These healthy apple nachos are made with a homemade vegan caramel sauce for the perfect nutritious snack, treat or appetizer! They’re easily customizable and great for the whole family! {Gluten-free & Vegan-friendly}
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Healthy Apple Nachos Recipe
If you’re looking to take your apples to a new level, you’ll definitely want to try out these Healthy Apple Nachos! They’re made with a simple vegan caramel sauce and all of your favorite toppings for the ultimate delicious snack or treat!
For more delicious apple recipes, try out this Healthy Baked Apple Oatmeal and No Bake Apple Crumble!
Why We Love these Loaded Apple Nachos
- Easy: Although it may look complicated, this snack is actually super simple to whip together. Prepare a batch of the healthy caramel sauce in advance to cut down on prep time even more!
- Kid-friendly: If you’re looking for a fun way to incorporate more fresh produce and healthy fats into your kids’ menu, these apple nachos are the perfect healthy snack! Get your kids involved by letting them drizzle on the “caramel sauce” and choose the toppings!
- Perfect for serving a crowd: This recipe is always a hit with family and friends! You can serve these apple nachos up on a tray or arrange them buffet style. Either way, this healthy treat will not disappoint!
- Easily customizable: You can use the suggested toppings or sub in your own favorites! It can be adapted according to your taste preferences and can easily be made nut-free and dairy-free if there are any allergies or intolerances.
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh Apples: The apple slices form the base of this recipe and add a nice sweet crunch that pairs perfectly with the healthy “caramel sauce.” See FAQs below for suggestions on which types of apples to use.
- Nuts: Nuts add a great crunch to this recipe. I used sliced almonds and roughly chopped pecans, but feel free to sub in chopped peanuts, walnuts, cashews or seeds like pumpkin, Hemp or sunflower seeds to make the recipe nut-free.
- Chocolate chips: Choose dark chocolate chips with a higher percentage of cocoa for a healthier option with more antioxidants! You can use regular or mini chocolate chips, or opt for ones that are dairy-free if desired.
- Almond butter: The almond butter makes the perfect healthy substitute for caramel sauce, especially when combined with some maple syrup and vanilla extract! Look for one that has no added salt or sugar. I also prefer to use one that’s smooth and a little more runny since it’s easier to drizzle over the apple slices.
- Maple syrup: The maple syrup adds a bit of sweetness to the caramel sauce and a pleasant maple flavor. Use 100% pure maple syrup if possible.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Slice Apples
- Slice up the apples thin enough so that it would be easy to eat the slice in one or two bites. Lightly spritz the apples with lemon juice or use one of the other methods described below to keep them from browning too fast. Evenly distribute the apple slices onto a large plate in a single layer.
Step 2: Make the Homemade Caramel Sauce
- In a small bowl, mix almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract together until it reaches a smooth, caramel-like consistency.
Step 3: Drizzle the Caramel Sauce
- Using a spoon or squeeze bottle, drizzle the almond butter mixture onto the apples.
Step 4: Add the Toppings
- Top the apple slices with a sprinkle of unsweetened coconut flakes, sliced almonds, chocolate chips, and chopped pecans (or sub in any preferred toppings). This healthy chocolate granola or any of the flavors of this almond butter granola would taste amazing on them too!
Drizzle a little more of the caramel sauce onto the apple slices. Enjoy!
Scroll to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Expert Tips
- To prevent the apples from browning, spritz with some lemon juice mixed with water before adding the sauce and toppings or use one of the other methods suggested below.
- For best results, slice the apples right before serving so that they stay nice and fresh.
- You may wish to add a bit of water to the “caramel” mixture to thin it out a bit and make it easier to drizzle over the apple slices. Start with one tablespoon and adjust to achieve desired consistency.
- Make up a larger batch of the caramel sauce to eat throughout the week. You can even keep it in a squeeze bottle in the fridge. That way, when ready to serve, you simply have to chop up the apple slices, drizzle on the sauce and top with all the things. It makes a great mid-afternoon or after-school snack!
How to Prevent Apples from Going Brown
The most important thing you can do to avoid browning once the apple has been cut is to reduce the apple’s exposure to air. One of the simplest methods to limit browning is to submerge the apple slices in a bowl of water and place a clean piece of paper towel on top to ensure that the apples stay under the water since they will naturally want to float to the top.
You can also spritz them with a little bit of lemon or citrus juice (like pineapple juice or orange juice) before adding the toppings and “caramel sauce” or place the apple slices in a bowl of water with about two tablespoons of citrus juice added. The citrus juice contains citric acid which can help to slow the chemical reaction and prevent browning.
Or you can place the apples in a bowl of water with about 1/8th of a teaspoon of salt.
Take your pick — these methods can all help to prolong the browning process from occurring for a few hours.
Recipe FAQs
What type of apples should I use?
You can use your favorite apples or whatever apples you have on hand. I’ve had good luck using Gala and Cortland since I found that these apples didn’t brown as quickly. You can either use apples that are on the sweeter side or more tart depending on the taste you’re going for.
