the best apple recipes.

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

"You're the apple of my eye."

"Apples are so sweet, and they're wholesome, and it's biblical – and I just thought it sounded so lovely and... clean!"
     Gwenyth Paltrow on naming her daughter.

Apples, obviously have a good thing going. And when, just down the road, you can get 4kg for $5, you know that's a good thing!

The other week I went and purchased one of those bags and ate many apples and made many things from apples. I wasn't disappointed – I found many awesome recipes and enjoyed the fresh, crisp apples.

So if you find yourself with an excess of apples or just need to get more fruit into your life, here are some ways I have eaten apples:

• as a snack. Apples are an easy food to chuck in your handbag, or take with you wherever you're going. They're hardy, filling and refreshing.

• as a snack with toppings. My personal favourite is apple slices with nut butter – it's high in protein and good fats and makes a filling and delicious afternoon tea. I also enjoy apple sprinkled with cinnamon, and my husband had apple with (a healthified) salted caramel sauce for dessert the other night. And I'm sure apple slices dipped in dark chocolate would also be delicious! 

• apple chips. These are delicious, easy to make, and make a great snack – just careful not to eat too many at once! All you need to do is grab a mandolin (or a knife), slice thinly, chuck them in your dehydrator (or I've done it in the oven!) and wait patiently. They're just so good!

• apple crumble. I love apple crumble and it's one of my go-to desserts when having people over. I usually use this recipe by The Healthy Chef (or make a variation of it) but my husband needs to be eating less gluten so I thought I'd try a new recipe from a new cookbook: Love Life and Gluten Free. (I do realise that The Healthy Chef's recipe has a gluten-free option but why not try something new?!). I made this Apple Berry Crumble in individual ramekins and we ate it for breakfasts for a week (it made 10!). Healthy, delicious and filling – my husband was so happy to be able to eat apple crumble for breakfast!

• apple blueberry chia bircher. This was another breakfast we enjoyed – and it was even better because it served 4 (so lasted two days), was super easy to prepare, and can be made in a jar and taken on the road if need be. It is also from the Love Life and Gluten Free cookbook. It's a mixture between a chia pudding and bircher muesli – a good in-between, in my opinion! So good I didn't take any photos, so you'll just have to imagine how good it is! Comment below if you'd like the recipe and I'll type it up for you.

I now need to go back for more because I still have a list of incredible apple recipes to make:

• As I was writing this post, a recipe for Vanilla Toffee Apples by Alexx from Low Tox Life came up on my Facebook newsfeed. YUM!

• I'm keen to make (and decrease the quantity and type of sugar in) this Nigella Apple and Almond Cake recipe. 

• Speaking of cake, I'm keen to make my fave Spiced Apple Coconut Cake from I Am Food. I've made this a lot but not in a while, but it's so moist and uses desiccated coconut as the flour – an excellent gluten free alternative.

• Other cake recipes I've come across include Brown Butter Apple Cakes and Coconut Apple Cake from Eleanor Ozich's – from Petite Kitchen – cookbooks.

• I'd love to also make gluten-free versions of an Applesauce Sweetened Granola and Apple Pie, as well as try an Apple Pie Milkshake and make some Stewed Apples to have when I have porridge.

So many apple recipes to try. I just want to make all of them. Have you got any more to recommend? Please comment below – I'd love to try them. I better get in quick while they're still in season and such a great price at the farm down the road.