Healthy Baked Apple Slices with Caramel

Name: Healthy Baked Apple Slices with Caramel
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 6-7 sweet apples, chopped ((such as gala, honey crisp, ambrosia, pink lady etc)); 1/3 cup coconut sugar ((or brown sugar)); 4 tbsp melted coconut oil; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tbsp ground cinnamon; 1 tbsp organic vanilla extract; 1 tsp ground nutmeg; 1/4 tsp sea salt; 1 1/2 cups dates; 1 1/2 cups full fat coconut milk; 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup; 1 tsp organic vanilla extract; pinch sea salt

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These healthy baked apple slices with caramel are a simple and delicious dessert that is perfect for fall, winter and the holidays. Easy to make and refined sugar free they are healthy and naturally gluten free, dairy free and vegan. Enjoy them as a snack or a healthy treat.

Baked apple slices with caramel drizzled on top.

Why you will love this recipe:

These baked cinnamon apple slices taste amazing! With hints of cinnamon and nutmeg these apples have the best fall flavour.
They are really easy to make and you don't have to peel the apples (although you can if you want to).
They are a great dessert to serve for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
The homemade caramel sauce on these easy baked apple slices takes these baked apples to the next level and makes them taste even better!
They are refined sugar free and are sweetened with coconut sugar and honey (or maple syrup) so are healthier than many other baked apple recipes.
This recipe is a fun twist on an old-fashioned baked apple slices recipe that is naturally gluten free, dairy free, paleo and vegan.
If you love caramel and apple together you will love apple pie bars and apple pie oatmeal too!

Taste and texture:

The apple slices have the most amazing fall flavour with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg while the creamy, sweet caramel sauce makes them taste even better, giving them a flavour similar to a caramel apple pie. The baked apples turn out soft and tender but they are still firm and not mushy.

Key ingredients and substitutions:

Apples – the star of this recipe, you can use any type of red apple that you like. My favourites are Gala, Pink Lady and Honeycrisp.
Coconut sugar – my favourite natural granulated sugar. You can find coconut sugar in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or in the gluten free or organic sections. It is also readily available online. You could easily swap this for brown sugar too.
Lemon juice – to help balance out the sweetness of the apples and sugar.
Spices: cinnamon and nutmeg – nothing says a perfect fall treat like the combination of these spices.
For the caramel sauce: dates, maple syrup (or honey), coconut milk, vanilla extract and salt – to make the perfect rich caramel sauce that is so creamy and delicious! You could swap the coconut milk for any other type of milk that you like.

How to make this recipe:

To make the baked apples:

Step one:

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step two:

Then chop the apples (you can leave the skin on or peel it off) and place them in a 3 quart casserole dish.

Step three:

Now add the remaining ingredients and stir the apples well to coat them evenly in the sugar, spice mixture.

Step four:

Then cover the casserole dish and bake the apples for 40-45 minutes, until the apples are the texture you desire (you can make the caramel sauce while the apples are baking).

Step by step directions for making baked apple slices with a cinnamon sugar coating.

To make the caramel sauce:

Step one:

Place all the caramel sauce ingredients into your high speed blender.

Step two:

Then blend everything well until you have a smooth caramel sauce.

Step three:

Once the apples have finished baking, drizzle the caramel sauce over top. Then enjoy!

Step by step directions for making caramel sauce in a blender and then drizzling it over baked apple slices.

Chef's tips:

Try to cut the apple slices into similar sized pieces so that they cook evenly and all have a similar texture.
If you don't have a high speed blender you could also use a food processor to make the caramel sauce.

Recipe variations:

If you prefer the apples without the skin you can peel the apples before chopping them.
If you want the apples to be even sweeter feel free to add more coconut sugar to the recipe.
If you tolerate dairy, feel free to use butter or ghee instead of coconut oil.
You can make the caramel sauce with either honey or maple syrup.

How to serve:

These baked apples are delicious served as they are, but you could also make them even more decadent by topping them with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, coconut whipped cream or vanilla yogurt.

How to store:

Store any leftovers in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 7 days.

I don't recommend trying to freeze baked apples. They turn out rather mushy when you thaw them if you try freezing them.

A dish full of baked apples drizzled in caramel.

Frequently asked questions:

Are baked apples healthy?

That depends on what you bake them with. If you bake them with refined sugars or a high amount of sugar that will make them less healthy. However, these baked apples don't use any refined sugars and they are also dairy free so they are healthier than most other baked apple recipes.

What are the best apples for baked apples?

You can use many different types of apples for baked apples. I personally like Ambrosia, Honey Crisp, Gala, or Pink Lady but feel free to use any type of red apple that you like.

Should I peel apples before roasting?

Whether or not you peel apples when you bake or roast them is up to you. The skin on apples is full of healthy fiber so I prefer to leave it on but if you prefer baked apples without the skin peel the apples before cutting them into slices.

What can I put on apple slices?

A few topping ideas for baked apple slices include caramel sauce, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or yogurt.

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