My refrigerator overrunneth with condiments. Arranging our myriad of clinky jars and chunky bottles is a never-ending game of Tetris, but around here, we like our fries dunked, our chicken smothered, and our sandwiches sloppy. One condiment that I must ALWAYS have on hand is apple butter. Its rich flavor rocks my peanut butter toast, jazzes up my weekend waffles, and is essential to my Apple Grilled Cheese. It’s also my secret ingredient to these tender, flavorful apple butter cheddar biscuits (they may have just overtaken these Blueberry Biscuits as my new favorite). Though I usually reach for apple butter as a tasty schmear (on English Muffin Bread), this week my heart was leading me to my oven. Swapping applesauce for butter and oil is one of my favorite tricks to create healthier baked goods (like these Applesauce Muffins), and I imagined that apple butter could work much the same way in biscuits. (Spoiler alert: I was correct.) Not only did the apple butter make these biscuits incredibly tender and moist (like this Apple Bread), but its slightly sweet and tart flavor paired perfectly with the mildly nutty whole-wheat flour used to make the dough and sharp cheddar cheese added for extra richness. Bring these flakey nuggets of joy to your next BBQ or potluck. You will make many friends and have zero leftovers.
How to Make Apple Butter Cheddar Biscuits
These soft and tender apple butter cheddar biscuits (a jazzed-up version of traditional Drop Biscuits) will be a hit at your next brunch or cookout. Their sweet and savory marriage of flavors means they taste great whether served alongside a stack of Oven Baked Bacon or a slow cooker full of Crockpot BBQ Chicken.
The Ingredients
Flour. A winning combination of all purpose and whole wheat flour (as seen in my Whole Wheat Pizza Dough) keeps these biscuits soft while sneaking in some extra fiber and nutty whole wheat flavor.Apple Butter. The star of the show that not only adds lovely flavor but adds moisture so you can cut back on the butter without losing softness. (The apple butter works similar to how the applesauce works in these Blender Whole Wheat Waffles.)Butter. A scaled-back amount makes these biscuits lower in calories but still big on butter flavor.Buttermilk. Adds moisture and fat for tenderness and a subtle tang for flavor (as in these Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins). Egg. Enhances the softness of the biscuits.Cheddar Cheese. Add a lovely sharp contrast of flavor that marries beautifully with the sweet apple butter (I also love a good amount of cheddar in Jalapeno Cornbread).Baking Powder. Our leavener that lifts these biscuits to fantastic heavenly heights.Cream of Tartar. A secondary leavener that also adds structure and stability to the biscuit dough.Salt. Important for enhancing the flavors of these biscuits.Dill. For a little color and TONS of herbaceous flavor.
The Directions
Storage Tips
To Store. Place biscuits in an air-tight zip-top bag and keep them at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.To Reheat. Reheat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds prior to serving.To Freeze. Wrap individual biscuits tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a heavy-duty freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some biscuits to devour!
