This roundup features 10 ways to use apple butter from appetizers, breakfast, entrees to desserts. There’s an apple butter recipe for any time of year!
You may be thinking: 10 ways to use apple butter in March? It’s not really apple season, Gina.
Yeah, I hear ya. It’s not really anything season in NY this time of year though (major eye roll) and while maybe an oddly timed post, I find condiments to be one of the few things that get me through this in between seasons time where everything feels gray, dreary and you start to lose hope that spring will ever actually arrive.
As far as condiments go, apple butter definitely makes my top 5 list (along with honey mustard, ketchup, sriracha and miso paste).
So what better way to celebrate it than a post dedicated to the best recipes that use it?
10 Ways To Use Apple Butter
*This post is in partnership with Musselman’s. All content and opinions are my own.
What Do I Do with Apple Butter?
Glad you asked! That’s what this post is for, to give you 10 uses for apple butter you might not have otherwise thought of.
- use it as a glaze or condiment on meats and seafood
- bake it into scones, muffins, bars and breads
- replace jelly or jam with it
- stir it into a bowl of oatmeal or yogurt
- add it to a charcuterie board
From a glaze to a condiment to an ice cream ingredient and cookie filling, there are so many fun ways to incorporate apple butter into almost any recipe.
It’s one of my faves partly because of its versatility.
It can go either sweet or savory, be used simply as a spread (like on these paleo pumpkin english muffins) to enhance flavors or, as an integral part of a recipe.
I think you’ll love these 10 apple butter recipes, enjoy!
Apple Butter Carrot Cake Oatmeal
Apple Butter Roasted Chicken
Apple Butter Bacon Scones
Turkey Cheddar Apple Butter Panini
Apple Butter Cacao Nib Rugelach
Apple Butter Pizza with Blue Cheese and Pancetta
Apple Butter Salted Caramel Bars
Cinnamon Apple Butter Cheesecake | Baked by Rachel
Apple Butter Pork Chops (One Pan Skillet Pork Chops with Apples) Recipe – The Cookie Rookie®
Slow Cooker Pork Loin with Vegetables
Now that you’ve taken a look at all those amazing apple butter recipes, you may have some lingering questions about the spread.
How is Apple Butter Different than Applesauce?
The difference between applesauce and apple butter is actually quite simple.
Apple butter is just cooked down longer. It becomes thick and glossy in appearance and the flavor is much more intense than applesauce.
Applesauce tends to be eaten alone or used in baking whereas apple butter is often treated as more of a condiment.
Either can be made with a variety of apples but if you’re curious which apples are the best for baking, we have a whole guide dedicated to that.
How Long Does Apple Butter Last?
Apple butter will stay good after opening the jar for about a year if kept refrigerated.
Trust me, I know this because I had a 32 ounce jar of it for at least that long in my fridge last year before we used it all up and I never saw the beginnings of mold like you undoubtedly would with applesauce in that timeframe!
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
Those apple butter salted caramel bars are calling my name!
This is such a delicious recipe! Can’t wait to try it!