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Bring on the healthy desserts to keep things in balance for the holiday season! Cashew, maple and oat-stuffed baked apples are a popular fall recipe.

It's time to put the pantry on lockdown. There is Halloween candy in the house! (Cue horror movie scream.) We bought the big Costco bag, full of many of my favorite mini chocolate bars. And the only way I can deal with having it in the house is by NOT OPENING IT until 5pm on Halloween night. "Not open = off limits" in my world.

Then again, if I completely deny myself...well, that's not good for anyone. Bitter, snarly - a perfect match for that witch costume hanging in my closet.

So, I compromise. And that is where these awesome baked apples come in. Hail to the baked apples!

The vessel itself (you know, the apple) is full of vitamins and other good nutrients (scroll down to A Helping of Health for details), so that's a good start. What really makes or breaks baked apples on the "health" scale is what you put inside.

I started by cutting the apples in half because, for me, a full stuffed apple is more than I need for a snack or dessert. The only part I scooped out was the core, leaving the rest of the apple intact.

What I decided to stuff the apple was inspired by what was inside my pantry. NOT the Halloween candy.

Cashews, cinnamon, oats and maple syrup. I could have added in some butter or brown sugar, but I was looking for a more natural sweetener and I found that the syrup glued everything together, making the butter somewhat unnecessary.

I opted them in the oven and 25 minutes later, we were treated to a satisfying, perfectly sweet dessert. By all means, serve the stuffed apples with some frozen yogurt or plain yogurt if want an extra dollop of creaminess.

A Helping of Health:

We've heard it since we were little. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." While that is just a fun saying to toss around when your kid insists that candy is truly the best thing for him, there's some truth behind it.

Apples are a powerhouse source of Vitamin C. However, take note that most of that Vitamin C is stored near the skin, so eat the peel whenever possible.
Doctors keep telling us to eat more fiber, which helps to prevent heart disease (amongst other things). Apples contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Plus, fiber makes us full for longer, which can help ward off cravings for junk food. (I need all the help I can get!)
Antioxidants are the nutrients that help to reduce the risks of certain cancers. Wouldn't you know that apples are chockfull of antioxidants?

Other healthy apple recipes:

Blackberry and Apple Crumble
Whole Wheat Apple Spice Muffins
Spaghetti Squash with Apples & Toasted Pecans

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