Delicious & Nutritious: A Healthier Apple Crisp

It's officially apple season up here in New England! I can't wait to go apple picking with my girls.

I can't ever get enough apple recipes. If your like me, you could live on recipes such as these from an all time favorite up here in New England - Yankee Magazine.

Why the Apple Craze?

Where do I even begin? An apple's anti-inflammatory properties make it a top pick by reducing viral and bacterial loads that create inflammation.The phytochemicals in apples help the brain by feeding neurons and increasing your brain's activity levels.

I particularly go for the red apples. Red skinned apples contain anthocyanins and traces of malvidin (a type of anthocyanidin) which can help the waist line! The red skin has anti-obesity properties and compounds that increase digestive strength, encouraging weight loss.

All apples also have traces of flavonoids and quercidin—phytochemicals that are responsible for heavy metal detox. They are filled with amino acids glutamine and serine, which also helps detoxing. This fruit goes even further with cleansing by purifying the organs, your lymphatic system, and the fiber helps to regulate blood sugar.

Embrace the autumn season with some festive reading! Light up an apple-scented candle, snuggle under a blanket, and unwind.

Lighter Apple Crisp

Ingredients

• apples

• old fashioned oats

• pecans

• cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg

• coconut oil

• maple syrup

• pecans chopped

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a greased 8×8 baking dish

• Peel + cut apple slices into ¼ inch thick slices.

• Melt coconut oil. Toss apples with coconut oil, cinnamon + ginger. Set aside.

• Mix together crisp topping.

• Pour apples into bottom of the baking dish. Layer crisp topping evenly on top of apples.

• Cover apple crisp with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20 mins. After 20 minutes, remove cover and bake for another 10-20 minutes until apples are fork tender and crisp topping is golden brown.

To make crisp topping:

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 cup old fashioned oats

• 1/3 cup pecans chopped

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup