Healthy Apple Eats

While here at Healthy Farmhouse, I tend to focus more on healthy living, including all the healthy eats I can find, this post isn’t exactly that.

That said, I am excited to try a plethora of healthy apple recipes as well as the sugary-sweet desserts — in moderation, of course!

Healthy(ish) Apple Dessert Recipes

It just wouldn’t be fall without enjoying some awesome apple recipes, you guys!

From starting the day with an apple breakfast to ending it with some incredible apple desserts.

All that said, not all apple desserts are created equal.

While technically desserts are never considered healthy, these next 7 made my healthy(ish) apple dessert list simply because they are made using non-sugar sweeteners, and a couple of them are naturally gluten-free.

So, check out these health-conscious apple dessert recipes!

• Crumbled Apple Goodness

Yes, please!

Apple crumb is one of the most classic apple dessert recipes out there, you guys, and these ones do not disappoint!

First up, this amazing-looking apple crumble (above) – via The Purple Pumpkin Blog.

This recipe is definitely what I would consider a healthier option, as it’s made with all-natural ingredients such as apples, lemon juice, maple syrup, apple juice, cinnamon, allspice, thyme, salt, rolled oats, almond flour, sliced almonds, honey, and butter.

While it’s suggested that this delicacy is served with ice cream or whipped cream, you could totally eat it by itself or on top of a bowl of Greek yogurt instead, making it a low-sugar treat!

If apple + pears is your more style, try this apple pear crumble (not pictured) – via Carrots and Cookies instead!

This recipe calls for apples, pears, whole oats, wheat flour, lemon, walnuts, maple syrup, olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and optional cranberries.

While not technically labeled as gluten-free, both of these recipes are what I would consider gluten-friendly and could easily be made gluten-free by using certified gluten-free oats.

Either way, both of these recipes sound so darn good, you guys!

• Apple Bakes & Cakes

Healthy baked apple treats, including cake? Get in my belly!

While these aren’t all technically cakes, they are all sliced baked goods, so there you go!

Next up on our healthy apple dessert line-up are these healthy apple crumble slices – via Cinnamon and Kale.

This recipe calls for dessert apples, ground cinnamon, porridge oats, butter, and honey.

Not only does this sound like a healthy option for dessert, but it sounds incredibly easy to make, you guys!

If cake is more your dessert style, try one of these health-conscious cake options instead!

• Apple crumb cake (not pictured) – via Mad About Macarons.

This recipe calls for butter, coconut sugar, plain flour, rolled oats, ground almonds, apples, vanilla bean, star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, lemon, and fleur de sel.

• French apple cake (not pictured) – via Where is My Spoon.

This recipe calls for apples, eggs, xylitol (or sugar), vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

I left this cake on our healthy(ish) list simply because it’s considered to be a low-calorie, low-fat cake. Plus, it uses Xylitol in place of regular sugar.

• Spoonable Apple Treats

While I already shared a few awesome spoonable apple treats in my list of healthy apple recipes, these spoonable apple treats are even sweeter, you guys!

From ice cream to pudding, these are the apple dessert recipes you just have to try!

Ok, so I know ice cream will never be considered a healthy treat, but hear me out.

This spicy apple cinnamon ice cream – via Taste of Life gets pretty close!

Unlike most ice cream recipes, this tasty treat is actually made without regular sugar as it calls for coconut sugar and maple syrup instead.

You can make this heavenly delicacy at home using apples, coconut sugar, cinnamon, coconut cream, allulose, maple syrup, cayenne, salt, lemon juice, arrowroot flour, and vanilla extract.

You bet this one is on my list to try this fall!

Last, but certainly not least, for our healthy apple dessert recipes, is this apple chia pudding – via Zardy Plants.

Since this recipe only uses non-dairy milk, unsweetened applesauce, dates, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and chia seeds, I consider it one of the healthier options on the list, for sure!

Not only is it naturally gluten-free, but it’s also dairy-free with NO added sugar!

This recipe is a huge winner in my book, and I will definitely be serving it up to my 12-year-old!

Gluten-Free Apple Dessert Recipes

While some of the above recipes might be considered naturally gluten-free due to using oats or other naturally gluten-free ingredients, all of these apple desserts fit both into the healthy + gluten-free category due to their use of alternative flours in place of wheat flour!

Every recipe on this list will be on my fall menu due to my daughter and me being on a gluten-free diet.

If gluten-free is what you need, you need to check these out!

• Cobblers & Pies

Gluten-free cobblers and pies aren’t always the easiest to get right.

For example, it’s taken me a couple of years to figure out a halfway decent pie crust, and even the,n I feel like I could do better.

So, needless to say, I’m thoroughly excited to try some new options this fall!

First up on our gluten-free apple desserts is this incredible-sounding apple cobbler – via The Purple Pumpkin Blog.

I’m actually a huge cobbler fan, so I seriously cannot wait to try this one!

This gluten-free apple cobbler is made with only 5 ingredients (say what?!), and you can easily make it at home using only butter, apples, ground cinnamon, maple syrup, and almond flour.

