Charoset, also known as haroset, is a mixture of fruits and nuts eaten at the Passover Seder. Traditional Charoset is easy to make, and it’s one of those fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants recipes, as you adjust as you go! This traditional haroset recipe is naturally gluten-free of course, and is a yummy, sweet condiment.
Traditional Charoset
Growing up, haroset was a childhood staple at our holiday. We’d make a batch as a condiment of sorts for our Passover sedar plate, and end up eating it for days on Matzo (now gluten-free matzo), or just as a yummy side by the spoonful! Since we always ended up enjoying it for days, we always made a bigger batch! You can always scale this down of course.
Traditional Charoset is made of…
Diced apples
Chopped walnuts
Red wine
Cinnamon
And a few fun choices you can add in optionally
How long can you keep charoset?
The charoset can be made up to 3 days before serving and can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator. We love making it early and letting it soak up all the added flavor. This also reduces the strong wine flavor that you’ll notice when you make it initially.
Haroset without wine
You can use grape juice if you don’t want to use a sweet wine! Kedem was always the favorite growing up! Though, I haven’t checked those ingredients probably ever!
Okay, the answer I know you’ve been waiting for…
Haroset pronunciation
In Israel the spelling and pronunciation is “charoset,” with a more guttural “ch” sound.
The other pronunciation is a softer Ashkenazic “h” sound.
Want other Passover recipes? Try these family favorites:
1/4 cup Chopped dates or 1/4 cup Raisins (optional)
Directions
In large bowl, stir together all ingredients. Store, covered, at room temperature until ready to serve. If making it early, store covered in the refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
I like to make ours the day before and store in the refrigerator.
You can toast the walnuts if desired, but I never do!
We don't recommend using a food processor to dice your apples, simply use a knife and cut them up small.
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There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!
This Sheet Pan Kielbasa Sausage and Sauerkraut Dinner has unique flavors and is an easy way to get dinner on the table. Aside from prepping up a few veggies it’s largely hands-off cooking which means more time in your life! It’s Paleo and Whole30 friendly and will be a hit with the whole family.
Sheet Pan Kielbasa Sausage and Sauerkraut Dinner
Another Sheet Pan Dinner for the win! We love the unique flavor combination in this Sheet Pan Kielbasa Sausage and Sauerkraut Dinner! The cauliflower, potatoes and smoky kielbasa are complimented nicely with the sweet apples and sour sauerkraut. It’s easy to throw together using only a sheet pan and your oven! This would also make a good meal prep lunch as well! Make a double batch to serve as dinner and few make ahead portions or make the whole batch for lunches.
And sauerkraut is a great way to get a nice hit of probiotics naturally so we always love to sneak in these foods whenever possible. Plus, if you’ve never tried the combo of salty sausage with sweet apples and umami sour sauerkraut, we promise you’ll love it.
Whenever we make sheet pan recipes we always try to harness what makes this oft overlooked cooking tool amazing: it produces perfectly cooked food that doesn’t require much attention other than to set a timer and add in ingredients. The recipe sometimes indicates moving the food around the sheet pan, and this is because depending on how you position the food it uses different cooking techniques. In this recipe we first have the cauliflower, potatoes and apples spread out evenly on a pan so that they can roast. Next we have you pile them close together to finish cooking with the power of steam and add the kielbasa, with a splash of oil on top to help bring the flavor all together. And finally we like cooking the kielbasa whole because it gets a nice crisp skin.
Tips for sheet pan cooking:
Sheet pan dinners are the best. Make sure to read the recipe all the way through (of course) and plan to use a timer! This way you can truly walk away from the oven and not have to worry about when you need to add anything for the next step.
Do the prep ahead of time: Cut cauliflower and onions the night before and mix with oil and spices, then you only have to cut apple and potatoes once you are ready for the actual cooking.
Use the correct size sheet pan. When we say sheet pan we are referring to the rimmed half sheet pan which is 18″ by 13″. The size of the sheet pan matters because you do not want to overcrowd the pan when cooking, so if you are using a smaller sheet pan you may need to use 2 to achieve the same result.
What is Kielbasa
Polish kielbasa is traditionally made from ground pork. Kielbasa (from Polish kiełbasa) is any type of meat sausage from Poland, and it’s a staple of Polish cuisine.
What are the best sausages to buy
We purchased natural nitrate free Kielbasa at Whole Foods. If that isn’t an option we like to shop organic and local whenever possible for our sausage! Ask your local butcher if you can’t find the quality you want in your local market.
