Our Top Healthy Recipes for Apples
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All-American Apple Pies
Mini apple pies are baked in hollowed out apple shells, topped with pie crust lattice, and baked until golden brown and filling is bubbly.
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Fried Apple Pie Rolls
In this healthy take on apple pie, wonton wrappers stand in for pie crust, saving you calories and the headache of rolling out dough. We like to use Granny Smith apples because they hold their shape and provide tart balance to the sweet filling. Try dipping these handheld crispy treats in whipped cream.
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Apple Puffed Oven Pancake
Apple pie spice is a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves or ginger. If you don't have any on hand, you can substitute cinnamon and a dash of cloves in the recipe.
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Roasted Squash & Apples with Dried Cherries & Pepitas
For this easy roasted side dish recipe, pick apples that hold their shape when cooked--Pink Lady, Braeburn and Winesap are good choices. If you can't find acorn squash, substitute butternut instead.
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Country Apple Tart
The pastry for this rustic tart features gets nutty taste from fiber-rich oat flour and flaxseed meal. Pecans top it off.
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Apple-Cherry Strudel with Cider Whipped Cream
Strudel may look fussy and complicated, but the multiple layers of phyllo actually make this dessert very forgiving and earn you baking-genius points. Plus, this recipe makes three strudel, so you can eat one now and freeze the other two for a quick, impressive dessert.
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Slow-Cooker Chai Apple Butter
Seasoned with spices inspired by chai tea, this slow-cooker apple butter can be slathered on your favorite toast, served with a fall cheese plate or stirred into yogurt.
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Skillet Chicken with Cranberries & Apples
Celebrate the flavors of fall with chicken cooked in a fast apple-cranberry sauce. If you prefer a less tart flavor, try dried cranberries instead of fresh. Serve with quick-cooking wild rice and roasted Brussels sprouts.
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Amazing Apple Tart
Juicy baked apples, a tender biscuitlike crust, and a sweet and spicy sauce add up to this diabetic-friendly dessert. That is truly amazing!
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Roasted Pumpkin-Apple Soup
Apples add just a hint of sweetness to this velvety pumpkin soup. Try it as a delightful first course for a special meal.
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Mom's Apple Squares
Traditional recipes for apple squares often use plenty of trans fat–laden shortening in the crust. We replaced it with a mixture of canola oil and butter and swapped out half the all-purpose flour for whole-wheat pastry flour for a little fiber. They are best enjoyed slightly warm. Gently reheat any leftovers in the oven or toaster oven to recrisp the crust.
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Maple-Cinnamon Applesauce
Turn fresh fall apples into delicious maple-and-cinnamon-spiked homemade applesauce with this easy recipe.
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Apple-&-Leek-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Stuff pork tenderloin with apple and leek to take it from ordinary to elegant. Our easy method of tying the roast together keeps the filling inside while you brown and roast it. We use applejack, brandy made from apple cider, for depth of flavor in the pan sauce, but you can use 1/2 cup cider if you prefer.
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Apple Cupcakes with Cinnamon-Marshmallow Frosting
Shredded apple replaces some of the oil and keeps the cake moist in these cinnamon-spiked cupcakes. There is a generous amount of fluffy marshmallow frosting to mound or pipe on top for a festive look. Be sure to frost them right after you make the frosting--it stiffens as it stands and becomes more difficult to spread.
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Apple-Bacon Pancakes with Cider Syrup
If you like apple pancakes and you like bacon, you'll love the taste of these sweet, smoky pancakes. Any kind of apple works well. A quick cider syrup drizzled on top enhances the apple flavor.
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Spiralized Apple Crisp
Use a spiralizer to skip the peeling and slicing in this easy apple crisp recipe. Plus the noodly texture of this gluten-free fruit dessert is a fun adaptation of traditional versions.
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Apple-Cinnamon Fruit Bars
These easy apple-cinnamon fruit bars make a big batch--perfect for fall potlucks and parties.
