There are so many great things about the holiday season but catching up with family over the dinner table has to be at the top of the list. If you've recently transitioned to a whole food plant-based diet, you may be scratching your head wondering how you'll participate in some of your favorite food-oriented holiday traditions this year. But fear not! You can have your whole food plant-based cake, and eat it too. Except in this case, the cake is a healthy apple crisp. This single-serve heathy apple crisp is the perfect plant-based Thanksgiving dessert recipe because it's so so easy AND your relatives won't be fighting over the last piece as everyone gets their own! With no oil, no refined sugar, and plenty of fiber, this sweet treats will not only impress friends and family, but keep you healthy and strong throughout the holidays.
Serves: 8 for dessert
Prep time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 30 minutes
What's in this healthy apple crisp?
4 baking apples
1 lemon
1 TBS of maple syrup + 2 tsp of maple syrup (or date syrup)
¼ cup of oats
½ cup of almond meal
6 dates, pitted
2 TBS of cinnamon
Sea salt to taste
¾ cups of almond milk or soy milk (suggested: West Soy)
3 TBS of all natural peanut butter
How do you make healthy apple crisp?
- Peel apples, cut them in half, and remove cores
- With the cut side down, slice the apples until just before reaching the base. Slivers should be about ¼ inch thick, and should only be about ¾ the way through the apple, leaving the base (cut side) attached. Like so: \\|||// (side view)
- Mix together the juice from ½ a lemon, 1 TBS of maple syrup, and sea salt to taste. Drizzle mixture over apples
- Bake apples on a non-stick pan for 20 minutes, covered with aluminum foil, on 350 degrees
- Blend together in a food processor or bullet: 2 TBS of maple syrup, the juice from ½ a lemon, ¼ cup of almond meal, oats, dates, cinnamon, and sea salt to taste
- Once apples are baked, stuff the oat mixture between the crevices of the apples, and dust with the remaining almond meal
- Bake for 10 more minutes, uncovered at 400 degrees
- Whisk together almond milk and peanut butter and drizzle over twice-baked apples
- Dust with cinnamon and enjoy!
Looking for a HEART HEALTHY Thanksgiving Dessert Recipe?
You can whip up this healthy apple crisp without nuts. Here's how:
- Replace almond meal with 1/4 cup of additional oats.
- Instead of peanut butter sauce, top with 1 frozen banana, blended with 1 tsp of cinnamon (cinnamon ice cream)
Want more Plant-Based Thanksgiving Recipes?
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