If you like this recipe, try these other sheet pan meals:
On a sheet pan combine onion, cauliflower, potatoes, apples, oil and all the spices and toss to combine and then spread out evenly.
Bake for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Remove and move all of the vegetables towards the middle of the sheet pan, creating a small pile. Place kielbasa on top and drizzle the sausage with a bit of avocado oil and place back in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and place 1-½ cups of sauerkraut on one side of the sheet tray and continue to bake until the sauerkraut is just slightly warmed, about 3 minutes.
Remove and let sit until the kielbasa is cool enough to handle, about 2 minutes. Slice kielbasa into ¼” slices on the bias and divide sausage and veggies into four portions. Serve with whole grain mustard.
Recipe Notes
If Whole30 check to make sure your kielbasa is compliant.
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There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!
This Slow Cooker Apple Butter has no added sugar and is my all-time favorite Fall spread. It’s Whole30 compliant, paleo-friendly, and is so delicious! It’s filled with in-season fresh apples and fall spices that will make you’re home smell heavenly.
Slow Cooker Apple Butter (No Added Sugar)
While studying for my undergraduate degree at the University of Massachusetts Amherst I found a serious love for apple butter thanks to frequent visits to Judie’s Restaurant. Back before I changed my diet I would enjoy the giant popovers they served slathered with the most delicious apple butter.
It has been a while since I’ve been there, but I haven’t forgotten that apple butter and realized it was time to create a recipe of my own that wasn’t loaded with refined sugar. While I won’t be enjoying this apple butter on top of popovers anymore, rest assured there are plenty of ways to enjoy it, with this, on top of these, over these or with the biscuits in my book. But really, it’s amazing just by the spoonful.
There are loads of other apple butter recipes out there, some with long cooking time and some with short. I really feel like the longer and slower the cook, the more depth of flavor the apple butter has, so a 2-hour version just has never cut it for me. But aside from the prep and the finishing touches, this recipe is relatively hands-off and can even be done overnight.
What’s in apple butter?
Some apple butter recipes have tons of sugar. I never understand why because apples are naturally high in sugar. This version uses all the natural sweetness of apples to give it it’s flavor! Apple butter is essentially apples cooked low and slow for a long time until most of their moisture has evaporated and you are left with just the apple goodness!
Apples
No Sugar Added Apple Cider
Lemon Juice
Nutmeg
Vanilla extract
Cinnamon
Ground Cloves
Salt
How Do You Know When Apple Butter is Done?
You want the apple butter to be dark in color and quite thick, thick enough that when you pick it up by the spoonful it mounds on the spoon instead of dripping off.
Put everything in slow cooker. The cider or juice should not overpower apples. Cook on low for 10-12 hours.
At 10 hours, once apples are dark, immerse hand blender or transfer to a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
Put lid back on slightly ajar and let cook for the remaining 2 hours. If you're in a time crunch, place into a pot on the stove over medium-low heat and let simmer until thick.
Let cool, store in jars in the fridge for up to 1 week unless canning.
Recipe Notes
-If not as thick as you'd like, transfer to pot and cook over medium heat until thickens (use a lid, it will splatter)
-Very thick and spreadable. Perfect top spread on toast, or to top your favorite oatmeal, pancakes, or waffles!
Make it last a year! How to can this apple butter using the Water Bath Canning Method:
Heat water in a large, deep saucepot equipped with a lid. If you have a canning rack or a cooling cake rack, place the rack at the bottom of your saucepan. Bring the water to a simmer (not a boil) and carefully submerge your jars along with their lids for about 5 minutes or until warm. Make sure water is inside your jars to keep them submerged.
Carefully remove the jars and lids from the warm water with tongs and place on a cooling rack set over a kitchen towel. Pour the apple butter into each jar using a funnel, leaving at least 1/4 inch of space at the top. Make sure there are no air bubbles in the jam and that the rim of the jar is clean before securing the lid.
Cover your saucepan and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Submerge the tightly closed jars in the boiling water for 10 minutes.
Take your saucepan off the heat and allow your jars to sit in the hot water for another 5 minutes.
Carefully take your jars out of the hot water and place on a paper towel. Check jar lids for seals by making sure the lids do not flex up and down when pressing the middle of the jar.
Store in a cool, dark place for up to one year! Once opened make sure to store in the refrigerator for up to one week!
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There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!
These Apple Hand Pies are such a great fall treat using my popular gluten-free pie crust recipe made with almond flour, and a classic apple pie filling that is heavy on the apple flavor, and perfect for so many things (hello pancakes & waffle topping)! They’re gluten-free and and the cutest thing to bake up with the bushels of fresh apples undoubtedly piling up in people’s homes this fall! Plus, they are NOT hard to make!!
