By now most of you know that we live for the summer time. After all, Tammy even named her daughter Summer after our love of the summer weather. So while the temperatures may be feeling seasonably cool we are happy to share that we are loving it! The leaves are changing, the sun is shining and the cooler weather actually feels great during our runs in the park. Plus, it’s National Apple Month! We love apples every time of the year (and we’ve eaten one almost daily since high school!), but autumn especially fits so well with delish apple recipes! Apples are packed with phytonutrients. One compound in particular, a flavonoid called quercitin helps to protect the body against oxidative damage and even has been shown to protect the brain against diseases like Alzheimer’s. Plus, they are a great source of fiber and are the perfect, healthy way to fend off a sweet craving.
So if you haven’t had the time to whip up any of your favorite apple recipes recently – give our Apple Squares a whirl! And if you’re looking for more “guilt-free comfort food” — a term we love and use often 🙂 — try our Skinny Potato Skins, our Skinny Mash,our Comfort Food Reinvented Apple Pie and our Microwave Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, just to name a few? And now this pup!
Healthy Apple Squares
Serves: 14
Ingredients
1-3/4cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup sugar (or coconut palm sugar or 12 teaspoons stevia)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs (we use Eggland’s Best because they have 25% less saturated fat than other eggs—and only 60 calories/ egg. Other eggs have 70 calories/ egg.)
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 medium-sized tart apples, cored, and coarsely chopped
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Lightly spray cooking spray on a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.
- In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Combine all ingredients until well mixed. Beat in the eggs, applesauce, apple juice, and vanilla until well blended with an electric mixer or whisk very well until there are no lumps.With a spoon, fold in the apples Pour into prepared baking dish.
- Bake approximately 40-50 minutes (depending on your oven), or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cut into squares after completely cool. Serve and Enjoy!!
Nutrition Facts with sugar: 142 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 97 mg sodium, 32 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 19 g sugar, 3 g protein
Nutrition Facts with stevia: 86 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 97 mg sodium, 17 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 3 g protein
The Nutrition Twins work with Eggland’s Best but were not compensated for this blog.
- 1-3/4cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup sugar (or coconut palm sugar or 12 teaspoons stevia)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1/42 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs (we use Eggland’s Best because they have 25% less saturated fat than other eggs—and only 60 calories/ egg. Other eggs have 70 calories/ egg.)
- ½ cup applesauce
- ¼ cup apple juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 medium-sized tart apples, cored, and coarsely chopped
- Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Lightly spray cooking spray on Coat a 9" x 13" baking dish.
- In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Combine; all ingredients until well mixed. Beat in the eggs, applesauce, apple juice, and vanilla until well blended with an electric mixer or whisk very well until there are no lumps.. With a spoon, fold in the apples. Pour into prepared baking dish.
- Bake approximately 40-50 minutes (depending on your oven), or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cut into squares after completely cool. Serve and Enjoy!!