Vegan Apple Nachos Supreme

Try a new twist on nachos with Apple Nachos Supreme! Slices of crisp apples are drizzled with a date caramel and topped off with crunchy popcorn and nuts.

Happy autumn and HELLO Apple Nachos!

Yeah, I know… fall is about everything pumpkin.

In the food and blogging world, fall = pumpkin. I have a lot of pumpkin recipes myself (to link just a few). But, I also really love apple recipes.

And, apples are so often overlooked in autumn food recipes, don’t you think?

Not today, because I’m serving up these….

APPLE NACHOS SUPREME!

Take that, #pumpkineverything! 😆

Kidding. Like most, I love the pumpkin recipes. But, I also adore apple goodies!

And, let’s look at why we love apples!

Apples are:

• readily available (unlike pumpkin or pumpkin puree)
• usually inexpensive (even organic, which I recommend)
• easy to prepare! 

Plus, there’s something so homey about baking and cooking with apples. 

Apple recipes are simple, satisfying, comforting.

And versatile! Juicy and fresh in raw recipes, and equally delicious in sweet and savory dishes.

Plus, with so many varieties available, you can adapt most recipes using your favorite picks.

Speaking of which, my fave apple picks are fuji, gala, ambrosia, and sweet orin. Yours?

Back to the nachos!

These APPLE NACHOS SUPREME from Plant-Powered Families are a fun enough for kids, yet impressive enough for adult get-togethers.

What makes these nachos special?

Apple nachos aren’t a new idea. But these are unique because of the toppings!

I use a date-sweetened caramel drizzle, and popcorn for added sweet/salty appeal!

If you are short on time, I offer a shortcut topping option to the date caramel.

All in all, these “nachos” are super fun and delicious! And, you know, an apple a day… 😉

Enjoy x Dreena

5 from 2 votes

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Apple Nachos SUPREME

Your kids will LOVE this treat. It feels so festive and special, yet is pretty easy to pull together and is quite healthy! You can customize with toppings you like best. (Don’t be intimated by the length of the recipe, it’s just to give details, and I offer short-cuts!)

Course Dessert, Snack

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

1. 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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