Apple Hand Pies
Apple season is upon us! The glorious time of year when we all head out to the apple orchards in our sweaters with lattes in hand and pick as many delicious apples as we can hold in our arms and carry back to our cars. While the act of picking the apples is always fun, even better is coming home and baking up all the goodies with our apple spoils. We’ve got a few new apple recipes coming your way this month, and this first one does not disappoint. I took my easy gluten-free pie crust recipe and made a quick stove-top apple pie filling to place inside the cutest apple-stamped hand pies.
When you make a whole apple pie (new recipe coming this month!) the apple filling is definitely the star of the show, but with a hand pie it is heavy on the crust. Since you all have been loving my pie crust recipe (we do too!), featured in a few recipes here on the blog and found in my cookbook, we knew we should start there. We added a touch more sweetener, in the form of honey or maple syrup, just to round it out.
Next we moved on to our apple pie filling. Hand pies bake pretty quickly in the oven, so you have to pre-cook your apple filling. We chose to use gala and granny smith apples, but check out this Guide to Baking with Apples if you want to switch it up. Next we cooked them with apple cider to really accentuate the apple flavor. We don’t go crazy with the spices, so it doesn’t distract from the apple, but just enough to make it feel like fall. You have to fully cool the apple pie mixture before placing it in the hand pies, but luckily this step can be done 1-2 days ahead of time to make assembling these really easy.
Tips for Rolling and Stamping Out Pie Dough
We know you aren’t intimidated by rolling and stamping out dough thanks to the Healthier Pop-Tarts recipe, but just in case you are nervous about it, here are some tips:
Break down the steps: Make the pie dough ahead of time (1-2 days) then roll out the dough.
Use parchment paper to prevent the dough from sticking to the your work surface or rolling pin.
Work quickly when rolling, stamping and filling the hand pies. When the dough warms up, it’s hard to work with. If it does get warm, no worries: just place it in the refrigerator to cool back down and then begin again.
We filled the rolled out dough with about 3 tablespoons of cooled filling. As stated above, make sure the dough you are working with when placing the dough circles together is cooled so it doesn’t melt and deform in your hands. Place one stamped out dough circle on top of the filled one and crimp with a fork to seal. No need to egg wash them together as they seal pretty nicely.
Once the hand pies are filled, egg washed on top and sprinkled with sugar (if using) they bake up pretty quickly in a 350ºF pre-heated oven for 15 minutes or so. We wanted a uniformly golden crust so halfway through we rotated the hand pies on the sheet tray. They last at room temperature about 2-3 days in an air-tight container, and can be reheated in a toaster to crisp up the crust.
If you like this fall dessert recipe, check out these other fall favorites:
In a food processor combine almond flour, tapioca flour, and cold butter and pulse until the butter is broken down into pea-sized pieces.
Add in egg and honey and process until the dough comes together.
Shape dough into a round disk, wrap in plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator until cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. (See note)
For Pie Filling:
In a medium sauce pan, add apples, apple cider, maple syrup, lemon juice, spices and salt and heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently for 8-10 minutes until the exuded liquid from the apples has reduced and the apples are soft, but not broken apart.
In a small bowl make a slurry using tapioca and water and add it to the apple mixture, stirring continuously. Cook for 1 minute or until the mixture has thickened up.
Once thickened, add vanilla extract and optional butter and stir to combine.
Cool apple pie filling completely.
To assemble:
Between two sheets of parchment, roll out dough to a thickness of 1/16" - 1/8" of an inch. Stamp out 10 circles that are 4" in diameter using a cookie cutter. You may have to re-roll scraps 2 or 3 times to get 10 circles. If your dough starts to get too warm to work with, place in the refrigerator on sheet tray until cool enough to handle 10-15 minutes.
Gently place 5 circles on parchment on sheet pan. Place the remaining 5 on a separate sheet of parchment and if desired stamp out an apple shape from the center using a cookie cutter and stack on top of parchment line baking sheet. Place dough in the refrigerator on pan to chill for 15-20 minutes while the oven is pre-heating.
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Remove dough from refrigerator and take off one sheet of dough lined parchment and set aside. Place 3 tablespoons of apple pie filling in the center of the dough and gently smooth down down the filling leaving a 1/2" border of pie dough. Repeat for the remaining 4.
Top each filled dough with stamped dough circle and press your fingers along the edge to seal tightly.
Use a fork to crimp the edges. Brush with egg wash and top with raw sugar if desired.
