Stevia Apricot Sauce & Peach Sauce

by Chef Rachel Albert
(Phoenix, AZ)

Apricot Sauce/Peach Sauce with stevia

Hands-on: 20 minutes / Cooking: 30 minutes/ Yield: 3 1/2 cups; 16 servings

To make this sauce, wait for fresh apricots grown in your state, region, or bioregion. If you can’t find apricots, substitute peaches or nectarines, and cut them into quarters.

You can serve this sauce slightly warm, chilled, or at room temperature. Try it over Vanilla, Chocolate, Ginger, Coffee, or Avocado Ice Dream. It also tastes great spooned over fresh blueberries, strawberries, or cubed honeydew melon sprinkled with shredded, unsweetened coconut or chopped toasted almonds or pecans.

Note: If you tolerate yogurt, you can stir this sauce into plain goat or cow milk yogurt to produce naturally-flavored yogurt without all of the sugar used in commercial brands.]


FYI: The inspiration for this recipe came from Cooking Light magazine. I changed the type of sweetener and simplified the preparation.

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup honey, agavé nectar, or maple syrup; additional 1 tablespoon if needed
* 1/4 cup filtered water
* 3 pounds ripe apricots, halved and pitted (about 8 cups)
* 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract powder or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon clear stevia extract liquid (start with less; add more only if needed)


1. Combine the honey, water, and apricots (or quartered peaches) in a heavy 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Cover and bring to boil over high heat and stir for 3 minutes until the syrup dissolves. Reduce heat to medium. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, for 25 to 30 minutes or until the fruit breaks down and the mixture thickens.

2. Remove from heat and add stevia. Purée the mixture in a blender, Vita-Mix, or food processor. For a sweeter taste, add an additional 1/8 teaspoon stevia extract powder. Repeat if needed.

3. Transfer the sauce to wide mouth jars or Pyrex bowls with lids. When cool, cover and refrigerate. Freeze what you don’t plan to use within 3 to 4 weeks, leaving at least 1 inch of space at the top of the jar.

4. Serve close to room temperature, or warm briefly in a small saucepan over low heat, or in a heatproof bowl in a toaster oven.

Nutritional data:

¼ cup (apricot): 81 calories, 1 gram protein, 18 grams carbohydrate, 1 milligram sodium

¼ cup (peach): 76 calories, 0.6 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrate, 0 milligrams sodium

Variations:

Peach Sauce: Replace apricots with fresh peaches. Prepare with or without lavender.

Nectarine Sauce: Replace apricots with fresh nectarines. Prepare with or without lavender.

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For more great recipes like this, pick up a copy of The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten-Free Cookies, Compotes & Sauces by Rachel Albert-Matesz (Planetary Press, 2008). Recipe used with permission from Rachel at The Healthy Cooking Coach.