A Grateful Meal

Brunch

Vanilla Overnight Oats Recipe

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These Vanilla Overnight Oats are creamy and silky with a classic vanilla flavor and make for the perfect easy and quick breakfast. They can be topped off with your favorite toppings.

Overnight oats have become a big thing in the last several years, and I can see why. Breakfast is a meal most of us struggle with, especially those of us (including me!) that aren’t morning people. I love taking my time with breakfast on the weekends, but I often need and want something a little quicker during the week. These Vanilla Overnight Oats are literally just assembly, no cooking or heating required. The liquid is soaked up in the oats overnight, doing the work to soften the oats that cooking them on the stovetop in the morning would normally do. I like to eat them cold, but if cold breakfasts aren’t your thing, you can certainly microwave it a bit in the morning just to take the chill off.

An overview of the top of the vanilla overnight oats with berries on top and a napkin and spoon on the side and oats scattered around.

Ingredients

Vanilla kefir: Kefir is a probiotic (healthy bacteria) drink that is essentially fermented milk. It is similar to a drinkable yogurt (which you can substitute if you have trouble finding kefir). However, kefir typically contains a lot more probiotics than yogurt. I love the vanilla flavor since I can really customize my toppings for the overnight oats, but feel free to try a different flavor if you’d like.

Old-fashioned rolled oats: This is my preferred choice for oats. You can use other types, but there are drawbacks. Instant oats may get too soggy, and steel-cut may remain a little chewy. The rolled oats are the perfect middle ground. Oats are also a great source of fiber, which is a prebiotic – more on that later.

Vanilla extract: This obviously will give it just a touch more vanilla flavor. As always, use the real stuff; the imitation version may give it a slightly off-flavor.

Honey: This is optional if you have a very sweet kefir. I find most kefir to be pretty low on the sweetness, so I like to add a touch extra sweetness for flavor and satisfaction.

Toppings: For the photos I used berries, but feel free to customize. I like to make sure that my breakfast has a combination of carbs, protein, and fats for adequate satiety and satisfaction to fuel my day. The kefir has some protein, but you can boost this by adding nuts or nut butters like peanut butter, almond butter, etc. Nuts are a great source of fat as well. The oats have fiber-rich carbs, but I like to round it out a bit more with some fresh fruit.  You can also add in some other fun ingredients for toppings like chocolate chips, shredded coconut, or jam (like this chia seed jam, which is rich in omega-3s and fiber).

A jar of vanilla overnight oats with berries on a top and on the side on a wooden cutting board and a white and blue napkin on the side. White subway tile is in the background. A spoon is resting on top of the jar with oats and a blueberry on the spoon.

Benefits of Combining Probiotic and Prebiotic Foods

One of the best things about this recipe is that it combines probiotic (healthy bacteria from the kefir) with prebiotic foods (fiber from the oats). We need good bacteria to populate our guts for a healthy immune system and digestion, and prebiotic foods like the fiber from the oats help feed the good bacteria. Both of these can help keep our digestive systems regular and functioning well. Probiotics and prebiotics are the perfect symbiotic relationship.

A jar of vanilla overnight oats with berries on a top and on the side on a wooden cutting board and a white and blue napkin on the side. White subway tile is in the background.

How to Make Vanilla Overnight Oats

This section will be short and sweet because there isn’t much to it. Simply mix all of the ingredients in a container. I like to use old jars with lids. Then refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top off with your favorite toppings, and off you go. It’s okay to leave the jar for an extra day or so; just know that it’ll be a little soggier, but then again, it is oatmeal, and that’s basically its texture. If it looks a little dry when you remove it from the fridge, you can always add a little bit of milk or more kefir and stir it up until it is your preferred consistency.

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Vanilla Overnight Oats

A jar of vanilla overnight oats with fruit and a spoon on a wooden cutter board and a white and blue napkin along with white subway tile in the background.

These Vanilla Overnight Oats are creamy and silky with a classic vanilla flavor and make for the perfect easy and quick breakfast. They can be topped off with your favorite toppings.

  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 hours
  • Total Time: 8 hours
  • Yield: 1 jar or container 1x
  • Category: breakfast, oats, overnight oats, brunch
  • Method: no-cook

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup vanilla kefir (or yogurt drink)
  • ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp. honey (optional)
  • Toppings: fruit, shredded coconut, chocolate chips, seeds, nuts, and/or nut butters

Instructions

  • In a jar or container with a lid, mix together all of the ingredients except for the toppings.
  • Refrigerate overnight (or at least a few hours), then serve cold with your favorite toppings. 

