in Health

Healthy Apple Nachos | The Picky Eater

by HealthMatters September 1, 2024, 2:47 am 1k Views

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My sticky, sweet, and utterly delicious healthy apple nachos are perfect for anyone looking for an easy snack or light dessert. I’ve topped these apples with gooey caramel, chocolate chips, nuts, and coconut for a flavorful treat loved by adults and kids alike. With just a few simple steps, you’ll soon be drooling over this vegan and gluten-free recipe, ready in just 15 minutes!

Healthy apple nachos with caramel and toppings on a white plate

Let’s face it… caramel apples are SO good! A sweet apple smothered in rich, thick caramel – in theory it’s an amazing idea, but it can also be so messy, especially when my kids eat it!

Plus it’s not exactly healthy – caramel is just pure sugar and there is a lot of it in every bite. I needed an alternative and started brainstorming some healthy apple snack ideas. And that is the origin story for my caramel apple nachos recipe!

These loaded apple nachos are the perfect solution, making for a shareable snack that my kids love. Plus, I can steal some slices for myself or indulge in a full platter topped with all my favorite things. I’m getting hungry just thinking about them!

I’m telling you now, vegan caramel apple nachos will quickly become a snack on regular rotation in your house! It makes for a fun switch up from classic apples and peanut butter, while still providing a boost of fiber and nutrients to your diet.

If you are looking for more healthy snacks with apples be sure to check out my apple carrot muffins. For a festive treat try my funny face halloween apples!

Topped with crunchy, salty peanuts and a sprinkle of shredded coconut, this snack combines a medley of textures and flavors that make every bite satisfying and fun. Whenever I am craving something sweet or need a quick and festive treat for a gathering, these nachos hit the spot!

I really appreciate how customizable these apple nachos are, with endless options to try out. While I like to add things like chocolate chips, sprinkles and more, this easy vegan snack can definitely be made more on the healthy side. Load these up with almond butter drizzles, fresh berries, cinnamon, and pumpkin seeds for a sweet option with less refined sugar.

I made this snack vegan and gluten-free to accommodate those with certain dietary restrictions. Anyone looking to avoid dairy can still enjoy this take on the classic caramel apple!

I especially love how quickly I can whip this up, making a great after-school snack for my kids or post-workout fuel for me and my husband. My homemade caramel is a lot lighter than others so I don’t feel too weighed down or overly full.

Caramel apple nachos are a fun way to embrace the fall season, while still absolutely delicious year round!

🥘 Ingredients

My healthy apple nachos recipe is made with just 5 ingredients. Feel free to use up some items you already have on hand, but here are the basics:

Apples: Use your favorite apples! I love honeycrisp apples for this recipe, since they are sweet but not too sweet.

Caramel: For the most convenient option, use store-bought caramel sauce. I personally like to make mine from scratch! You can make a simple no cook sauce by mixing maple syrup, almond butter, vanilla, and salt. Or, make a thicker version by cooking coconut cream, coconut sugar, vanilla, and sea salt on the stovetop.

Toppings: For this recipe I use vegan chocolate chips, peanuts, and unsweetened shredded coconut. I love this combination of sweet, crunchy, and salty.

👩🏽‍🍳 How To Make Healthy Apple Nachos

Making caramel apple nachos is as easy as prepping all you need. I like to make the caramel ahead of time, then gather the toppings into bowls for an apple nacho bar! Everyone can build their nachos just the way they like them. You probably could even do without instructions, but just in case, here is how to make apple nachos:

Prepare Caramel: First, you need the caramel! If you opt to make homemade caramel there are two approaches: stovetop or no cook. For the no cook option, stir together ¾ cup maple syrup, ½ cup almond butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon sea salt. For the stovetop version, follow this recipe.

homemade caramel in a glass jar with a spoon scooping some out

Prepare Apples: Once the caramel is ready, I slice my apples and arrange them on my plate.

Add Caramel & Chocolate Chips: Next, I drizzle with caramel sauce. (You can add as much as you’d like!) Then, I sprinkle some chocolate chips on top.

Sliced apples on a plate with toppings in small bowls

Add More Toppings & Enjoy: Finally, I sprinkle chopped peanuts and shredded coconut, and any other toppings over the top, and get munching!

sliced apples with caramel chocolate chips chopped peanuts and coconut

My #1 Secret Tip for this recipe is to arrange the apple slices in one organized layer.

To ensure that each bite has a little bit of every topping, I recommend placing the apples strategically on your plate. I do not like to overlap the apples too much, as this prevents some slices from receiving their fair share of caramel-y goodness!