Bake at 350ºF for 15-18 minutes, rotating half-way through, until the crust is golden brown.
Let cool briefly before serving. Store at room temperature for 2 days in a closed container, reheating briefly in a toaster oven to crisp up crust before serving
Recipe Notes
Pie dough will keep in the refrigerator, wrapped well, for 2-3 days.
If pie dough is getting too sticky to work with, always place it in the refrigerator. Cooling down the pie dough as needed is the best trick you can use to make the prettiest hand pies.
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There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!
What apple treats do you plan to bake up this fall?
This Gluten Free Apple Pie has all the markings of the classic version we all know and love: a buttery crust with thinly sliced juicy apples laced with cinnamon and nutmeg. It’s the perfect pie to serve during the holidays or a fun weekend baking project to mark the fall season! It’s made using unrefined sweeteners and uses the BEST gluten-free crust.
Gluten-Free Apple Galette Recipe
This Gluten Free Apple Galette is everything you want in an apple dessert for fall: juicy cinnamon apples with just the right hint of spice encased in a buttery pastry. It’s like a classic apple pie without all the work of baking it in a pie dish! We turned to our favorite pie dough that uses almond and tapioca flour and butter.
A galette is very similar to an apple pie, but a bit more rustic in appearance. It also can feel less intimidating to make a galette vs. a pie, and you don’t need a pie tin! The pie crust holds all that apple filling all on its own. This is the quintessential fall dessert to make (or this, or this)!
Get all of the ingredients prepared before you begin: Measure out the dry ingredients, cut the butter and make sure it is chilled and crack the egg with the honey in a bowl.
Don’t over-process the dough: Once it has come together stop running the food processor.
Wrap it up! Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, either in 1 or 2 disks, depending on if you are making a double batch.
Let it chill! The longer this dough chills, the better. It’s best to let it sit overnight, but at a minimum it needs 4 hours.
To roll it out we suggest using plastic wrap. Place a piece of plastic wrap down, then place the dough on top, then place another piece of plastic wrap and roll out between the two. We don’t normally tend to suggest using plastic for anything, but with this dough it really works out better on plastic vs. parchment. If you don’t own plastic wrap (we don’t blame you!) parchment paper can work too. Wax paper might work as well, but we did not test that.
Make sure the crust is cold when rolling it out and working with it. If it’s getting too warm and melty, place it back in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
When peeling and slicing the apples, squeeze apples with lemon juice to prevent browning.
You do not need to make any fancy design when placing the apples inside of the pie crust! But if you want to you can place the apples in concentric circles, overlapping slightly, to look like a flower. Using parchment as aid, fold plain crust border up over apples, pinching any cracks in crust.
Place the rolled out pie dough on a piece of parchment for baking. When folding up the crust around the apples, use the parchment paper as an aid. Pinch together any cracks that form.
You can brush the pie crust with an egg wash made from an egg whisked with a splash of water. Sprinkle the crust with raw sugar, if desired for improved texture and taste!
Add in raw honey, and egg (not the additional egg yolk) and process until combined.
Transfer dough into the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, refrigerate as long as possible- 6-8 hours minimum.
Remove and roll out between two sheets of parchment paper* until about 12 inches.
In a bowl, combine apple filling ingredients and toss until completely coated.
Place filling in the center of your dough and carefully fold the sides up**
Whisk together one egg yolk, then brush crust with egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with optional coconut sugar or organic turbinado sugar
Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until crust is crispy and golden
Remove and let cool before slicing
Recipe Notes
*Don't roll out too too thin
**Use additional tapioca flour on your fingers if the dough gets a little sticky when working with it
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There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!
Aside from new savory dishes and pumpkin everything, an obvious favorite Fall ingredient… APPLES! This week I wanted to swing back to apples since the farms are stocked and apple picking season is here, but not a recipe this week, instead, a helpful tool before the recipe! My biggest issue when shopping for apples is I often forget which are ideal for sauces, which for apple butter, which for baking, and which for fresh eating. Am I alone? I’m going to guess some of you have been in that boat, too!
Guide To Eating And Baking With Apples
This handy guide outlines 12 different apple varieties for you! There’s some overlap here and there, of course. Save this handy guide for the next time you’re buying ingredients for that apple pie (note: for a pie I go with a combination of two apples)!
Want apple recipes? Here are some of our favorites!
I was selected by American Express to contribute to their Tumblr community. As such I was paid for my services, but all opinions in general and about American Express are my own.
Ingredients Needed
Tips for Making Gluten Free Pie Crust:
Tips for Making the Perfect Apple Galette
