Light Maple Cashew Baked Apples Recipe
Bring on the healthy desserts to keep things in balance for the holiday season! Cashew, maple and oat-stuffed baked apples are a popular fall recipe.
It’s time to put the pantry on lockdown. There is Halloween candy in the house! (Cue horror movie scream.) We bought the big Costco bag, full of many of my favorite mini chocolate bars. And the only way I can deal with having it in the house is by NOT OPENING IT until 5pm on Halloween night. “Not open = off limits” in my world.
Then again, if I completely deny myself…well, that’s not good for anyone. Bitter, snarly – a perfect match for that witch costume hanging in my closet.
So, I compromise. And that is where these awesome baked apples come in. Hail to the baked apples!
The vessel itself (you know, the apple) is full of vitamins and other good nutrients (scroll down to A Helping of Health for details), so that’s a good start. What really makes or breaks baked apples on the “health” scale is what you put inside.
I started by cutting the apples in half because, for me, a full stuffed apple is more than I need for a snack or dessert. The only part I scooped out was the core, leaving the rest of the apple intact.
What I decided to stuff the apple was inspired by what was inside my pantry. NOT the Halloween candy.
Cashews, cinnamon, oats (use a gluten-free version if you prefer) and maple syrup. I could have added in some butter or brown sugar, but I was looking for a more natural sweetener and I found that the syrup glued everything together, making the butter somewhat unnecessary.
I opted them in the oven and 25 minutes later, we were treated to a satisfying, perfectly sweet dessert. By all means, serve the stuffed apples with some frozen yogurt or plain yogurt if want an extra dollop of creaminess.
A Helping of Health:
We’ve heard it since we were little. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” While that is just a fun saying to toss around when your kid insists that candy is truly the best thing for him, there’s some truth behind it.
Apples are a powerhouse source of Vitamin C. However, take note that most of that Vitamin C is stored near the skin, so eat the peel whenever possible.
Doctors keep telling us to eat more fiber, which helps to prevent heart disease (amongst other things). Apples contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Plus, fiber makes us full for longer, which can help ward off cravings for junk food. (I need all the help I can get!)
Antioxidants are the nutrients that help to reduce the risks of certain cancers. Wouldn’t you know that apples are chockfull of antioxidants?
Other healthy apple recipes:
Cookin’ Canuck’s Whole Wheat Apple Spice Muffins
Cookin’ Canuck’s Spaghetti Squash with Apples & Toasted Pecans
Vegukate’s Roasted Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato (& Apple) Soup
ifoodreal’s Cinnamon Apple, Walnut, Kale & Quinoa Salad
Hello Natural’s Cinnamon Ginger Baked Apple Chips
Light Maple Cashew Baked Apples
Calories 156.1 / Total Fat 5.0g / Saturated Fat 0.8g / Cholesterol 0mg / Sodium 74.8mg / Total Carbohydrates 27.5g / Fiber 4.1g / Sugars 16.7g / Protein 2.7g / WW (Old Points) 3 / WW (Points+) 4
Ingredients
- 2 large Braeburn apples
- 1/3 cup oats (gluten-free brand, if desired)
- 1/3 cup raw cashews, chopped
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, stir together the oats, cashews, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt.
Cut the apples in half through the stem. Using a paring knife and small spoon, scoop out the core.
Divide the oat mixture evenly between the apple halves.
Place the apples in a baking dish filled with ¼-inch water.
Bake until the apples are tender when pierced with a fork, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve.
Notes
Form the kitchen of Cookin' Canuck | cookincanuck.com
2.6
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