Apple Nachos
The healthier apple dessert
Apples and dessert just go together, don’t they? Add in some vegan caramel sauce, and pecans and you’ve got one of my favourite treats. I’ve used this dish as an appetizer, and as a dessert and no-one has ever been disappointed. By leaving the apples raw, we are preserving some of the heat sensitive nutrients like B vitamins, and pectin, which has a detoxifying quality. Apples are high in fibre, and are known as “mini-multivitamins” containing a little bit of everything, but larger amounts of vitamin A, potassium, and calcium. Pairing the apples with a few healthy fats (coconut oil, almond butter, pecans) will help keep you fuller longer, and can help stop a blood sugar spike from the natural sugars in the apple, as well as the little bit of sugar in the caramel sauce and chocolate.
Some tips when making this:
- When decorating, if you want to make pretty swirls, place the almond butter, caramel sauce and chocolate into separate piping bags, or squeeze bottles, or
simply into ziplock bags with the end snipped off (but it will come out fast so be prepared).
- You can make the caramel sauce ahead of time. It will last in the fridge 5-7 days.
- You will have left over caramel sauce, you can store it in the fridge to have as another treat later, or in the freezer for another time!
- Cut the apples on at a time, and lay each slice out on the tray before cutting a new apple. Depending on the size of the tray you may need more or less apples.
- You may also have left over melted chocolate, it’s totally up to you how much add.
- I use Enjoy Life chocolate chips
Apple Nachos
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 3 minutes
Yield: 10-15 servings
ingredients
4-5 organic apples of choice, washed and cut into bit size slices
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup coconut cream from a can (solid white part at the top)
1/4 cup and 2 tbsp coconut sugar
2 tbsp dairy-free chocolate chips
1 tsp coconut oil
3 tbsp almond butter, or nut butter of choice * or omit if nut free
optional toppings: pecans, coconut, mini dairy free chocolate chips, hemp hearts, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon
method
Begin by making the coconut caramel sauce. add 1/2 cup coconut cream and the coconut sugar to a small pot over medium heat, stirring frequently.
You want to see small bubbles, but this can burn easily so stir frequently. Continue stirring and adjusting heat if necessary
After about 15 minutes, this caramel should have thickened a little bit (remember coconut cream turns to liquid when heated, this will firm up in the fridge)
Place in a mason jar in the fridge to thicken
Wash and begin slicing apples one-by-one and laying them out on a tray. Depending on the size of the tray you are using, you may need 1 more or 1 less apple.
Once apples are ready, place in a big bowl, and mix with lemon juice, do your best to coat each apple to prevent browning, leave in the bowl.
In a small sauce pan over low heat, heat chocolate chips and coconut oil until chocolate is melted.
In another small sauce pan (or empty the chocolate into a small bowl or piping bag and use the same pan) add almond butter and melt over low heat.
Lay apples out over the tray
Begin drizzling with chocolate sauce, almond butter and cooled caramel sauce
Top with your favourite toppings and enjoy!