Since fall has finally arrived in Texas, Bob and I have been in the mood for apples. He picked up some wonderful fresh ones great for munching. I wanted to make an apple dessert but peeling those little darlings can be a chore.
Then I remembered this cobbler-like favorite. It uses canned apple pie filling so there's no work required. I spike it with extra cinnamon and dried cranberries for the perfect combination of sweet and sour. Then layer on an oatmeal cookie-type crust that gets nice and crisp on top as it bakes while staying moist and chewy underneath. Yum!
With only seven ingredients, this autumn-inspired dessert is quick and easy to put together. You can have it in the crockpot in 5 - 10 minutes, especially if you use a stand mixer to make the crust.
Normally, I sweeten that heavenly topping with brown sugar. But last week, I tried a free sample of Truvia Brown Sugar Blend instead. It combines Truvia natural sweetener with brown sugar so it has 75% fewer calories than the real thing. In fact, 1/4 cup of this new blend has 105 calories and provides the same sweetness as 1/2 cup of brown sugar that has 415 calories. That's quite a savings and, even better, we couldn't taste the difference!
Three hours in the slow cooker produces a warm, comforting dessert. You can dish it up immediately or make it ahead and reheat the next day as I do. Either way, if your family's anything like mine, they're sure to fall for this apple-licious treat.
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Place cranberries, pie filling and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir gently and pour into slow cooker.
Mix oats, Truvia and flour in another bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender, two knives or the pastry attachment on a stand mixer.
Sprinkle topping over cranberry-apple mixture.
Cover. Cook on Low 3 hours.
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In the mood for something sweet? You'll also enjoy:
Prepare your own Mexican quick fix with this Chipotle-inspired bowl. Carbs are moderated by filling the bowl with beans, extra veggies and chicken. No need for rice, since the beans count as carbs.
Tips:
If you love tomatoes, increase the quantity to 1/2 cup, but note that the carbohydrates will also increase.
If preparing this recipe for one person, cut all of the ingredients in half. Or simply prepare the full recipe up to the end of step 2 and store leftover chicken and vegetable-bean mixture in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave on High for 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through, and continue with step 3.
Health Bite: The iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc in black beans help to keep bones strong and healthy.
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