As you may have seen, I’ve been working hard in the kitchen this week to bring you some new Thanksgiving recipes. You are covered this holiday season. Check out my links for some Juicy Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Turkey, Homemade Vegetarian Cornbread Stuffing, Healthy Homemade Cranberry Sauce, and even gave you a few tips to stay healthy in my article Eight Trim Thanksgiving Tips. But you can’t have Thanksgiving without dessert!
On my mom’s side of the family, we always joke about dessert before dinner. There are a bunch of sweet tooth people on that side. Our family gatherings tend to have a bigger variety of dessert options than main and side dishes. You can expect at least 20 desserts, I swear. I don’t always fit in that well apparently. I’ve never been the one to make desserts. Baking is not usually my forte but I’ve been playing with some healthier options.
In my opinion, the best way to make your desserts healthier is to make sure they have a fruit base. For example you can avocado to brownies or strawberries to ice cream. And yes, avocado is a fruit! For my dessert today, I’ve made a tangy but sweet Cinnamon Cranberry Apple Crisp.
As with many of my other recipes, I substitute stevia to cut the sugar and empty calories. Stevia is a plant-based sweetener with no known side-effects and is considered a zero-calorie sweetener. It is also 200-300 times sweeter than traditional sugar so a little goes a long way.
Cranberries tend to be a little tart so the Stevia helps to balance out this Cinnamon Cranberry Apple Crisp, making it a sweet treat. For those highly opposed to tartness, I recommend adding an additional cup of stevia to increase the sweetness. My recipe does maintain a bit of tartness. However, I highly recommend topping the crisp off with a bit of whipped cream or ice cream which adds to the sweetness. I actually recommend the Halo Top Oatmeal Cookie ice cream on top. The cinnamon and oatmeal really compliment the flavors of the crisp.
Best served warm, you will not be disappointed. If your crowd isn’t big enough to finish straight out of the oven, I recommend popping it in the microwave for a few seconds. The crisp is best served warm with a big scoop of ice cream melting over the top, no joke. I like to stick it in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds with the ice cream on so that it starts to melt. I’m drooling just thinking about it.
If you all make this Cinnamon Cranberry Apple Crisp for your Thanksgiving or throughout this holiday season, let me know by tagging a photo #stephanieleenutrition on Instagram. I always love to see what you all cook up. Happy eating!
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- 3 apples, thinly sliced
- 12 ounces cranberries
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup stevia
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
Ingredients
Fruit Filling
Crumble Topping
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- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, add sliced apples, cranberries, and lemon juice. Stir to evenly distribute lemon juice. Add remaining filling ingredients and stir well. Transfer fruit filling to baking dish and set aside.
- Using the same mixing bowl (now empty), add in oats, flour, pecans, cinnamon, salt and maple syrup. Stir well to mix. Drizzle with melted butter and stir well to evenly coat. Pour crumble topping over fruit mixture and spread evenly.
- Loosely cover baking dish with aluminum foil and place in preheated oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake an additional 30 minutes to allow crumble topping to crisp and slightly brown.
- Remove from oven. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.
