Don't Turn Those Extra Apples Into Applesauce, Cook Them Down Into This Instead

A bowl of apples that needs to be used doesn't have to end up as applesauce. Cooking the fruit past that familiar stage produces apple butter, a thicker spread that works on toast, oatmeal, pancakes, muffins, and even alongside chicken or turkey.

Despite the name, apple butter doesn't require butter. This version from Nutrition in the Kitch combines apples with cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup, lemon juice, and water, then uses an Instant Pot to soften the fruit before cooking it down. Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, and Braeburn apples are all options, and the peels stay on.

Apple Butter Takes Apples Past the Applesauce Stage

Apple butter and applesauce start from the same fruit, but they don't stop at the same consistency. Applesauce retains more moisture and can be served once the cooked apples are soft and blended. Apple butter continues cooking until more of that moisture evaporates, leaving a concentrated spread.

For this recipe, the apples are cored and diced without peeling. Cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup, lemon juice, and water go in with the fruit before everything is transferred to the Instant Pot.

The apples pressure cook on high for 20 minutes. After cooking, the pressure releases on its own for 15 minutes before the remaining steam is vented.

Blending Isn't the Last Step

Once the lid comes off, an immersion blender turns the cooked apples into a smooth mixture. A standard blender also works, though the hot mixture needs to be transferred with care and returned to the Instant Pot afterward.

At this point, the apples may resemble applesauce, but the next step creates the texture that separates the two. The Instant Pot switches to its low sauté setting, and the blended apples cook under a glass lid for another 35 to 40 minutes.

Stirring every few minutes keeps the mixture moving as water cooks off. The apple mixture becomes thicker and more concentrated until it can hold up as a spread rather than a sauce.

Keep a Jar for Toast and More Than Breakfast

Once cooled, apple butter can take the place of jam or other fruit spreads on toast. It can also be spooned over oatmeal, added to muffins, or paired with pancakes.

Its use doesn't have to stop with sweet dishes. The combination of cooked apple and spices can work as a topping for baked chicken or turkey, much like a fruit chutney.