Foodie Friday Recipe: Apple Crisp Baked Apples

Apple crisp is the perfect fall dessert, but you can dress it up for the holidays with this unique and healthy twist…

Mmmm…who doesn’t love sweet/tart apple crisp topped with that crunchy topping? It just hits the spot on a cold fall or winter evening.

It’s actually not the unhealthiest of desserts either, but it’s not that impressive looking. However, with this recipe, you can turn humble apple crisp into a lovely holiday dessert that will amaze your guests – and have them coming back for seconds!

The trick is to add that tempting topping to baked apples, which come out sweet and soft in the middle, and then top them with ice cream for a beautiful presentation.

This recipe serves 5, but can easily be adjusted to accommodate all of your holiday guests.

Apple-Crisp Baked Apples

Yield: 5 servings
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

For the crumble topping
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons ghee, melted

For the filling and apples
1 tablespoon ghee
9 apples; 4 of them peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons honey, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup apple juice

Optional: Ice cream or coconut whipped cream, for serving

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Make the crumble topping
• Mix together the almond flour, pecans, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Add vanilla, maple syrup, and ghee, and mix to combine. Set aside.

Make the filling 

• Heat ghee in a large skillet and sauté 4 chopped apples until they begin to soften.
• Add in honey, cinnamon, lemon zest, and vanilla, and simmer, stirring often, until the apples are cooked through.
• Stir in dried cranberries and remove from heat.

Assemble the apples

• Slice the tops off and scoop out the insides of the 5 remaining apples, leaving about a ½-inch thickness on the sides and bottoms.
• Place the apples in a pie or baking dish and fill with the cooked filling. Top each apple with the crumble topping.
• Pour apple juice into the bottom of the baking pan and place in oven to bake until the apples are soft and the topping is golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• Serve warm, and, if desired, drizzled with honey and a dollop ice cream or coconut whipped cream.

Recipe originally published on ThriveMarket.com.

 

Image Courtesy of Paul Delmont at Thrive Market.