Recipe Tuesday: A Thanksgiving Dessert (apple crisp)
It’s 2 days before one of the biggest food holiday’s of the year and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m a Health Coach indeed AND I LOVE TO EAT! Good food makes me happy! I joke that I eat more than my 6’4″, 240lb. boyfriend and it’s pretty true. 🙂 Obviously, I try to eat the “right” things for me so that I can feel good about what I’m eating and enjoy every morsel of it!
I digress…let’s get back to Thanksgiving Day dessert. I grew up having my Mom’s sweet potato pie for Thanksgiving dessert and have fond memories of helping her bake them during the wee-hours of the morning each year. Since I’m starting my own tradition this year, I’m going to switch things up a bit and bake an Apple Crisp for Thanksgiving dessert.
Apple Crisps scream of the season with the apples, cinnamon and the crumbly top full of oats and chopped nuts. I normally make it with generous amounts of white and brown sugars, butter, oats, nuts, etc. This year I’m going to “upgrade” some of my ingredients while maintaining the integrity of the dessert, making it delectable and healthier at the same time.
Check out this recipe and share your comments below.
- For the Filling:
- 6 organic golden delicious apples, peeled, cored and sliced into wedges
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup coconut sugar crystals (aka coconut palm sugar)
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- ******
- For the Topping:
- 1½ cups Almond Flour
- ½ cup gluten-free rolled oats
- ½ cup coconut sugar crystals
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 12 tablespoons grass-fed butter (1½ sticks), chilled and cut into small pieces
- ½ cup almond slices, toasted and coarsely chopped
- Preheat oven to 350
- *******
- For the filling:
- In a large mixing bowl toss together apples, lemon juice, coconut sugar and flour. Pour mixture into a buttered 2qt. baking dish and set aside.
- *******
- For the topping:
- In a large mixing bowl mix the flour, oats, coconut sugar, cinnamon and salt.
- With your fingers work the butter into the mixture just until it comes together and forms large clumps. Don't overwork and melt the butter!
- Fold in the nuts and sprinkle evenly over the fruit.
- Bak until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown and crisp, about 45 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Coconut sugar crystals are a low-glycemic sweetener that can be used 1:1 in any recipe; its also great in coffee and tea! It contains minerals like iron, zinc, calcium and potassium, along with some short chain fatty acids, polyphenols and antioxidants that aren’t found in regular cane sugar. Coconut sugar also includes a type of fiber called inulin, which may slow glucose absorption and explain why it has a lower glycemic index than regular table sugar
If for some reason you want to make the traditional version, use 1/2 cup of white sugar in the filling and 1/2 cup brown sugar in the topping.
Happy Thanksgiving!! Aside from all the fabulous food you will enjoy, be sure to take a few minutes and be mindful of all that you have to be thankful for!
Share Your Thoughts