November 2, 2013

5 Days of Pumpkin: Baked Apples with Pumpkin Butter





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. 

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