Some examples of sweet apples include Gala, Honey crisp, Ambrosia, Pink Lady and Golden Delicious, while the more tart apples include the Granny Smith apple, Cortland and MacIntosh.
I’ve used a variety of different apples for this recipe and it turned out equally tasty each time!
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes! If you do choose to make the apple nachos in advance, I recommend using one of the methods above to help prevent the apples from browning and store the apple slices in an airtight container or Ziploc bag to prevent them from being exposed to the air and browning prematurely.
That being said, for best results and optimal freshness, slice the apples the same day that you plan on serving.
How to Slice an Apple
There are a number of ways to slice an apple, but my favorite way is using the following method:
- Cut the apple in half through the core.
- Cut each half in half.
- Using a sharp knife, cut out the core from each quarter.
- Then slice each quarter into thin slices.
Storage Guidelines
You can store these apple nachos in the fridge for up to two days. I recommend that you place them in an airtight container or cover tightly with saran wrap to limit air exposure and keep them looking and tasting as fresh as possible.
Serving Suggestions
There are a number of ways that you can serve up these nachos. You can lay out the apple slices on a big serving plate or tray, drizzle on the sauce and toppings and allow everyone to dig in.
Alternatively, you can create individual servings in decorative foil, plastic or paper serving cups.
Place several apple slices in a cup, drizzle with the sauce and sprinkle on the toppings or allow everyone to make their own cups buffet style. This makes a cute little appetizer or party snack, similar to my Caramel Apple Skewers!
Either way, they’re sure to be a hit with family and friends!
Topping Ideas
You can customize these caramel apple nachos with whatever toppings you like! Try any of the following:
- Unsweetened coconut flakes
- Chocolate chips
- White chocolate
- Crunchy granola
- Hemp seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Chia seeds
- Melted chocolate drizzle
- Sliced almonds
- Chopped nuts (i.e. pecans, walnuts, peanuts, etc.)
Recipe Variations
- Switch up the nut butter: Try using creamy peanut butter or cashew butter instead of almond butter.
- To make nut-free: Use sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter and skip any nut based toppings.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Halloween Fruit Tray Ideas
- Coconut Flour Apple Muffins
- Apple Spiced Tea
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries with Nuts
- Chocolate Covered Oranges
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Healthy Apple Nachos
Ingredients
- 3 apples sliced (try Gala or Courtland)
- 3 tablespoons almond butter
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Toppings:
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans
Instructions
- Slice up the apples thin enough so that it would be easy to eat the slice in one or two bites. Lightly spritz the apples with lemon juice to keep them from browning too fast. Evenly distribute the apple slices onto a large plate.
- In a small bowl, mix almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract together until it reaches a smooth, caramel-like consistency. Using a spoon or squeeze bottle, drizzle the almond butter mixture onto the apples.
- Top with a sprinkle of unsweetened coconut flakes, sliced almonds, chocolate chips and chopped pecans (or any preferred toppings). Drizzle some additional caramel sauce onto the apple slices. Enjoy!
Notes
- To prevent the apples from browning, spritz with some lemon juice mixed with water before adding the sauce and toppings or use one of the other methods suggested in post above.
- For best results, slice the apples right before serving so that they stay nice and fresh.
- You may wish to add a bit of water to the “caramel” mixture to thin it out a bit and make it easier to drizzle over the apple slices. Start with one tablespoon and adjust to achieve desired consistency.
- Make up a larger batch of the caramel sauce to eat throughout the week. You can even keep it in a squeeze bottle in the fridge. That way, when ready to serve, you simply have to chop up the apple slices, drizzle on the sauce and top with all the things.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted September 2018 and has been updated September 2024 to include more helpful tips and photos.
This is delicious. I have given out the recipe to so many people along with your website. I really enjoy this recipe. I get my sweet tooth fix yet remain on the healthy side.
I’m so happy to hear that Betty! Thanks so much for sharing the love!!
I just made these with my friend Anne and we both absolutely love them. They are so easy to make. We did use ‘chuncky’ almond butter as that is what she had on hand but future makes will be with regular almond butter. I put unsweetened coconut flakes, dark chocolate chips and sliced almonds on ours. We used 3 gala apples and found that it gave us a LOT!! Thank you so much!!I look forward to trying out more of your recipes.
Yay!! So glad you ladies enjoyed them Betty! I bet the chunky almond butter tasted great since it would add that extra crunch! The recipe definitely makes enough to serve a few people, so you can always use less apples and toppings next time and save the extra almond butter drizzle for another batch :) Thanks for stopping by to comment!
Oh wow these look yummy! Thanks for sharing!
Her Heartland Soul
http://herheartlandsoul.com
Thanks Erin! My pleasure..thanks for stopping by!
Oh, these are so fun! I bet the almond butter is delicious with the apples too. I have to be careful around a jar of that!
Thanks Jessica! It makes such a great snack or appetizer…and it doesn’t last long! I hear ya about the almond butter…it’s one of my weaknesses too ;)