Savor the richness of a homemade apple pie all tucked away into a healthy, protein-packed snack!
Apple pie. Where there’s apple pie there’s usually a group of happy hearts gathered ’round. There’s just something about that apple-cinnamon combination that lights up a dish…and a room!
It’s definitely difficult to beat a fresh, apple pie, and I definitely don’t want to! But sometimes we need a little healthier option so we can have our apple pie and eat it, too!
It’s also hard to beat the third part of an apple pie trio–the butter! The yummy, yummy butter! The way it melds with apples and cinnamon is to die for! But sometimes we get stuck on dairy-free diets, and we need something to take care of those cravings! Well, I’ve gotcha covered! Healthy and dairy-free treat, here we come!
This apple pie freezer fudge starts off with, you guessed it! Apples. Get our fruit in, and we’re already off to a good start! Next, we have a base of cashew butter. Cashews are a rich source of protein and healthy fats, as well as many vitamins and minerals. Then comes coconut oil, the superstar that gives us that buttery goodness when we can’t have our butter! Not only is it tasty, but it’s been tested in studies as a potential defender against Alzheimer’s!
Honey serves as the sweetener in this recipe. This whole food has long been known for its antimicrobial activity and ability to heal wounds! And let’s not forget our lovely spice cinnamon, which has its own impressive medicinal properties and even looks promising as a helper in type 2 diabetes treatment!
Now, let’s make this stuff already!
Kitchen supplies you may need:
- loaf pan
- parchment paper
- peeler
- knife
- baking tray
- pot holder/towel
- food processor, high-powered blender, or grinder
- measuring cups and spoons
How to make apple pie freezer fudge
Step 1: Set your oven to 350 degrees F, and line 1 to 2 baking trays with a sheet of parchment paper.
Step 2: While your oven is preheating, peel the apples, cut them into thin slices, and pile them on your baking tray(s).
Step 3: Add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to your apple slices and gently coat your apples in the oil.
Step 4: Arrange your apple slices in a single layer on your baking tray(s).
Step 5: Lightly salt the apple slices, put the tray in the oven, and bake the slices for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are soft. Do not skip the salting step! It really brings out the flavors in this freezer fudge!
Step 6: While the apple slices are baking, take out a sheet of parchment paper and prepare to line a loaf pan. If you’d like the parchment paper to fit the shape of the pan, continue you with the following steps. If not, continue to Step 10.
Step 7: Trace the bottom of the loaf pan on the parchment paper using a pencil. (See the picture above.) Tip: Don’t use a marker; it’ll end up on your fudge!
Step 8: Cut out the shape from the parchment paper, leaving one to two inches around the outside of the rectangle.
Step 9: Cut each of the corners all the way to the shape you traced.
Step 10: Place the parchment paper in the loaf pan, folding the cut edges one behind the other.
Step 11: Place your baked apples and all other ingredients in a food processor, grinder, or high-powered blender and blend the mixture until it is very smooth. Tip: If your coconut oil is solid, you can melt it in one of the following ways: place it in a heat safe bowl and 1) pop it in a microwave for a few seconds, 2) place the bowl in a pan of hot water, 3) set the bowl in between the burners of a stovetop (if there’s space to do so), or 4) set the bowl near or in the oven (if it’s an oven safe bowl).
Step 12: Pour/spoon the mixture into your lined loaf pan. You can take a kitchen utensil and make swirls on the top if you’d like. You could also sprinkle chopped nuts, such as almonds, on top.
Step 13: Place the pan in the freezer and let freeze for 2 to 3 hours, or until the mixture is solid.
Step 14: Taking the ends of the parchment paper, lift the freezer fudge out of the loaf pan and cut it into pieces using a sharp knife. That’s it! Enjoy!
Apple Pie Freezer Fudge (Dairy-Free)
Savor the richness of a homemade apple pie all tucked away into a healthy, protein-packed snack!
Ingredients
- 4 large apples (about 3 3/4 to 4 cups of slices), peeled and sliced
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (for baking)
- sea salt (for baking)
- 1/2 cup cashew butter
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil (for freezer fudge mixture)
- 1/4 cup honey*
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Set your oven to 350 degrees F and line 1 to 2 baking trays with a sheet of parchment paper.
- While your oven is preheating, peel the apples, cut them into slices, and pile them on your baking tray(s).
- Add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to your pile of apple slices and gently coat your apples in the oil.
- Arrange your apple slices in a single layer on your baking tray(s).
- Lightly salt the apple slices, put the tray(s) in the oven, and bake the slices for 15 to 20 minutes, or until soft. Do not skip the salting step! It really brings out the flavors in this freezer fudge!
- While your apple slices are baking, line a loaf pan with parchment paper.** For instructions on how to help your parchment paper fit more easily into your loaf pan, check out the post above.
- Add your baked apples and all other ingredients to a food processor, high-powered blender, or grinder. Blend the mixture until it is very smooth.
- Pour/spoon the mixture into your lined loaf pan. You can -take a kitchen utensil and make swirls on the top of the mixture if you'd like. You could also sprinkle chopped nuts, like almonds, on top.
- Place the loaf pan in the freezer and freeze for 2 to 3 hours, or until the mixture is solid.
- Taking the ends of the parchment paper, lift the freezer fudge out of the loaf pan and cut it into pieces using a sharp knife.
- Serve immediately or place the fudge pieces in a freezer safe container and put in the freezer to serve at a future time. Make sure the pieces are not touching when you put them in a container. After they've been in the freezer for a day or two, it doesn't matter as much, but they're really sticky in the beginning.
Notes
* If you are using really sweet apples, you may want to go down to 3 tablespoons honey so the fudge won't be so sweet.
**This fudge does not do well in a silicone mold. It's very sticky. However, you can let it freeze for 24 hours, and it will be a little easier to remove from the mold if you'd like to try it!
Check out more fall recipes
Healthy, Homemade Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino (Dairy-Free)
Creamy Pumpkin Pie Popsicles (Dairy-Free)