As the holidays approach countless cookies, pies and other
treats will be everywhere you look. It’s not easy to find the right balance
between indulging a little and trying to stay fit during the holidays, but
keeping a few healthier, but delicious (yes, there is such a thing!) desert
recipes on hand helps!
I’ve been touting the health benefits of pumpkin all week
with dishes that put pumpkin center stage. This recipe gets extra flavor and
spice from the pumpkin butter, but the apples are the main player in this dish
with plenty of dietary fiber and vitamin C. The natural sugars in the apples
make for a sweet treat without any additional sugar and oats in this recipe add
a little extra crunch.
These baked apples will fill your home with a deliciously
spicy scent that I find makes it seem a little more like the holidays!
Baked Apples with Pumpkin Butter
4 Braeburn Apples, halved and cored
2 tbsp butter, softened
¼ cup oats plus 2 tbsp, divided
⅓cup pumpkin
butter
⅛ tsp nutmeg
Preheat oven to 375˚. Dot the butter along the bottom of a
large baking dish. Place apples cut side down in the baking dish and bake for
15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine ¼ cup of oats with the pumpkin butter in
a small bowl. In a separate small bowl mix the 2 tablespoons of oats with the
nutmeg.
Remove apples from oven after 15 minutes and turn so the cut
side is facing up. Fill each apple with the oat and pumpkin butter mixture and
then top with the oat and nutmeg mixture. Return to the oven and continue
baking for another 15 minutes.
Enjoy these baked apples warm from the oven, or at room
temperature.