This apple carrot pie – via Refresh My Health is next on the list, and it sounds so darn good, you guys!

The best part? It’s low in carbs because it’s actually crust-less.

That said, you can mix this one together using apples, carrots, cinnamon, vanilla powder, coconut oil, coconut flour, almond flour, coconut milk, banana, Himalayan salt, + a few strawberries for topping.

Man, oh man, not only does it sound good, but it looks good too!

Last, but certainly not least, in our GF pie category, we have this incredible sounding gluten-free apple galette – via The Taste of Life.

While I’m not 100% sure what a galette even is, it looks kind of pie-like to me, so here’s the list it lands on, haha!

Make your own apple galette at home using gluten-free flour (with xanthan gum), coconut sugar, salt, butter, apples, allulose, cinnamon, cardamom, lemon juice, arrowroot, and apple butter.

Easy, peasy!

• Almond Flour Cakes

Gluten-free cake can be a yummy year-round treat for those of us who skip gluten.

That said, many gluten-free cake mixes are still filled with conventional ingredients and high sugar content.

These awesome cakes are not that!

First up in the gluten-free apple cake category is this simple almond flour apple cake – via Almond Flour Baking.

Made using only unsweetened apple sauce, eggs, oil, maple syrup (or honey), baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, apples, and lemon zest makes this one of the healthiest cake recipes I’ve ever seen!

Definitely adding this one to my fall dessert menu!

If there was ever a dessert that wowed me at first glance, this would be the one.

I’m a crazy blackberry-loving woman, you guys!

So, naturally, any dessert recipes that call for blackberries and are gluten-free to boot, you better believe I’m in!

That said, this apple carrot cake – via Refresh My Health, not only looks good, but it sounds incredible!

This cake is made with apples, carrots, butter, raisins, almond flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, vanilla powder, Himalayan salt, eggs, coconut oil, + blackberries for topping.

I cannot wait to eat this one, you guys!

Sinfully Sweet Apple Dessert Recipes

While those first 7 recipes landed in the healthy(ish) apple dessert recipes column, these next 5 are a little more on the sugary side than I’d like.

That said, many of them still do include health-conscious ingredients, making them a better option than most conventional fall desserts!

Sometimes we just need a little extra sweetness after dinner, and that’s what these recipes are for!

• Iced Streusel Cakes

While strusel cakes aren’t necessarily something I would consider a traditional fall dessert, they are darn good, you guys!

So, if you like cake and you like it sweet, these next 2 recipes are must-tries!

First up on our sugary sweet list is this apple streusel cake – via The Spelt Kitchen.

This cake is made using oat flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, a large apple, buttermilk, spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla sugar (or extract). Plus, it includes a simple drizzle glaze made from milk and icing sugar.

While considered to be a lighter alternative than most, it still calls for regular sugar, which landed it on our sinfully-sweet list!

Next is this must-try apple streusel cake – via A Latin Flair.

This call calls for all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, butter, white sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and Greek yogurt.

It also includes a streusel topping recipe made from all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, butter, apples, and delce de leche.

This is definitely a sugar-heavy treat best enjoyed in moderation, but it looks so darn tasty, you guys!

• Gooey Skillet Treats

If one recipe were entitled to its own category, this would be the one (and it totally is!).

I’m a huge fan of cast-iron skillet (or in this case, Dutch oven) cooking, and I will definitely be adding a variation (gluten-free, of course) of this recipe to my fall menu.

Here it is, you guys, the star (and only recipe) listed in this category, because yes, it really does sound that good!

This caramel apple skillet – via Dutch Oven Daddy only calls for a handful of ingredients: pizza dough, cinnamon sugar, butter, apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and it looks like something I need in my belly pronto!

While it almost didn’t make the cut due to the fact that it’s not healthy at all, I simply had to include it because I need to try this one, you guys!

• Fritters and More

Last, but not least, these final 2 sinfully sweet apple desserts are ideal for any apple lover!

Check ’em out!

First up are these air fryer applesauce fritters – via Inspired Epicurean that sound completely incredible!

These fritters are made using all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, kosher salt, unsweetened apple sauce, oat milk, aquafaba, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, apples, and powdered sugar.

Not going to lie, these almost made my healthy (ish), but they didn’t make the cut simply because they call for powdered sugar.

That said, they actually are a much more health-conscious version of the sickeningly sweet conventional apple fritter.

Finally, we have these bad boys!

These apple empanadas – via A Latin Flair only call for a few ingredients, and they sound downright heavenly!

Using only apples, butter, Dulce de Leche, ground cinnamon, egg, empanada discs, and cinnamon sugar, you too can be enjoying some homemade apple empanadas!

Talk about YUM!

More Fall Yums

If fall flavors are what you’re after, I’ve got you!

Keep on the lookout for all my other upcoming fall dessert posts: from pumpkin desserts to fall soups and more!

Happy apple picking season, you guys!