18 Creative Ways To Use Maple Butter

Maple syrup is one of the tastiest sweeteners to keep on hand. You may use it to doctor up your piping hot stack of pancakes or to glaze down bacon as it's cooking. It's sweet, it's comforting, and it's one thing that we couldn't imagine living without. However, the prominence of maple syrup in the American culinary lexicon takes some of the spotlight away from another maple product that's equally worthy of recognition: maple butter. 

You might think right off the bat that maple butter is just maple syrup made into a compound butter. While that is some folk's culinary interpretation of this product, real maple butter is just maple syrup that's been cooked down and then churned, like regular butter, until it takes on the consistency of peanut butter. Real maple butter, which is also called maple cream or maple spread, is only made with one ingredient: maple syrup. So, it's suitable for vegans and dairy-free folks. 

In an effort to get more folks on the maple butter train, we've come up with a list of some of the best ways to use this product for sweet, savory, and every recipe in between. It's important to note that maple cream can and should be left in your pantry (rather than the fridge) to preserve its texture. Though, just like maple syrup, it does expire. Luckily, after reading this list, you'll have more than enough ways to use it before it spoils. 

Maple cookies: Is your mouth watering yet? Maple butter will impart the same flavor as maple syrup on your favorite cookie dough, though we find that the maple cream actually keeps the batter thick and dense. You can add a little spoonful or two to your favorite chocolate chip cookie or oatmeal raisin cookie recipe to invoke more oaky notes and complement the chocolate and/or oats. Or, try a play on a maple walnut cookie by pairing a little bit of maple cream with chopped walnuts. 

Like any sweet addition, the sugar content of your maple butter may cause your cookies to bake (and subsequently burn) faster. Select a recipe that's designed with maple cream in mind to ensure that the texture comes out absolutely perfect. 

Charcuterie boards are one of the best snacking inventions ever made. An artisan board, filled with an array of different cheeses, sliced and dried fruits, and meat, is a great way to play with different ingredient combinations and try to build a cohesive bite. 

While fig spreads and fruit preserves are common sweet additions to boards, you may also want to consider serving up a small jar of maple butter, too. The spread's sugary flavor will play well off sharp cheeses, like a quality cheddar, as well as more creamy and less obtrusive cheeses, like Gruyére or Brie. And we won't blame you for schmearing a butter cracker with maple butter and eating it solo, either. 

There are simply so many different things you can do with a single slice of bread. In the morning, it can be a vehicle for a whole host of savory and sweet toppings — and we'd like to argue that maple butter deserves a spot in the running just as much as creamy peanut butter, thick avocado, or chopped greens. Imagine how decadent a spin on a cinnamon toast would be, complete with a schmear of maple butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

There is no one bread that pairs better with maple butter than others, though a thick, neutral slice of Texas toast or slightly tangy sourdough would be an excellent place to start. You could also add an array of other toppings to complement the maple flavor, including sliced apples or bananas or a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. 

Maple syrup and pancakes (or waffles ... or French toast) are a timeless combination. There's just something so pleasant about the way that the syrup drips off the edges of your carby breakfast favorites and how the pat of butter on top always magically distributes itself into every single bite. 

But this match made in heaven has some issues going on behind closed doors. For one, if you walk away and come back to it, you'll find that the syrup has soaked through and led to a soggy, wet mess on your plate. That's where maple butter can come in. If you're packing away your pancakes for later, add a schmear of maple butter instead and watch how your waffles remain perfectly crisp and your French toast doesn't take on the consistency of a wet seat cushion. And the best part about it? You won't have to sacrifice any of that classic maple flavor when you make this simple swap. 

Layer cakes are super fun to eat, but may we say that they are a real pain in the neck to construct. Not only do you have to make sure each part is structurally sound, but you also have to think of fun, creative, and, most importantly, tasty fillings that won't make your cake too wet. The next time you're looking for an easy filling for your spice or vanilla layer cake, turn to maple butter.

You can use maple butter instead of adding a layer of thick frosting between your layers. First, make sure your sponges are completely cooled and completely level. Since you're not flooding your layers with a wet filling (like chocolate ganache, strawberry sauce, or curd), you won't need to pipe a barrier around the rim of each layer. Then, just spread out your maple butter with an offset spatula, plop the next sponge on top, and keep going until your towering dessert is complete. 