Keywords: breakfast, oats, vanilla overnight oats, brunch

Oat Flour Pancakes Recipe [Gluten Free]

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This post contains links that pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

This Oat Flour Pancakes recipe makes the fluffiest oat flour pancakes you’ll ever have! Plus, these pancakes are gluten-free to boot.

I thought I needed to try out some oat flour recipes, so I decided to try out an oat flour pancake recipe. They turned out so fluffy! I really love how these turned out. I absolutely love the texture that the oat flour gives the pancakes. It’s slightly chewy and has a nutty flavor from the oats. Plus, oat flour is gluten-free, so if you can’t have gluten, this recipe is perfect for you. Recently, my brother was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, so I’ve really wanted to do more experimenting with gluten-free recipes like this pancake recipe.

A plate of gluten free oat flour pancakes topped with berries and yogurt with butter, oats, syrup, a blue and white napkin, and silverware on the side on a white background.

Ingredients for Oat Flour Pancakes

Oat flour: Technically, oats are gluten-free, but they are often subject to gluten cross-contamination, so if you’ll need to buy gluten-free oats if you want this recipe to be gluten-free. I make my own oat flour rather than buying it ready-made. You’ll need 3 cups of oats to make about 2 ½ cups of oat flour that this recipe calls for. See the notes section of the recipe for more info on making your own oat flour.

Sugar: Just a little bit of sweetness goes a long way in pancakes. You can also sub in honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar. If you do make the substitution to a liquid sweetener, whisk it into the wet ingredients.

Salt: You’ll need just a touch of salt to balance the sweetness.

Baking powder: This gives the pancakes the rise and fluff of the perfect pancakes.

Egg: Eggs are necessary for binding the batter together.

Unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so that I can better control the salt. If you use salted butter, you’ll probably want to omit the salt in the recipe.

Milk: Any type of milk will work, but I like milk with a little bit of fat in it to help tenderize the pancakes.

Vanilla extract: This gives the pancakes a really nice flavor, but feel free to use another extract like almond if you prefer.

How to Make Oat Flour Pancakes

Making oat flour pancakes is super easy. You’ll mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Then whisk the wet ingredients separately, then add to the dry mixture. Once everything is mixed together, you’ll have the consistency of pancake batter, and you’re ready to fry up your pancakes. I typically use a non-stick pan to make pancakes, but I still like to put a little bit of butter in the pan for flavoring. You can also use spray oil if you prefer.

A fork with a bite of gluten free oat flour pancakes taken out of a stack of pancakes. The pancakes are topped with yogurt and berries. On side side there is a butter knife, a butter dish and a blue and white napkin. The background is a white subway tile backsplash.

Tips for Working with Oat Flour

If you’re like me, you’ll just want to make your own oat flour from old-fashioned rolled oats rather than buying oat flour. To do that, you’ll just need to pulse oats in a food processor or blender until it’s the consistency of flour.  About 3 cups of oats will yield about 2 ½ cups of oat flour, but you’ll want to measure the oat flour for the recipe just to be sure.

Also, this oat flour pancake batter will thicken the longer that it sits. So you might find that the batter is thicker and harder to spread the longer it sits. It’s okay, though. All you need to do is add 1-2 tbsp. of water to the batter and whisk again to bring it back to a more spreadable batter.

Toppings for Pancakes

I love mixing and matching my toppings on pancakes. Options that you may like to try to mix and match:

  • Fresh or frozen fruit
  • Fruit compote or jams (this Strawberry Chia Jam would be really good)
  • Coconut
  • Nuts or nut butters (this Banana Nut Butter would be awesome!)
  • Classic maple syrup and butter
  • Yogurt
  • Whipped cream
  • Chocolate chips

If you make the recipe, share it on social and tag me! You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

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Oat Flour Pancakes Recipe [Gluten Free]

A stack of gluten free oat flour pancakes with yogurt and berries on top. Maple syrup is dripping down the sides of the pancakes. On side there is a napkin and a butter dish with white subway tile in the background.

This Oat Flour Pancakes recipe makes the fluffiest oat flour pancakes you’ll ever have! Plus, these pancakes are gluten-free to boot.

