As it is getting cooler and apples are in season, nothing says fall like a homemade baked apple…or was it apple pie?

A baked apple is far better for you than apple pie and is easier to make, too! Baked apples have a lot less fat and calories than apple pie but still taste great. They are a real crowd pleaser in my house.

An ingredient that gives the dish a little more nutrition is hemp hearts. These little protein, fiber and omega-3 packed beauties can be found at your local health food stores and now Costco. I add them to just about everything…from my cereal in the morning to my desserts at night. They taste great and have great health benefits.

Nikki’s Baked Apples

Ingredients:

• 4 large apples (the green or sour taste best with the mixture but any apple will do)
• ¼ cup chopped pecans
• ¼ cup raisins or currents
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• a pinch or two of cardamom (optional but great flowery sweet taste)
• ¼ cup of brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon hemp hearts
• 1 Tablespoon butter or coconut oil

Preheat oven to 375° F. Wash apples.

Core apples—cut a round hole in the top of the apple, all the way around the core, try to leave the bottom intact, scoop out the core and seeds, make the hole about an inch wide (wider if the apples are large). Leave enough of the sides so that it will keep in the goodies that you fill it with.

Mix all dry ingredients together including the pecans and raisins in a mixing bowl.

Place apples in an 8 x 8 in. square baking pan. Add mixture to apples, press down lightly but make sure not to break the apples. Set ¼ of the butter/coconut oil to the top of each apple and place in oven for 30-40 minutes.

Serve warm and enjoy. Let me know what you think or if you have any trouble finding any of the ingredients.

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