Jennifer Garner’s 2-Ingredient Maple Butter Is as Easy and Delicious as It Sounds (Ina Agrees!)
Peanut butter and jelly. Mac and cheese. Cacio e pepe. It’s pretty clear, when it comes to food, that good things come in pairs. And thanks to Jennifer Garner, you can add another dynamic duo to your kitchen arsenal: maple butter.
Jen shared the super-simple recipe on her #PretendCookingShow on Instagram. And yes, it’s just maple syrup mixed with butter. When I first saw it, I thought perhaps it was too good to be true, but then I saw in the comments that Jen’s buddy Ina (yes, that Ina) had signed off on it too — so I headed to the kitchen to try it for myself.
How to Make Jennifer Garner’s Maple Butter
As Jen demonstrates in her charmingly kooky manner, you heat 3/4 cup maple syrup (preferably grade B syrup) in a pan, and then whisk it with 1 stick of butter. As Jen’s butter melted, she realized that the maple syrup was supposed to go in first, but she pressed on — and then drizzled the creamy syrup over what appeared to be a slice of panettone.
In the name of science, when I made my maple butter, I tried it both ways: whisking the syrup into the butter and vice versa. I can confirm that what Jen says is true: “It turns out you can do the butter first or the maple syrup first. It doesn’t matter.”
My Honest Review of Jennifer Garner’s Maple Butter
While the maple butter was still warm, I drizzled it over a stack of pancakes and was instantly smitten. You know that thing where you only get butter on certain parts of the pancake, leaving other bits only maple syrupy? With maple butter, each bite gets butter and syrup, which my husband, 6-year-old son, and I all agreed was a superior eating experience. But what surprised me most was what happened when I stashed the maple butter in the fridge.
When it was fully cooled, the butter solidified, but not completely, turning the mixture into something like a maple glaze. It was a creamy blonde color and very satisfying to stir (try this and tell me I’m wrong). It was rich and creamy and perfectly drizzle-able, making it great for spreading onto toast. I also drizzled it over some sweet potatoes that were still warm from the oven, and highly recommend that experience, too.
If You Make Jennifer Garner’s Maple Butter, a Few Tips
- Add a pinch of salt. If you’re using unsalted butter, like I was, add a pinch or two of salt to amp up all of the flavors.
- Keep whisking. You might notice some separation when you whisk the butter and syrup, but just keep whisking vigorously and it will come together.
- Any maple syrup will work. I usually have maple syrup from Vermont or upstate New York in the house, but I was out and ended up using a supermarket-brand syrup when I made my maple butter. It was still delicious.
- Spread or drizzle this on all of the carbs. Toast, pancakes, waffles, scones, cornbread, biscuits, and vanilla cupcakes all benefit from a little maple butter.