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
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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Cyndie
Ooo lala.Crunchy goodness!
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. 🙂