Other Tips To Keep In Mind:

Prep Ahead: I prefer to make my caramel sauce ahead of time! That way I have it ready to go and can drizzle over my sliced apples for a healthy apple snack all week long. Plus, I use the caramel for other occasions too (as a drizzle for my mocha latte or for my salted caramel cheesecake)
Prep Toppings: If I know I am making these for a group, like my daughter and her friends, I prepare toppings by adding them to small bowls so everyone can create their own sweet nachos!
Stovetop Caramel: If you make my stovetop caramel option, whisk the entire time you are cooking on the stove or it will burn and stick to the pot!
For Toddlers: If you have toddlers in your house, I recommend cutting the apple slices in the most age appropriate size. Let them dip the apples into the caramel themselves if you follow the baby led weaning method!

📖 Variations

My healthy vegan apple nachos can be customized in so many fun ways! Of course, it’s important to keep the base the same: sliced apples and caramel. Other than that, switch up the apple nachos toppings and try out new caramel flavors. Here are my suggestions:

Toppings: Aside from caramel, I love to load these apple nachos up with a bunch of different goodies! Some of my favorites are:

Dairy free chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, or melted chocolate
Chopped almonds, pecans, cashews, pistachios, or walnuts
Dried fruit (raisins, currants, dried chopped cherries, cranberries, etc)
Peanut butter chips
Crumbled oreos
Homemade cinnamon toast crunch
Crushed candy like heath or snickers
Vegan marshmallows
Healthy low-calorie granola
Crushed pretzels
Sprinkles
M&M like candies
Whipped cream

Caramel Flavors:

Pumpkin Puree – mix in about ¼ cup
Pumpkin Pie Spice – add about ½ teaspoon
Cinnamon – stir in about ½ teaspoon
Peanut Butter – substitute for the almond butter in the no cook version
Bourbon – pour in about 2 tablespoons
Sea Salt – sprinkle in extra for salted caramel

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Serve my apple nachos exactly as they are, or elevate your snacking experiences with extra drizzles and additional pairings! Check out my favorite ideas:

More Drizzles: Sometimes I double down on these caramel apple nachos with additional drizzles like some nut butter, sunflower seed butter, creamy vegan nutella, pumpkin seed butter, chocolate syrup, vegan vanilla pudding, or vegan honey.

More Snacks: I have so much fun making a full on snack spread for myself and my kiddos! I like to pair these apple nachos alongside air fryer banana chips, healthy flapjacks, sesame tahini cookies, and strawberry yogurt for a well-rounded snack experience.

Beverages: I don’t know about you, but I find that every snack needs a tasty drink to go with it! My kids love this with a glass of plant-based milk or my peach milk, and I’ll often make myself a sweeter hot drink like my Biscoff latte.

🧊 Storing And ♨️ Reheating

Refrigeration: Once assembled, you can store these apple nachos in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days, but the apples will brown slightly and the toppings may get a little soggy. If you want to prep ahead, you can store the caramel sauce and toppings in separate containers in the fridge, and then slice your apples right before before preparing the nachos for the freshest flavor. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe

Reheating: If the caramel needs to be thinned out a little, or you just like a warm sauce, place the desired amount in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in intervals until it is warmed (this should only take 10-20 seconds depending on how much sauce you reheat).

❓Recipe FAQs

WHAT KIND OF APPLES WORK BEST FOR APPLE NACHOS?

This is really a personal preference, but I like to switch it up. Because the caramel and many of the toppings are sweet, even a more sour apple works. I’ve used all of these different apple varieties in making these nachos, and I’ve listed them by their levels of sweetness, starting from the most sweet to the least:
Fuji Apples (one of my favorites!)
Gala
Honeycrisp
Golden Delicious
Red Delicious
Pink Lady
Granny Smith Apples

How do I keep my apples from browning after I assemble the nachos?

I have seen a variety of techniques out there when it comes to keeping apples from getting brown, but other than looking a little different there isn’t anything wrong with the apple. The brown is just the oxygen reacting with the apple’s flesh once exposed to air. But my go-to method for helping the apples to stay fresh looking are to toss them with a little bit of lemon juice before assembling. Keep in mind that this will give a slight lemon flavor to the apples, but it really works the best.

HOW DO I GET MY CARAMEL TO THICKEN?

If you are making homemade caramel and it isn’t thickening you can cook it until it reaches 225°F. If it still isn’t thick enough, I suggest mixing in a small amount of cornstarch. Keep in mind, the sauce will thicken more while cooling and with some time in the fridge.

WHY IS MY CARAMEL SAUCE HARD?

Caramel will harden the longer it cooks as the moisture content reduces. I recommend paying close attention to the caramel if you make it over stovetop. Stop cooking your caramel as soon as you reach your desired consistency and remove it from the stovetop immediately.

apple nachos on a white plate with toppings and hands reaching for apple slices

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