  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 10–15 pancakes 1x
  • Category: breakfast, brunch, pancakes, gluten free

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups gluten-free oat flour (see notes)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 egg 
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 ½ cup milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • Butter or spray oil, if desired
  • Toppings of choice: fruit, jam, shredded coconut, nut butter, butter, maple syrup, whipped cream, chocolate chips, yogurt, etc. 

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (oat flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder). In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together egg, melted butter, milk, and vanilla extract. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. 
  2. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Spray with oil or butter the pan, if needed/desired. Using ¼ or ½ cup measuring cups (depending on the desired size), pour the batter into the pan, spreading the batter flat. Cook until you see bubbles at the outer corners. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat until all of the batter is used. If batter in the bowl thickens while cooking pancakes, add 1-2 tbsp. of water to the batter and stir until consistency is like pancake batter.  
  3. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Notes

If you don’t have oat flour, you can make oat flour by blending old-fashioned rolled oats in the food processor or blender until fine or a flour-like consistency. About 3 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats will yield about 2 ½ cups of oat flour. 

Keywords: breakfast, brunch, pancakes, gluten free

Sourdough French Toast

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This Sourdough French Toast is everything you want in a French toast recipe but with extra flavor thanks to sourdough bread.

Breakfast and brunch are some of my favorite meals, so let’s talk French toast. With French toast, you want warm spiced, crispy on the outside, custardy in the middle, and this recipe has all of that and more. Making French toast with sourdough bread helps make the taste just a little more complex. You won’t taste a super-strong tangy taste, but more of a milder, complex flavor to the French toast.

Judging by how many people were swept away by making sourdough during quarantine, I’m willing to bet there’s a lot of people out there with a surplus of sourdough bread. So, here’s a great way to use it up! Plus, you can still use this French toast recipe for other types of bread. I like to use bread that is a little on the stale side that I wouldn’t want to make a sandwich with, but making it into French toast gives it new life.

Close up of sourdough french toast with strawberries, blueberries, and yogurt on top on a white plate.

Ingredients

Milk: I used cow’s milk, but I recommend using whatever milk you like best. If you use plant-based milk, opting for a flavored one like vanilla can give a little extra flavor. Using one with a little bit of fat also helps with the French toast’s flavor and texture.

Eggs: This is what helps make that custard-like center of the French toast.

Spices and flavors: Cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt are needed for this recipe, but feel free to adjust to your preference. Any warm baking spices would work like pumpkin pie spice, clove, cardamom, etc. Use what you have on hand; just be mindful that the more strongly smelling (like clove) the spice, the less you’ll want to use. If you’re feeling a little extra, you can sub in bourbon or hazelnut flavored liquor instead of the vanilla extract.

Maple syrup: Putting just a touch of sweetness from maple syrup into the soaking batter really brings out the flavor. I used maple syrup since I planned on eating the syrup on top later but feel free to substitute other sweeteners like honey, agave nectar, or regular old sugar.

Sourdough bread: As I mentioned above, I really like the flavor that sourdough provides, but you can substitute other types of bread if you’d like or if it’s what you have on hand.

Tips and How to Make Sourdough French Toast

Sourdough French toast is relatively easy to make. It merely involves whisking your eggs, milk, spices, and flavorings together and allowing the bread to soak in the mixture, followed by a sear on each side of the bread in a pan. One of the best tips is to make sure that the middle part of your bread really takes in the egg mixture. The drier your bread, the longer you’ll want to soak it. My bread was a little on the drier side, so I let it soak for a few minutes. Other recipes don’t really focus on this part, but I think it’s key to getting that custardy center characteristic of French toast. If your bread is on the softer side, you won’t have to soak it for long.

I usually poke the center of the bread while it is soaking to see if the middle is saturated. Once it feels like the center is thoroughly soaked, I pop it in the pan for cooking.

A white plate of sourdough french toast with berries and yogurt on top with a side of butter and maple syrup.

Topping Ideas for French Toast

The toppings are one of my favorite parts of French toast. I’ve listed a few options in the recipe that you can try, but here are a few different flavor combinations to add on top of your French toast:

  • Peaches and Cream – peaches topped with a bit of vanilla yogurt
  • Chocolate and strawberries – chocolate chips with fresh strawberries
  • Tropical – mango chunks with coconut shreds
  • Banana nut – bananas with maple syrup and pecans
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Sourdough French Toast

A plate of sourdough french toast with berries and yogurt on top with a side of butter and maple syrup on a white background. There is a fork and blue and white napkin on the side also.