There's a lot to love about apple butter. This spread is like a thick, caramelized version of applesauce that can be used for so many different applications. But if you're looking to level up your apple butter, you'll want to spice things up with maple butter. 

This butter-on-butter match-up is a great one. Traditionally, apple butter is made with a sweetener, like honey or sugar. But maple butter will add that subtle, oaky flavor to your apple butter recipe, along with a whole lot of sweetness. Simply pour in your maple butter, give everything a stir, and let it cook down until it's thick and flavorful. 

Creating your own salad dressing is all about finding opportunities to balance and harmonize different ingredients. While you may already be familiar with the four, must-have building blocks of a good salad dressing — salt, fat, acid, and heat (thanks, Samin Nosrat) — we propose that you also find a way to integrate sweet into this mix as well. It will add some balance to particularly salty ingredients, like miso, and the tanginess of different vinegars, citrus juices, and even ingredients like tamarind. 

You're best off finding complementary ingredients to integrate into a maple butter dressing rather than just taking a peruse of the kitchen and throwing everything that you see into the shaker bottle. You have to pick things that highlight the oakiness of the maple rather than detract from it. Think ginger and lemon juice for the dressing, and adding other bright fruits, like sliced strawberries, peaches, and cranberries, to the salad. 

Maple butter is the ingredient you'll want to have on hand if you absolutely despise whipping up glazes and icings. Unlike maple syrup, maple butter is thick and easily spreadable. So, if you have a batch of homemade donuts fresh out of the fryer (yet still cool enough to handle), you can always douse them with a thick layer of maple cream. While maple donuts are completely fine and tasty on their own, you may want to take things a step further by adding crumbled bacon or candied nuts to the top. 

You can also use maple butter as a shortcut for sugar cookie icing. A basic, vanilla-forward cookie would be a great match to an overtly sweet and creamy maple butter spread. Like the donuts, you'll want to make sure that your cookies are cool enough to handle, as you don't want the maple butter to slip and slide right off your batch. 

Sliced apples are a top tier snack, solely for the reason that they're just so versatile. While you can snack on these fruits on their own, you may also want to step things up by finding a suitable pairing for them. While many folks will opt for a jar of their favorite peanut butter, maple butter is just as delicious of an accompaniment for the humble apple. 

While the flavor will be sweet-on-sweet, you can always control how much maple butter you get on each bite by spreading it on with a knife instead of relying on a scoop. We'd also recommend adding a pinch of sea salt to the maple butter so that its taste isn't as overwhelmingly sweet. 

Roasted veggies, like Brussels sprouts and carrots, are a fine dish on their own. Maybe you toss them with a finishing oil before serving, but otherwise, they require very little work to transform them into something delectable. However, if you're looking to really bring a sweet, balancing flavor to your side dish, you should consider grabbing a container of maple butter. 

Maple butter and roasted carrots are one of the best combinations out there because the spread brings out the underlying sweet notes of the root vegetable. Though you could also pair it with other sweet-leaning vegetables, including sweet potatoes and butternut squash, to balance out the flavor. Brussels sprouts, while they may take on a little more cruciferous flavor, are also a veggie that's deserving of the maple treatment. Drizzle on the maple butter while the sprouts are still hot, and add a bit of chopped bacon for a sugary-salty-savory fusion. 

We have a lot of respect for the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. But let's be clear when we say that there's much more that you can do than just this basic recipe. For example, you may want to swap out your peanut butter and use maple butter for this sandwich instead. Maple butter pairs well with fruits, so raspberry and strawberry jam are both viable options. Or, swap the fruity spread out entirely in favor of sliced bananas, maple butter, and a drizzle of honey. 

Not everyone is going to love the feeling and the flavor of biting into a layer of maple butter. Luckily, there are also ways to infuse it into other sandwich components that make its sweetness less apparent. For one, you can mix up the maple butter with a bit of mayonnaise. Spread this on a BLT (with maple-glazed bacon), and you'll have your new favorite sandwich on your hands. 

Adding a sweetener to oatmeal is second nature for many eaters. While brown sugar might be a go-to ingredient for some, maple butter is a far more flavorful substitute. When added to a piping hot bowl of oatmeal, the maple butter will melt down and form a flavorful little pool. Top your hot oatmeal with complementary toppings, like a little pinch of cinnamon or sliced apples, for a decadent breakfast.

