Brown Butter and Cinnamon Applesauce Recipe

By
Joshua Bousel
a photo of Joshua Bousel, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Updated Aug. 30, 2018
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Photographs: Joshua Bousel

Browned butter adds a distinct richness and overall nuttiness that melds with and complements the apples and cinnamon to make this an applesauce a step above the rest.

Recipe Details

Brown Butter and Cinnamon Applesauce Recipe

Active 20 mins
Total 45 mins
Makes 1 quart

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds Golden Delicious Apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
  • 2 pounds Fuji Apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed juice from 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • Kosher salt, to taste

Directions

  1. Place apples, cider, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer until apples are tender, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash with potato masher to desired consistency.

  2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter turns light golden brown.

  3. Stir butter into applesauce. Season with salt to taste. Let cool slightly then serve or place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or the the freezer for up to a year.

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