Please forgive my recent absence! Josh’s parents came into town for the weekend to celebrate his birthday {the big 30!} and I had my hands full preparing for their arrival! I am so blessed to have these two wonderful people in my life, and honestly they would be happy to visit even if the house was a mess and there was nothing other than milk and cereal to eat. But I thoroughly enjoy getting the house ready, planning our meals, then stocking the fridge and pantry with mounds of food. {Although I might have gone just a little overboard – so now there’s all sorts of snacky foods I don’t typically buy, and I’m doing my best to not shove them all in my face, eek!}. My family lives near by, which is a HUGE blessing, but there’s something special about hosting others in our home and spending several days together. Especially when those people are my in-laws, who I dearly love!
Speaking of love, anyone have a  love for some apple pie? This Crustless Caramel Apple Pie isn’t quite your traditional crumbly apple pie, but it’s a pretty-darn-good, healthy alternative. It takes a bit of work to scrape out the apple flesh, but once you get each apple hollowed out, its smooth sailing from there!
The combination of the dates and maple syrup create a delightful caramel flavor, that pairs lovely with the chopped pecans, cinnamon, and slight tartness from the apples’ natural juices. The crumbly topping is grain and gluten-free, made with cashew meal, coconut flour, maple syrup and a little coconut oil. This topping crisps up nicely for an added crunch to complement the apple’s gooey-yummy caramel middle. Throw on a scoop of vanilla ice cream and I’m convinced it’s a winner!
I feel like there are so many things going on in our lives that I’d love to share, but I’m afraid that will have to wait for another day. And Vermont! Ahhh, I still plan to share our Vermont pictures, I’ll get to it, I promise!
If you live anywhere near us {Nashville area}, bundle up, it’s getting cold out there! Might be the perfect time for some warm Crustless Caramel Apple Pie! :) Happy Friday, hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Crustless Caramel Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 4 granny smith apples or apple of choice
- 2 tbsp + 1 tsp maple syrup divided
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp pecans finely chopped
- 8 dates pitted
- 1/8-1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup cashew meal
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1/4 cup pecans finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp cold water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut tops off of apples, then use a spoon to scrape out the flesh, remove seeds and core, then set the flesh aside to use as your "filling". {Don't worry if the pieces don't come out pretty, they get chopped up.}
- Once the core and seeds have been removed, add pieces of apple flesh to a cutting board and chop them into small cubes. In a small bowl, add chopped apples, lemon juice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tbsp finely chopped pecans, and 1 tbsp maple syrup, stir to combine, then set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add dates (pits removed) and 1 tsp maple syrup, blend 10-20 seconds or until you reach a smooth, caramel consistency.
- Add apple mixture to sauce pan and saute over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, add date and maple mixture to pan, sprinkle with sea salt, then cook additional 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat once apples are tender.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together cashew meal, coconut flour, 1/4 cup chopped pecans, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Then add remaining tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp coconut oil, and 1 tbsp cold water, use two forks or your hands to mix until mixture is crumbly.
- Take your hollowed out apples, and fill the bottom 1/3 with the cooked apples and caramel mixture, then add a layer of the crumbly topping, add another layer of cooked apples, then top off with final layer of crumbly topping. Repeat process with the remaining three apples.
- Place stuffed apples on a small baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until crumbly topping is golden brown and apples are cooked through. Check on the apples after 10 minutes, you may want to cover them with foil to keep the topping from getting too done. Serve warm {with ice cream!}