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Pear, Apple & Cranberry Tarte Tatin
This ultimate fall and winter tart showcases the best fruits of the season: pears, apples and cranberries. Unlike other tarts, the tarte tatin is made upside down in a skillet. You start by cooking the fruit, then top it with the dough, carefully tuck in the edges and let it cook. When it's ready you invert the whole tart onto a plate. It comes out looking beautiful and is actually much easier than you might imagine.
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Apple Mini Fruit Pizzas
Round apple slices make a sweet, crisp, no-bake crust for these easy fruit pizzas topped with almond butter, chocolate chips and crunchy pistachios. This fun snack or healthy dessert cuts carbs from a classic cookie-crust fruit pizza.
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Miso Apple Bars
Miso is not just for soup! This fermented bean paste's rich umami flavor balances the sweetness in this apple dessert recipe. More ways to use miso: whisk into a dressing or stir into sautéed vegetables with a bit of butter too.
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Deep-Dish Apple Pie
With all that delicious fruit an apple pie should be healthy, but the truth is a slice can have as much as 750 calories and 30 grams of fat. For the most part, the culprit is the crust. We use whole-wheat pastry flour to add fiber and lower the saturated fat by replacing some of the butter with canola oil. The brown sugar-sweetened filling in this pie is made with two kinds of apples for the perfect balance. A slice has half the calories of a typical version and only 10 grams of fat--sweet!
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Pumpkin-Apple Smoothie
This tasty fall blender breakfast gets protein from almond milk and Greek yogurt.
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Oatmeal-Nut Crunch Apple Pie
This decadent pie is loaded with juicy apples and adorned with a streusel-lover's crunchy topping. The pie is best served the day it's made. If you're short on time, look for a ready-made whole-wheat pie crust in the freezer section of the store.
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Apple Spice Muffins
Think of crème fraîche as sour cream's richer, thicker, less-sour sibling. In this healthy muffin recipe, it's the secret ingredient that gives these muffins a light texture and rich flavor. The batter is made with extra spices and tons of sweet fruit, which means you won't notice the minimal amount of white sugar.
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Apple Oatmeal
In this healthy oatmeal recipe, cook apples into your morning oatmeal and you'll start the day right with whole grains and a serving of fruit.
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Apple & Fennel Salad with Blue Cheese
Apples and blue cheese are a heavenly match in this fennel and apple salad recipe dressed with a tangy cider-vinegar dressing.
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Maple-Bacon Roasted Apples & Celeriac
Roasted apples and celery root (celeriac) with a maple-bacon glaze make a perfect fall side dish. If you can't find pure maple syrup, use an equal amount of brown sugar plus 1 tablespoon of water in Step 3.
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Spiced Apple Bread Pudding
This silky apple dessert recipe--a spiced apple bread pudding made with apple cider in place of the usual custard--gets a double hit of apple flavor from both the cider and plenty of sliced tart apples. Mace, the lacy red spice that coats the nutmeg fruit, adds a particularly lovely floral note, but you can substitute nutmeg if you don't have any mace on hand.
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Apple Bavarian Torte
In this gorgeous apple torte dessert recipe, whole-wheat flour and almonds make a cookie-like crust that is topped with a lighter cream cheese filling and cinnamon-sugar apples.
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Apple & Grilled Chicken Salad with Cheddar Toasts
This hearty grilled chicken salad recipe highlights the classic combination of sharp Cheddar and sweet crunchy apples. For a fabulous starter anytime you entertain, simply skip the chicken.
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Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork with Roasted Apples & Fennel
Inspired by the Italian roast called porchetta, this herb-slathered pork roast is wrapped in prosciutto. Completely company-worthy, this healthy dinner can be rounded out with garlicky broccolini, smashed potatoes and a dry hard cider.
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Ginger Baked Apples with Oats & Pecans
Think of these baked apples as individual apple crisps. Use apples that get nice and soft when they're cooked. Try serving it with a splash of dark rum and a dollop of fat-free Greek-style yogurt.
