Apple butter is a tasty topper for oats or peanut butter toast and makes for a nutritious, naturally sugar free substitute to sugar, jam or syrup. Made with cinnamon, this apple butter is easy to prepare and adds great flavour without the need for added sugar.
Adding sugar to cereals, porridge, teas and coffees can add up to a large intake of empty and unnecessary energy. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a limited intake of free sugars of less than 10% of total energy intake. A free sugar intake of less than this has been associated with reduced risk for obesity and obesity related diseases. WHO suggests that an intake of less than 5% total energy from free sugars will result in increased health benefits.
Free sugars are described as glucose, fructose, sucrose and table sugar (white or brown) added to foods or beverages during manufacture, at restaurants or in home preparation. Free sugars also include natural sugars found in syrups, honey, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.
Reducing sugar is easy for some but not so easy for others. Opt for natural sugars found in fruit as a sweetener. Date paste is an alternative to this apple butter and can be used in the same way.
Note: this recipe can be prepared in a slow cooker, on a stove top or in a pressure cooker
Apple Butter
By Published: Oct 21, 2013
- Yield: ~ 600 ml
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 2 hrs 30 mins
- Ready In: 2 hrs 45 mins
A great baking ingredient and breakfast condiment for toast and muffins, it is also the best sugar free flavouring for oats porridge that I've sampled... Note: the yield will vary depending on the size of the apples used. This apple butter can be stored in the fridge for 3 weeks.
Ingredients
- 5 whole assorted apples unpeeled
- 1 whole pear unpeeled
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Chop the apples and place in the slow cooker with the water, lemon juice an cinnamon. Cook on high for 2 hours.
- Using a stick blender, blend the cooked apples into a puree. Allow to cook for a further 30 minutes.
- Turn the slow cooker off and allow the apples to cool for 20 minutes. Blend again until smooth. Add more cinnamon and sweetener to taste if desired.
- Decant the apple butter into sterilized glass jars and store in the fridge.