If you're an overnight oats person, you may want to consider sticking to liquid maple syrup instead of maple cream. That way, it will better distribute into the cold oats rather than forming a solid, sweet mass. 

There is no shortage of wacky, fun ice cream toppings out there, so adding a spoonful of maple butter doesn't seem that strange. After all, who wouldn't want an extra dose of sugar on top of their already surmounting bowl of sugar? 

All jokes aside, there are some ways that you can control the flavor of your ice cream so that you don't have a bowl that's overwhelmingly sweet. For one, you may consider adding a handful of chopped pretzels or potato chips on top; the saltiness will mesh well with the sweet maple cream as well as a basic vanilla flavor. In general, if you're working with a sweeter base flavor, like a maple walnut or a salted caramel, you may want to avoid adding any extra sweet toppings besides the maple butter to avoid disrupting the flavor balance any further. 

Who wouldn't want to snack on a piece of maple-glazed bacon? When you have a jar of maple cream, a sweet mash-up is in your cards. Brush a little bit of the softened maple butter onto your slices and watch the flavor be transformed. You could also whip up a sauce for your pork tenderloin (bonus points if it's stuffed with an apple filling) or add a little scoop of maple butter to your steaming pulled pork. 

Meat marinades, glazes, and sauces are designed to highlight how juicy and flavorful a protein is. As a result, you need to be careful with how much sweetener you add to it, as it can shift the recipe off balance. Moreover, sugar promotes caramelization, so you may (depending on the time and temperature of the cook, of course) want to reserve the maple butter until after your protein has been pulled from the fire. 

Making your own breakfast pastries at home may seem like a very daunting task, but the truth is that there are tons of ways that you can make the hard work easier on yourself. Turn to frozen sheets of puff pastry, a jar of canned cinnamon roll dough, and a jar of maple butter, and you'll be well on your way to a breakfast that looks and tastes like you got it from a pastry shop. 

Start with canned cinnamon rolls — a food truly in need of some sprucing up. Ditch that flavorless icing included in the package and opt for maple butter instead. A thick schmear on top of your roll right after it's pulled from the oven will take this treat to a new level. Each bite will be met with the plush, sugary roll — and the sweet, oaky maple topping. You could also add a sprinkle of pecans or chopped walnuts for extra texture. Or, try your hand at making homemade Danishes. Add a little dollop of maple butter and cream cheese to the center of the pastry for a sweet, sophisticated treat that your brunch guests can't get enough of. 

Woah, woah, woah. Hands off my grilled cheese! Don't worry; we're not saying that you have to abandon a kid-favorite lunch for something more complex — we're just saying that the option is there. 

Maple and cheese is a more natural pairing than you may think. The sweetness can cut through the richness of a whole range of cheeses that you'd use for this sandwich, including buttery fontina, gooey Brie, and even the tried-and-true cheddar. Plus, it would highlight some other potential grilled cheese additions, including a slice of ham, turkey, fig jam, or crumbled bacon. If you really want to take this sandwich to a new level, try a grilled cheese version of a Vermonster with cheddar, apple slices, turkey or ham, and a swipe of maple butter on one (or both) of the bread slices. 

Popcorn is a great convenient snack for a movie night or for when you need a source of quick carbs. But that doesn't mean that your bag of Orville Redenbacher's doesn't need an upgrade from time to time. 

Instead of reaching for the melted butter, try adding maple butter to your warm popcorn. The warmth will encourage it to drip and get into all of the kernel's nooks and crannies. You could also highlight more sweet flavors by adding a sprinkle of cinnamon or sticking to savory with a handful of crushed bacon. You'll get a little bit of sweet and salty in every bite, which makes for a snack that everyone in the family will love.

We couldn't imagine not waking up and enjoying a maple latte every single day. So, it's not unreasonable to see how maple butter might be an equally delicious addition to a plain hot black coffee or otherwise milky beverage. 

If you're working with a cold latte or beverage, then adding in liquid maple syrup is the best option because it will more readily distribute throughout. But if you're looking for something a little bit warmer and cozier, then maple butter is fair game because the heat will encourage it to melt. It's sweet enough that a little goes a long way. If coffee is not your beverage of choice, fret not; you can also use it for a warming, seasonal hot chocolate. Pair it with a sprinkle of cinnamon, and you've got the epitome of coziness in a mug.