Easy Baked Apples with Cinnamon, Ginger Date Caramel, Toasted Pecans & Vanilla Ice Cream (Vegan)

Recipe Difficulty: Easy

Recipe Tags:

• Baked Apples
• Date Caramel
• Healthy Desserts
• Toasted Pecans
• Cashew Ice Cream
• Easy Vegan Desserts
  
• Oatmeal

I like mini cast iron pans for serving warm desserts.

Baked Apples with Cinnamon
This is a healthy (ish) apple dessert I made to enjoy over Thanksgiving. I used a combination of McIntosh and Granny Smith apples and baked them in the oven with cinnamon, coconut sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch. I kept my baked apples on the tart side, because that is how I like them. You could always add a bit more sugar if you prefer more sweetness. You can use them in a dessert like this, as a topping for oatmeal, or even on toast. Delicious. 

​I then made a "date ginger caramel", which is one of my favourite things. Simply dates soaked in water until softened, then blended with water or plant milk and fresh ginger. I use it with my spelt flour pancakes, stirred into oatmeal, or on peanut butter toast with fresh fruit. 

I sprinkled toasted pecans over the warm date caramel & baked apples, then served it with a scoop of store bought cashew vanilla ice cream. It was a sweet treat that satisfied my craving for an apple inspired dessert but didn't make me feel shitty. (I love pies and tarts and crisps, but for me refined carbs and a ton of extra sugar and fat puts me on a fast track to feeling pretty terrible. So this was an easy dessert that lightened things up a bit!!) 

Recipe: Baked Apples with Cinnamon

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 kg apples, washed and cut into thin slices (maybe 1/8th inch) (I used a combination of McIntosh & Granny Smith)
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp cornstarch 

Method:

1. In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix together until apples are evenly coated with sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice.
2. Pour apples in a baking dish large enough to hold them (6 cup capacity)
3. Cover with tin foil and bake in 350F oven for 25 minutes. 
4. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until apples are cooked to your liking. Mine were softened but definitely still had a bit of texture which is how I like it.

To Serve:

1. Heat up some date caramel (thin with a bit more water or plant milk if necessary) spoon some over a portion of warm baked apples.
2. Sprinkle with toasted pecans and top with a generous scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.