This Sourdough French Toast is everything you want in a French toast recipe but with extra flavor thanks to sourdough bread.

  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8–10 slices 1x
  • Category: breakfast, brunch

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/3 cup milk of your choice
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp. maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • Butter or a neutral-tasting oil for cooking (like avocado, canola, etc.)
  • 8–10 slices of sourdough bread
  • Toppings of your choice: maple syrup, butter, yogurt, fruit, coconut, nut butter, powdered sugar, etc.

Instructions

  1. Whisk together the milk and eggs until smooth in a shallow baking dish. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Whisk until completely incorporated.
  2. Heat a skillet over med-high heat. Coat skillet with butter, oil, or cooking spray to prevent sticking. Soak both sides of bread slices in egg mixture until middles are saturated.
  3. Fry bread slices in skillet until golden on each side (about 3 minutes per side). Serve warm with your favorite toppings.

Keywords: breakfast, brunch, sourdough, french toast

24 Best Valentine’s Day Recipes

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With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, here are 24 of the Best Valentine’s Day Recipes that I could find. Whether you like to celebrate with your Valentine or Galentine, I’ve got your food (and drink!) covered.

The Best Valentine’s Day Recipe Round-up

Dinner Options:

Bowl of brown butter seared scallops with pasta and mushrooms on a white background.

Scallops in Brown Butter Sage Sauce via Meals with Maggie

One-Pan Beef Tenderloin & Roasted Vegetables via The Nutrition Adventure

Mussels Fra Diavolo via Nutrition Starring You

Pan Seared Salmon with Caramelized Grapes via Live Best

One of the best valentine's day recipes with a white plate of beef, cranberries, green beans, and mashed potatoes.

Beef Tenderloin with Cranberry Balsamic Compote via The Gourmet RD

Mushroom Ravioli and Squash via Live Best

Lemon Garlic Chicken in a White Wine Sauce via Hoorah to Health

One Pan Maple Mustard Glazed Pork Chops via Hungry Hobby

Homemade Ravioli with White Beans and Sun-Dried Tomatoes via Grateful Meal Nutrition

Dessert and Snack Options:

Chocolate brownies with strawberries inside.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies via Colleen Christensen Nutrition

Salted Tahini Brownies via Leanne Ray

Chocolate Coconut Cream Pudding via Bucket List Tummy

No Bake Sugar Cookie Bites via Meals with Maggie

Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies via fANNEtasticfood

Chocolate Mousse Filled Strawberries via Nutrition Starring You

The White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake on a cooling rack sliced with a small bowl of raspberries on the side.

White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake via Grateful Meal Nutrition

No Bake Chocolate Raspberry Freezer Brownies va Steps 2 Nutrition

Yogurt Covered Strawberry Hearts via Cheerful Choices

No Bake Mini Heart Tarts via Root Nutrition

Winter Citrus and Pomegranate Mascarpone Cups via The Gourmet RD

Vegan Fudgy Chocolate Protein Brownies via Hungry Hobby

Brunch Options:

One of the best valentine's day recipes of a DIY waffle bar with waffles, fruit, syrup on white plates on a white background.

Easy DIY Waffle Bar via Nourish Nutrition

Flower Power Spritzer via Grateful Meal Nutriton

Balsamic Strawberry Chia Jam via Grateful Meal Nutrition

White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake

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This post contains links that pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

This White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake is the perfect sweet loaf cake! The caramelized white chocolate paired with the tart sweetness of the raspberries makes this recipe a keeper! It’s a great addition to a breakfast, snack, or dessert.  

Loaf cakes are some of the easiest and fool-proof ways to bake. Banana bread, zucchini bread, etc., are some of my favorite things to bake. They require very few utensils and don’t require me to use an electric mixer. And then you pop it in a loaf pan and can walk away for about an hour. The hardest part about baking a cake is letting it cool enough so that it doesn’t fall apart when you take it out of the pan. I tend to want to dive right in.

This kind of cake doesn’t require any sort of icing to be delicious. I topped this loaf cake with extra white chocolate chips, which formed this super delicious and caramelized crust on top. I think it might be my favorite part!

Ingredients for White Chocolate Loaf Cake laid out on a white background including vanilla extract, eggs, sugar, flour, greek yogurt, white chocolate chips, and vegetable oil.

