Fall is in the air and it’s the perfect time to break out the fall themed recipes. Besides left-over Halloween candy, fall snacks can be not only delicious and decadent but also healthy. Having a fall themed snack for class can boost your energy, help you focus on what you are learning in class and put you in a positive mood on a chilly fall day.
Incorporating seasonal ingredients like spices and whatever fresh produce is at your grocery store into your cooking can also be a great way to spice up your fall cooking.
A staple during fall are apples. Simply because fall is apple season in Virginia and they can be used in multitudes of different recipes. I decided to use apples to create two fall themed healthy snacks. Anyone can enjoy these snacks especially college students due to the accessibility of all the ingredients and because saving money is always key.
Some bonuses in creating these two different snacks would be they're easy to make and can be transported to class. Stick them in a plastic bag and you’re ready to go!
The first recipe is a healthy apple "cookie." To make this snack you will need your favorite kind of apple, peanut or almond butter, granola, dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips and cranberries or raisins. After you assemble your ingredients, which can all be purchased at Walmart, you lay them out on a flat surface like a table or a counter. Then proceed to cut the apple into slices and then lay them out flat on either a plate or a baking sheet.
First you collect all your ingredients for the apple "cookie" on a flat surface.
Next, you spread the peanut or almond butter over the individual apple slices, which mimics icing a cookie. After, you will decorate your “cookie” with as much granola, dark chocolate chips, cranberries or raisins as you desire. Once you're done decorating, they're ready to serve. The apple “cookies” are a huge hit with my roommates and are super easy to bring to class. In total this snack cost $5.26, so it's inexpensive if you're on a budget.
Continue to cut the apples into donut-shaped slices.
Finally, "ice" the apple with peanut butter and top it with as much granola, chocolate and cranberries as your stomach can handle.
The second recipe is a little more time consuming than the first but worth it. My apple cookie energy balls are a great way to sneak protein and fruit into your diet. First, you're going to need your favorite type of apple (enough to at least make one cup of grated apple depending on how big the apple is), 1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon of honey, ½ cup almond butter, ¾ teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 2 cups of old fashioned oats and a pinch of salt.
The second recipe you'll also put all the required ingredients on a flat surface.
Next, you separate the wet and dry ingredients into separate bowls and then grate one cup of apple of your choice, my favorite type of apple is a Granny Smith. Then combine the wet and dry ingredients into one bowl and mix it all together. If you aren’t willing to spend the money to get some of these items, most of them can be substituted for other products. You can use peanut butter instead of almond butter and granola for old fashion oats.
You'll then separate the wet and dry ingredients as well as the grated apple into separate bowls.
After you've finished this step, shape the energy balls and place them in the freezer for 5 minutes. This will keep the energy balls from falling part after you slightly freeze the ingredients together. Once they're finished the snacks can last up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Even though this snack is not the prettiest, it tastes great due to the fresh apples and cinnamon.
The last step is to mix together the wet and dry ingridents with the apple and mold them into balls.
I eat these on my way to class as breakfast or as a quick on the go snack. All the ingredients used to make the energy balls cost $12.53, which makes around eight individual snacks. This recipe is a favorite of mine because of how little time it takes to make something that can help keep my energy up during the day as well as it being a light snack that fills me up.
Both snacks are very easy to make. Even if you think you can’t cook to save your life, these recipes are fool-proof. Using apples in your snacks can give you a good source of vitamin c, b and fiber which can give our bodies more antioxidants and can help our digestive system. If apple snacks aren't your speed, try signing up to Pinterest for fall or healthy snacks for inspiration!
