Sweet Apple Pie Oil-Free Dressing or Dip

Presenting the perfect summer salad! Begin by pairing sweet fruit with mixed greens. Then, sprinkle with a few walnut or pecan pieces. Finally, liberally anoint it with Sweet Apple Pie Dressing. This amazing new recipe is courtesy of our 17 year old son, Daniel.

When not working his part-time job or studying school subjects, you’ll find Daniel in the kitchen, experimenting with colors, flavors, textures, and ingredients.

Every year for his birthday we buy him new bottles and flavors of balsamic vinegar. So, when we were recently sent two bottles of vinegar from California Balsamic to thank our family for being special guests on Chef AJ’s daily YouTube program, Daniel was beside himself with happiness.

Grabbing them and calling them, “My precious”, he began immediately planning his strategy for using Sweet Apple Pie Balsamic.

(On a side note, we also received a bottle of Teriyaki Balsamic, which is absolutely amazing served straight from the bottle, drizzled over a fresh stir fry salad or veggie lo mein.)

Let the creating begin!

Daniel said he wanted to use the Sweet Apple Pie Balsamic to create a recipe that featured the perfect balance of sweet and tart – something which reminded one of the sensation of biting into a fresh, ripe-from-the-tree apple. The dressing would have enough complexity to satisfy the adults.

But, what he really wanted was something his friends would grab and gobble down quicker than he could put it out on on the table and then begin calling him “a food genius”.

The resulting recipe is versatile and can be used as a dressing or fruit dip, depending on how thick you make it.

The secret of this dressing is the applesauce base, which gives it a creamy, thick texture without any added oil. In fact, if you leave out the water or juice in the recipe, then you have a dip. Just put it in a bowl and serve with apple slices at your next party or get together.

Although this dressing can be made without using a blender, the consistency will be thicker if you don’t whiz it in a blender. Whether you blend or not, the great taste is still the same.

Sweet Apple Pie Oil-Free Dressing is

• Vegan
• Free of refined sugar
• Oil-free
• Easy
• Fast
• Delicious
• Rich
• Thick
• Pourable
• Versatile

Like all great dressings, it’s got both acid and sugar. The sweetness comes from the applesauce and the maple syrup. It’s balanced by the tartness of the two vinegars and the lemon juice.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar free applesauce
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 4 Tbsp Sweet Apple Pie Balsamic
• 1 Tbsp water or apple juice (Omit if making dip or you want an extra thick dressing)
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2-1 tsp. cinnamon (add less for a more subtle cinnamon flavor)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1-2 Tbsp real maple syrup

Instructions

To Make Dip:

Add all ingredients except maple syrup and water to a Ninja or other high-speed blender. Blend briefly. Remove from base and stir in maple syrup a little at a time. Taste test as you go until you arrive at the perfect sweetness for you.

Place mixture in a bowl and serve with sliced apples or other fresh fruit. Yield: 1 1/2 cups.

To make dressing:

Add all ingredients except maple syrup to a Ninja or other high-speed blender. Blend briefly. Remove from base and stir in maple syrup a little at a time. Taste test as you go until you arrive at the perfect sweetness for you.

Note: Sweet Apple Pie Balsamic already has some maple syrup added. So, if you don’t want the final dressing super sweet, you won’t want to add both tablespoons of maple syrup. We added 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and it was plenty sweet for us.

Place in sealed container in the fridge. It will remain fresh for up to a week (if it you don’t eat it all by then, which is highly doubtful).

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Need the Recipe?

Let Daniel know how you like it.

If you make this recipe, Daniel would love to know how you like it. He’s all about creating new recipes and working to improve his skills in the kitchen.