My family loves cooked apples and they also love granola. I’ve been making these cooked apples and homemade granola for many years, so you can trust the they’ll taste great and become a family favorite.
The two together are like a deconstructed apple crisp, so I decided to call the recipe apple crisp granola.
It’s definitely fall here in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia)! YAY! The leaves are just beginning to change and the days are getting cooler. Though we haven’t been apple picking yet, we’ll get there in the next week. Nothing says it’s fall like warm apples with homemade granola!
Ingredients to make cooked apples
- Granny Smith apples
- Cinnamon stick
- Lemon
Ingredients to make homemade granola
- Rolled oats
- Shredded, unsweetened coconut
- Chopped, unsalted pecans
- Chopped, unsalted almonds
- Dark brown sugar
- Canola oil
- Maple syrup
- Salt
Cooked apples
Both my girls still remember the cooked apples Anna’s husband, Dan made about 10 years ago when we were on a weekend trip together. They often ask me to make them. I’ve actually never asked Dan how he made them, but I will soon!
See below for the recipe for how I often make cooked apples. Save the extra liquid and use it the next time you cook oatmeal or freeze it in an ice cube tray and use it in smoothies!
Peel, core, and dice the apples.
Place the diced apples in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover them. Add 1-2 cinnamon sticks depending on whether you want a subtle or prominent cinnamon flavor.
Add the lemon juice and apple cider (if you have some).
Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once the liquid comes to a boil, turn the heat down to medium low and allow the apples to simmer until they’re just cooked and still hold their shape.
Homemade granola
My family also loves homemade granola. I’ve tried various versions over the years and the hands-down winner is my adapted version of Alton Brown’s granola recipe. I’ve adapted it so it’s both sweet and just a tad salty.
It’s also nice and crunchy. If you prefer it on the sweeter side, you can increase the brown sugar or use sweetened coconut instead of unsweetened.
Combine all the dry ingredients and nuts in a large mixing bowl.
Add the oil and maple syrup and stir to evenly coat the oat mixture.
Spread the oat mixture evenly on 2 parchment lined half-sheet pans.
Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
There’s a never-ending supply of store-bought granola. I’ve never found one I really love. Do you have a favorite? Let me know what it is!
You can always use store-bought granola over the cooked apples if you don’t want to make granola! There’s no rule that says it has to be homemade.
What better combination than still-warm (or reheated) cooked apples and granola? It’s sort of a deconstructed apple crisp! (I have an amazing recipe for apple crisp that I’ll share sometime soon, too). This granola is easy to make and it makes your house smell incredible!
How to add apples to granola
If you’re wondering if you can add apples to granola, the answer is yes! There are a number of ways you can do this.
- Top granola with my warm cooked apples.
- Added diced dried or freeze dried apples after the granola has cooled completely.
- If you’re wondering if apples will turn brown in granola, they shouldn’t if you add them to the granola when you’re preparing to eat it.
- Note that if you add diced apples to the granola ingredients and bake it, the apples will make the granola soggy. So unless you plan to eat the granola right away, don’t add apples to it during baking.
Did you know there are 100s of varieties of apples?
My typical favorites for eating are Honeycrisp, Jonagold, and Fuji. I tend to cook with Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Mutsu. Honeycrisp and Johnathan tend to hold their shape best while cooking.
So, I’d recommend one of these varieties for cooked apples.
Most recently, I made the cooked apples with Granny Smith and cooked them a little longer than intended, so the apples were more like chunky applesauce. They still tasted great!
Experiment with offering different kinds of apples
Do your children like apples? What kinds are their favorites? Offering different types of apples is an easy way to expose kids to different tastes and textures.
Pre-covid, Toigo Orchards used to cut up all the varieties of apples they bring to our farmers market for people to sample. I miss seeing kids at that table sampling the different varieties.
What a fun and low-pressure food exposure for kids (and adults) to try different varieties!
More ideas for serving cooked apples and granola
- A side dish with quiche or other eggs at any meal
- Top pancakes, waffles, or cooked (or baked) oatmeal with cooked apples and granola
- Topped with plain, vanilla, or maple yogurt
- Top with your favorite vanilla ice cream
Have you read Anna’s most recent post?
Did you have a chance to read Anna’s most recent post? She shares important information about weight stigma and what parents need to know about it, here: 3 Facts Parents Need to Know About Weight Stigma
Did you know we also have a Podcast?
You can listen to all our episodes on the podcast page.
From the October Archives:
- Lentil Salad with Cheese and Salami
- Growth Charts and What to Ask of Your Pediatrician
- Weight Inclusive Healthcare: Evidence-Based, Compassionate, Patient-Centered
- A 15-Minute Recipe: 7 Different Ways
- Handling Halloween: A Step-By-Step Parent Guide
Apple Crisp Granola
Apple Crisp GranolaIngredients
- 3 lbs of firm apples I use Granny Smith or Honeycrisp peeled, cored and diced
- 1-2 cinnamon sticks
- squeeze of lemon juice from ½ a lemon
- a splash of apple cider if you have some
- 2 cups of water
Ingredients for the granola
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup unsalted, raw, chopped almonds
- 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar firmly packed
- 3/4 tsp table salt (like Morton's salt)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 cup chopped, dried fruit optional
Instructions
- Peel, core and dice the apples
- Place them in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover them. Add 1-2 cinnamon sticks depending on whether you want a subtle or prominent cinnamon flavor.
- Add the lemon juice and apple cider (if you have some).
- Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once the liquid comes to a boil, turn the heat down to medium low and allow the apples to simmer until they’re just cooked and still hold their shape.
- If you prefer the apples to break apart, you can cook them longer.
- Remove the apples from the liquid and allow them to cool.
- Keep the cooking liquid and use it for cooking oatmeal! Or freeze it in ice cube trays to use when making smoothies.
Steps to make the granola
- Preheat oven to 250 F.
- If you're not using pre-chopped nuts, place them in a food processor and pulse 3-4 times until they’re chopped. Alternatively, chop the nuts with a knife on a cutting board.
- Combine all the dry ingredients and nuts in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the oil and maple syrup and stir to evenly coat the oat mixture.
- Spread the oat mixture evenly on 2 parchment lined half-sheet pans.
- Place in the sheet pans oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Feel free to give the granola a stir once or twice during the baking. Though I never stir it and it turns out great.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool. If you want to add dried fruit, now’s the time. I don't add dried fruit because everyone in my house prefers the granola without.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
The best granola we have ever had!! Delicious to add to yogurt 🙂
HI Christi! Thanks so much! I’m glad you guys love it!