As someone who recognizes the
importance of eating lots of fruits and veggies, I am constantly trying to encourage my kids to pick these foods over other options. And, as someone who has kids, I understand that the appeal of a plain apple pales somewhat when compared to say, a processed granola bar. Thus, I am always on the look-out for ways to make healthy food so delicious and exciting that my kids ask for it. That’s when I know I have a winner.
This Apple Nacho Recipe
This snack is one that my kids often beg me to make. It’s a really fun snack to put together so I normally comply. Plus, I love this snack too, and it’s a great excuse to enjoy some apple nachos myself. Even better, my eight-year-old is kitchen-confident enough to make this apple nacho recipe herself and frequently does. All three of my kiddos love putting on their own toppings. You see, this is not just a healthy snack: it’s a
snack-tivity (like, a snack and an activity combined into one awesome afternoon)! You can get really creative with the amounts and types of toppings.
What To Put On Apple Nachos?
We pretty much always use some type of unsweetened nut butter and chocolate (either in drizzled form or chocolate chips). Mostly that’s because we love this combination. You can feel free to use just one or the other. I melt the nut butter in the microwave to make it thinner. I usually melt the chocolate, too. It you’d like the chocolate to be thin enough to drizzle, like the picture, stir in some walnut oil.
As for toppings, the sky is the limit.
Toppings we have loved in the past:
- Chia seeds, flax seed, or hemp hearts (kids love to sprinkle these)
- Unsweetened coconut flakes (the kids pretend it’s cheese flakes)
- Crushed or sliced nuts
- Raisins, dried fruit pieces, or chopped fruit
- Chocolate chips (dark is healthiest) or cacao nibs
- Cinnamon or nutmeg (a few sprinkles is perfect)
I love to scoop each topping into a separate bowl or spoon and let the kids dress their own apple nachos. This is a little bit messier than just doing it yourself, of course.
How To Slice the Apples
I generally use an 8-slice apple corer, and then cut each of those slices in half. I love really thin apple slices for this healthy dish. But, you don’t have to get crazy about it. As long as you slice the apple into roughly equal pieces, you should be all set.
Once you have many thin slices, arrange them on a plate like a flower. Then, let the drizzling begin! One more note: we often swap in other stone fruits like pears or nectarines for the apples. Apples are more traditional, but all these fruits are delicious and perfect for mixing up your vitamins & nutrients.
Healthy Apple Nachos
There’s one other thing that I love about this snack—for kids AND for adults. We already mentioned that fruits like apples are really healthy (you know that old saying, “an apple a day….”). The downside is, if you only eat an apple, you are likely to feel hungry again pretty soon afterward.
However, by including proteins and healthy fats like nut butter and toppings, your healthy apple nachos will keep you feeling full much longer! It’s also more delicious and more fun to eat. It’s such a win-win. I love knowing that when we sit down to this yummy snack, nobody will be back in the kitchen asking for more food anytime soon. (This mama does not like serving multiple snacks.)
This recipe is a dessert-like snack-tivity that is secretly healthy and satiating. This apple nacho recipe might be snack utopia.
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