Ingredients

All-purpose flour: This is obviously the base of the cake. You can also use whole grain flour, but if you do, I would do a 50/50 blend with all-purpose. Or you could also try a whole grain pastry flour, which would give a softer texture than regular whole grain flour. I like the basic all-purpose for this cake. Not only was the flour used for the base of the cake, but I also used a little bit (about 1 tbsp.) to dust the raspberries before adding them to the batter. I’ll tell you why below.

Baking powder: This is the leavening agent needed to make the cake rise. Make sure it’s fresh and not expired, or you might end up with a flat cake.

Salt: This is needed for leavening purposes, but salt in baked goods gives the sweetness a little more sharpness because of the contrasting flavor.

Sugar: I used plain, white granulated sugar. I don’t recommend anything else for this recipe as most other sweeteners (like brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, etc.) would alter the cake’s moisture ratios causing it to potentially fall apart. And, if you’ve followed my blog and Instagram for a while, you know that sugar is sugar, and there is nothing wrong with using good, old-fashioned white sugar in baking. 

Greek yogurt: Getting Greek-style yogurt is important for this recipe because of the consistency. Greek yogurt also adds a tang and helps keep the crumb of the cake tender. It works similar to buttermilk in recipes.

Vanilla extract: This is a must for most sweet baking recipes for that warm, delicious vanilla flavor.

Milk: I needed just a little bit of milk for the consistency of the batter. I used 2% cow’s milk, but I don’t think it matters what kind you use.

White Chocolate: You can use mini or regular-sized chips. The recipe is for regular-sized chips; if you use the minis, I would cut the amount back to ½ cup or so.I really liked adding some white chocolate chips on top – it made the most delicious topping when it caramelized in the oven.

Raspberries: They are one of my favorite fruits. I used fresh and have not tested this recipe with frozen raspberries. If you want to try frozen, I can’t promise the end result, but I do strongly recommend not letting them thaw before adding them to the batter. Add them frozen. And don’t skip the dusting in flour trick that I explain below!

A container of raspberries with a bowl of flour used to toss the berries in.

Important Cooking Tip

One big tip that I have when you’re adding fresh or frozen fruit into your baking is to coat it in flour before adding it to the batter. This does two things. One, it helps absorb excess water given off from the fruit. This is especially important if you use frozen fruit because the freezing process damages the fruit’s cell walls, causing it to spill all of its juice or liquid much more easily. This is why frozen fruit can be off in texture when eating it by itself, but it’s also important to note that freezing only impacts the texture, NOT the nutritional profile. Frozen fruit is just as nutritious, if not more than fresh fruit. (Note: I did not test this recipe with frozen raspberries.)

The raspberries and chocolate chips in the batter of the White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake with a blue spatula and yellow bowl.

And two, it may help all the fruit from completely sinking to the bottom of the pan. Some of the fruit still did sink to the bottom, but there were definitely pockets of raspberry throughout the loaf cake.

A loaf pan of the White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake batter.

How to Serve White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake

This cake is good any time of day. I eat with breakfast, as a snack, or as dessert. You can top it with some butter and eat it like bread, eat it plain, or even spread some of your favorite yogurt or hazelnut spread like Nutella on top.

Another fun way to eat it would be to break it up into a small mason jar, and layer in yogurt and more fruit for a fun take on a trifle.

TBH though, I mostly eat it plain, standing in my kitchen. I can’t usually wait to put it on a plate, make any fancy preparation, or let alone sit down to eat it. It’s that good.  

The White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake on a cooling rack sliced with a small bowl of raspberries on the side with subway tile in the background.
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White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake

The White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake on a cooling rack sliced with a small bowl of raspberries on the side.

This White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake is the perfect sweet loaf cake! The caramelized white chocolate paired with the tart sweetness of the raspberries makes this recipe a keeper! It’s a great addition to a breakfast, snack, or dessert.  

  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 60-75 minutes
  • Total Time: 70-85 minutes
  • Yield: 1 loaf cake 1x
  • Category: Baking, Dessert, Snack, Breakfast
  • Method: Baking

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour + extra 1 tbsp. 
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips, divided
  • 1 container (6 oz.) of fresh raspberries

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan with butter or cooking spray.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients – 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients – Greek yogurt, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and milk. 
  3. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until just incorporated. Fold about ¾ of the white chocolate chips into the batter. Save the remainder of the chips for the top of the cake.  
  4. Toss the container of raspberries in 1 tbsp. of all-purpose flour. Gently fold in raspberries to the batter until evenly distributed. Pour batter into the loaf pan and top with remaining chocolate chips. 
  5. Bake for about 60 -75 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing from pan and slicing. 

