Looking for some ideas to savor the fall apple crop? When apple season is in full swing, this collection of healthy apple recipes is perfect for cooking with your abundance.
Originally published in September 2014; this post has been updated.
On the Apple Farm
Apples are one of my favorite fruits to bake with. These are (mostly) healthy apple recipes made from whole food ingredients. The best apple recipes start with flavorful, fresh apples. My favorite, bar none?
The Gravenstein apple. When I was a young girl, our first apple crop was the Gravenstein apple, usually in their prime by early August. My dad’s birthday was in July though, so every year Mom made his favorite apple pie with apples still on the green side. It was our first pie of the season, the first taste of the harvest to come.
These are the apples I grew up with and one of the first apple varieties to ripen every season. Their flavor is slightly spicy and a bit tangy. They are a tender apple with thin skin and cook up beautifully when they are ripe. A perfectly ripe Gravenstein has green skin with a slight yellow tinge and red stripes.
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(There is also a Red Gravenstein apple; they are sweeter than the standard variety and tend toward mushiness, though the flavor is good.)
Gravensteins are only in their prime for a few weeks, though. Overripe Gravensteins will become a bit mushy in a pie. Not to worry — Gravensteins are also the best apple for making applesauce; if you find yourself with some very ripe Gravs, they make a wonderful sugar free applesauce.
Finding Gravenstein apples will be the most difficult trick. They don’t ship well, so unless you know someone who has a tree or live in an area where farmers grow Gravensteins, you might be out of luck.
The Best Apple Recipes
My Grandma’s apple pie recipe is (in my opinion) one of the best apple recipes out there. Learn how to make a pie crust and serve this up to your loved ones. They’ll be so happy.
If you’re looking for healthy apple recipes, one of the easiest side dishes you can make is applesauce. Make it in an electric pressure cooker or cook up a big batch and preserve it for the winter.
Recipes Galore!
Start with fresh apples, add some whole food ingredients, and you’ve got yourself a collection of healthy apple recipes. Now, these aren’t sugar free. Some of these recipes definitely fall in the dessert category. But they’re homemade with real food ingredients. In my mind, that qualifies these as healthy apple recipes.
When it’s harvest time in the orchard and apples are abundant, bake some up into a pie, crisp, or cobbler for dessert. Or can them for a pantry staple you can enjoy year round.
Whether you have a handful or a bushel full of fresh apples, here are some healthy apple recipes to use them.
And be sure to tuck some apples away for the off season! Here’s how to store apples for the winter months.
Must-Try Apple Recipes
Moist & Delicious Apple Cake
This lightly sweetened apple cake is delicious and gluten free. (Trust me, they'll never know!) Serve it for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or alongside hot coffee for breakfast.
Easy Apple Cobbler Recipe
Quicker and easier than an apple pie made with double crusts, you'll love this easy apple cobbler! [Gluten free option, too!]
Easy Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Celebrate harvest season with these easy apple cinnamon muffins. Freeze extras for school lunches.
Historic Apple Tansey Recipe
This easy recipe dates to the colonial era and is grain and gluten free. It's lightly sweetened, so makes a perfectly suitable breakfast as well as an easy dessert.
Homemade Applesauce Recipe
This homemade applesauce recipe doesn't require any measuring at all. Eat it fresh or try canning applesauce to stock your pantry. It's like pie in a jar!
Grandma's Apple Pie Recipe
The most important thing to know about making apple pie is that it's not hard. My grandma's pie crust might be new to you, but it doesn't have to be fiddly.
Slow Cooker Apple Butter
With no added sugar, this slow cooker spiced apple butter recipe is a delicious way to preserve the flavors of fall.
Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins for the Gluten Free Crowd
These healthy apple cinnamon muffins are a perfect way to start the day.
Old Fashioned Applesauce Cake with Pecans
This apple spice cake can be baked in an Instant Pot or a standard oven.
How to Make Dried Apples at Home
These dried apples are healthy snacks with no added sugar. Perfect for the lunchbox!
