Happy first day of fall! Time to embrace cooking and baking everything pumpkin. But how about apples?
In the food and blogging world, fall = pumpkin (I have even more pumpkin recipes – and more, but enough pumpkin links for now)!
Apples are so overlooked. So today, I’m serving up APPLE NACHOS – SUPREME!
I love baking and cooking with apples. So many varieties, and they are beautiful to use raw in dishes, and equally delicious in sweet and savory dishes.
These APPLE NACHOS SUPREME from Plant-Powered Families show how you can transform seasonal apples into a fun yet sophisticated snack.
In these apple nachos, the apples are showcased in their naturally juicy, raw state. But, topped with some playful toppings and a date-sweetened caramel drizzle, everyday apples are elevated to party fare!
I give you an option for a shortcut with the caramel drizzle, so if you’re short on time (or patience!) give that a try.
Enjoy x Dreena
p.s. don’t forget to enter my huuuuge back-t0-school giveaway!
Apple Nachos SUPREME
Ingredients
Spiced Caramel (see note for quick-fix option):
- 1/2 cup pitted dates
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp (scant) sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice optional
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean powder or 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup + 2-3 tsp water
Apple Base:
- 3 apples cored and sliced into thin rounds
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Toppings:
- 3-4 tbsp nut butter of choice or peanut butter see note
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups popped popcorn can pop yourself or use storebought
- 3 - 4 tbsp nondairy chocolate chips
- 2 - 3 tablespoons chopped nuts optional
- 2 tablespoons cranberries or raisins optional
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 recipe prepared Spiced Caramel or brown rice syrup, as in note
Instructions
For spiced caramel: Puree the dates, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt, allspice, vanilla bean powder, and 1/3 cup of the water in a blender or small food processor (I use the Blendtec twister jar, which is the perfect size for this small batch—you can also use a mini food processor but it may not get as smooth). If it’s difficult to get the mixture moving, add another teaspoon of water, and more if needed. (Try not to add too much at once, or the mixture could become too thin.) Puree until completely smooth. Once smooth, transfer to a small zip-top bag (to later pipe onto the nachos). To make the apple base: Toss the apples in the lemon juice. Arrange on a large plate.
To assemble with toppings: Add the nut butter to a small zip-top bag. Seal the bag, and push/twist all the nut butter to one end. Snip the smallest piece off a corner and you can then pipe the nut butter over the apples. Alternatively, you can gently warm the nut butter and drizzle with a spoon. Distribute the popcorn, chocolate chips, nuts, cranberries, and shredded coconut on top of the apples, as desired.
Finally, take the prepared caramel in the zip-top bag, seal the bag, and twist/snip off a small corner. Drizzle over the apple nachos. Serves 3-4.
Recipe Notes
Caramel Note: For a quick fix, substitute brown rice syrup for the caramel. Use 1/4–1/3 cup, and you can choose to stir in some of the spices, or leave as is.
Serving Suggestion: I like to drizzle one layer of nut butter on top of the apples, to help the toppings stick, and then a drizzle of the caramel last—it looks so lovely! You can switch it up, using the caramel first and then the nut butter last if you like. Also, another option is to make a nut caramel, blending the nut butter straight into the date caramel. You may need to add a touch more water to get it moving in the blender (depending on your blender).
Kitchen Tip: These are best served soon after making. The lemon juice will help preserve the color of the apples, but not for long. You can prepare the date caramel in advance, and get the ingredients prepped in advance, then simply assemble before serving.
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Jeannie
I just read this and realized I had all the ingredients. So into the kitchen I went. I’m thinking about putting a teaspoon in a cup of tea?! Delicious! Thank you so much.
Alisa @ Go Dairy Free
That’s fabulous Dreena!
Honey
I love the apple nachos! We’ve made them a couple times so far. A few weeks ago we were having nachos for dinner, so we had the apple nachos for dessert. My daughter loved that dinner and dessert matched! I added cocoa powder to the date caramel and since my daughter is allergic to corn I subbed crispy brown rice cereal for that.
Dreena
So glad to hear that, thanks Honey! What a fun idea to have them as dessert to regular nachos. Also, LOVE that idea of using crisp rice cereal as a sub – very smart, thanks for sharing. 🙂