Keywords: White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake, Baking, Snack, Dessert, Breakfast

Instant Pot Apple Butter

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This Instant Pot Apple Butter has all the tastes and smells of fall. And with just five ingredients and 20 minutes, it couldn’t be any simpler or quicker.  

Who doesn’t love apples in fall? This is the time of year I usually bring my favorite two apples, McIntosh and Honeycrisp, home with me after visiting my family in Western Pennsylvania. When I get home, the apples that survived the car ride home, I’ll make into festive apple desserts. I could not make the trip this year thanks to corona, but I wanted to make something with spiced apple. Apple butter is probably one of the easiest things to make with apples, and it’s also great to use up bruised or damaged apples that you don’t want to eat raw.

Jar of instant pot apple butter with a spoon resting in the jar with toast and whole apples on the side on a white background.

 What is Apple Butter?

Apple butter is simply cooked, spiced, and pureed apples. Contrary to its name, it doesn’t contain any butter or oil. It is very spreadable and works perfectly in place of jams or jellies. My favorite ways to enjoy apple butter are on my morning toast or swirled into some plain yogurt for a fall twist.   

Apple butter vs. applesauce

You might be asking, so what’s the difference between apple butter and applesauce? Not much. It comes down to how much water is in the puree and how long you cook the apples. Apple butter is a more concentrated version of apple sauce. Since applesauce tends to be more watery, apple butter is cooked longer and has that spreadable consistency I mentioned above. If your apple butter comes out more like applesauce, you can switch the instant pot setting to the sauté feature and let it comes to a boil to evaporate off more of the water. Be careful, though – it will burn quickly on the bottom, so make sure you stir it frequently to prevent scorching.

Apple butter on a spoon above a jar of the instant pot apple butter

Ingredients for Instant Pot Apple Butter

Apples: That’s an easy one.  According to several articles, the best apples to use are softer varieties, such as one of my favorites, McIntosh. However, since you’re using an Instant Pot, which uses heat and pressure to break down the apples, it’s pretty safe to use whatever apple you enjoy.

Water or apple cider: To prevent scorching in the Instant Pot, it is a good idea to add just a little bit of liquid so it doesn’t burn before the apples have a chance to release their juices.  For the best flavor, I prefer to use apple cider or apple juice as the liquid.

Spices: I used a combination of ground cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. If you want to make it super easy, use pumpkin pie spice, which contains all of those fall-like, warming spices.

Overview from above of a jar of instant pot apple butter with whole apples and toast on the side on a white-gray background.

How to Make Apple Butter in the Instant Pot

This recipe is a set it and forget it type of recipe with very little hands-on time. You start by slicing and coring the apples. You keep the peel on the apples. Keep the slices about the same size – about a half-inch across. You’ll then cook the apples on high pressure for 18 minutes in the Instant Pot. Once complete, you release the steam and cool a bit before transferring the apples into a blender or using a stick blender to puree the apples until smooth.

Like I mentioned above, if the apple butter is a little too watery for your liking, you can return the apple butter to the Instant Pot and cook on the saute feature, continually stirring until more water is removed (about 5-10 minutes depending on how much water your apples contained). You can also use a large soup pot on the stove to cook the water out of the apples some.

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Instant Pot Apple Butter

Overview from above of a jar of instant pot apple butter with whole apples and toast on the side on a white-gray background.
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 18 minutes
  • Total Time: 22-28 minutes
  • Yield: 1 large container 1x
  • Category: instant pot
  • Method: instant pot
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 lbs. of apples, cored and cut in large chunks (keep the skin on) – about 10 small apples
  • ¼ cup water or apple cider
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp. cloves

Instructions

  1. Put all of the ingredients into the instant pot. Cook on high pressure for 18 minutes using the manual feature. Quick-release steam valve. Let cool for about 10 minutes with the lid off.
  2. Blend apples with a stick blender or transfer to a regular blender to blend. Serve immediately or keep in a container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or 1 year in the freezer.

Keywords: instant pot, apples, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, fall