly simmered apples, with a touch of maple syrup to enhance their flavor. Perfect on toast, crepes, waffles, or to accompany a bowl of oatmeal. A comforting spread with autumn flavors, dairy-free and no butter.
Ingredients
- apples (about 6 to 8 apples), peeled, cored and cut into cubes
- (1/4 cup) maple syrup
- (1/4 cup) unsweetened apple juice or water
- (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- (1 tablespoon) lemon juice
- (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- salt
Instructions
- Place the cut apple cubes in a thick-bottomed pot. Add the maple syrup, apple juice, cinnamon, and salt. Stir gently.
- Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce to low heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are very tender.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking for another 10 minutes over low heat to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.
- Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Blend the mixture into a perfectly smooth puree using an immersion blender.
- Continue cooking uncovered for about 10 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently, until you achieve a thick, shiny, and spreadable texture.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 20 minutes. Transfer to clean, airtight jars, then refrigerate.
- McIntosh, Cortland or Empire apples provide a particularly creamy texture. A mix of sweet and tart apples gives a more balanced flavor.
- For a more intense flavor, gently extend the reduction by 10 to 15 minutes, stirring regularly.
- The texture thickens further as it cools. For a less sweet apple butter, reduce the maple syrup to 30 ml.
- Storage: up to 7 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container or about 3 months in the freezer. This recipe is not intended for ambient temperature canning without a validated preservation process.