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Incredible Apple Tart
Jonathan, Rome Beauty, Winesap, and York Imperial are all great choices for the apples in this party-special tart.
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Ham, Gruyère & Apple Galettes
Prepared pie crusts make assembling these free-form tarts quick and fast. Feel free to swap in your favorite jam, meat or cheese. Serve with a simple green salad for an easy brunch or light dinner.
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No-Oat Apple Crisp
This simple oatless apple crisp gets its sweet topping from white whole-wheat flour, dark brown sugar and butter. Any sweet, firm apple will work. Experiment and mix and match to find your favorite fruit combo.
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Apple-Pie Sangria
This refreshing sangria, infused with fall flavors of apples, cider and cinnamon, provides warming cheer for a chilly autumn evening. Use red-skinned apples for the most attractive presentation.
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Turkey-Apple-Brie Sandwiches
Hollowed-out baguettes hold a satisfying combo of tart apples, creamy Brie and protein-rich, shredded turkey.
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Apple-Crisp-Stuffed Baked Apples
This apple dessert marries the best parts of apple crisp with a baked apple to make an adorable and tasty sweet treat. Cooking an apple crisp inside an apple is a wonderful treat in summer with a scoop of ice cream, or in fall after an apple-picking trip.
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Caramel-Pretzel Apple Dippers
Caramel apples can contain up to 60 grams of carbohydrate, so try this lower-carb apple dipper option. A tasty twist on the traditional recipe, apple slices are dipped in rich white chocolate, sprinkled with crushed pretzels, and topped with a sweet caramel drizzle.
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Patti LaBelle's Free-Form Apple Tart
It's no secret that one of Patti LaBelle's favorite places to be is in the kitchen. We love her Free-Form Apple tart, which uses light sour cream and just a little butter to keep calories in check. Anyone can make it--the best part about this recipe is that its beauty comes from imperfection.
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Pork Bowls with Apple and Grapes
A satisfying bowl of quinoa and pork is topped with goat cheese, grapes, and grilled apple and red onion.
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Apple, Bacon and Sweet Potato Mini Casseroles
These sweet and savory mini casseroles are ready in just an hour. Refrigerate or freeze the leftovers to enjoy later.
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Apple & Smoked Gouda Sweet Potato Toast
Cheese, apple, maple and coconut? What's not to like! This healthy sweet potato toast hits all the sweet and savory spots for breakfast, lunch or a delicious snack.
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Stuffed Pork Loin with Wild Rice
A clever knife technique is the key to this stuffed tenderloin, which gets rolled up with a sweet-savory combo of wild rice, apples and cranberries.
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Apple Crumble with Oats
Leaving the skins on the apples provides fiber and vitamins, so this diabetic-friendly dessert is not only good tasting but also good for you.
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Apple Slaw with Poppy Seed Dressing
Apples contribute a touch of sweetness to a traditional cabbage slaw, and pecans give it a delicious crunchy finish. To save time, substitute 3 cups prepared coleslaw mix for the sliced cabbage and shredded carrots.
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Slow-Cooker Sausage & Apple Stuffing
This sausage and apple stuffing is extra-moist and full of classic fall flavors. Using a slow cooker makes this side dish even easier and saves on oven space.
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Apple-Cranberry Overnight French Toast
Assembled the night before, this healthy breakfast casserole recipe features apples, cranberries and walnuts. Serve with pure maple syrup.
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Apple-Cinnamon Mini Doughnuts
These bite-size baked apple doughnuts have all the flavor of their fried counterparts with fewer calories. Serve plain for breakfast, with an afternoon cup of coffee or alongside whipped cream for an after-dinner treat.
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Mixed Greens with Lentils & Sliced Apple
This salad with lentils, feta and apple is a satisfying vegetarian entree to whip together for lunch. To save time, swap in drained canned lentils--just make sure to look for low-sodium and give them a rinse before adding them to the salad.