Because I cannot let anything in this world just be.
I made a batch of surprisingly healthy apple butter.
I’m apparently in a butter mood — what else is new? This apple butter has just a touch of honey, a pinch of sea salt, a splash of apple cider, and a lot of warm spice. I left the peels on the apples for extra fiber and rustic texture.
Fine: also for a bit of laziness. You caught me.
So I had this wholesome apple butter — and what did I do with it? I put it in a milkshake.
I swirled it through ice cream and drizzled the shake with maple cream.
I both hate and love myself for this.
Last week we finally finished the last jar of apple butter we’d been saving since August, when we were in Michigan. I say “we” loosely — my husband practically labeled that jar with his name and guarded it like treasure.
No big deal. I hide snacks from him so I can have bites to myself. Shhhhh.
I had planned to make apple butter in the crockpot, until someone — me — broke it. After some online sympathy and a pumpkin scone to soothe the blow, I opted for stovetop apple butter. It was quick: about an hour for a small batch, which is perfect when you want just enough without having it languish in the fridge forever.
Stovetop apple butter yields a caramel-colored, deeply spiced spread in a fraction of the time. I made a small batch so we could enjoy it without getting tired of it — and, yes, because I wanted enough to swirl into milkshakes so there’d be none left for toast.
Small Batch Stovetop Apple Butter
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Ingredients
Small Batch Stovetop Apple Butter
- 4 apples, cored and chopped (peel left on if desired)
- 1/3 cup apple cider
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- a pinch of cloves
- a pinch of sea salt
Apple Butter and Maple Cream Vanilla Milkshakes
- 2 cups vanilla ice cream
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1/3 cup apple butter
- 1/4 cup maple cream or maple butter, plus more for drizzling
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- whipped cream for serving
- cinnamon to sprinkle on top
Instructions
Small Batch Stovetop Apple Butter
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Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and stir. Cook over low heat, covered, for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. After an hour the apples should be caramel-colored and broken down. Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth, or leave it a bit chunky if you prefer. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Apple Butter and Maple Cream Vanilla Milkshakes
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Blend all milkshake ingredients until smooth. Serve topped with whipped cream, a drizzle of maple cream, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
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I appreciate you so much!
It’s better like this anyway.