As fall comes around, I am getting excited to make all my healthy apple recipes, as there is nothing like perfectly crisp, ripe apples in abundance and often on sale as well. While I love apples, I must say that I only like crunchy apples. I am not a fan of mushy apples unless I am using them in baking or making homemade applesauce, in which case they are actually perfect.
They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, and I agree. While I often enjoy fresh apples as a snack on their own, they also taste delicious dipped in almond butter for a more satiating healthy snack. My daughter especially loves apples with lemon and cinnamon in her school lunch box. Fresh lemon juice helps stop the apples from browning and adds a tartness that is perfectly balanced by the natural sweetness of apples and cinnamon. It is such a simple combination, but so yummy!
I also love using apples in salads for a fresh, crispy crunch that can completely elevate a green salad. They are equally delicious chopped up with other fresh fruits for an easy fruit salad. If you have a bunch of fresh apples to use up, salads are one of the easiest ways to enjoy them without cooking anything.
Making homemade applesauce is another of my favorite ways to use up any type of apple, including the slightly mushy ones I normally wouldn’t eat on their own. Homemade applesauce is surprisingly easy to make, naturally sweet, and a great way to prevent perfectly good apples from going to waste.
Apples are also perfect for making some of my favorite healthy apple breakfast recipes. Blend them into an apple smoothie, make a creamy apple protein smoothie, or combine them with chia seeds and warming spices for an apple pie chia pudding. Cinnamon and apple are seriously one of the best flavor combinations, especially once fall comes around.
Over the years, I have created quite a few easy apple recipes, so it was time to gather them all in one place. This collection of my best apple recipes includes healthy apple breakfasts, smoothies, fresh apple salads, homemade applesauce, apple recipes for kids, and healthy apple snacks.
Whether you just went apple picking or have a bag of apples in your fridge that needs to be used up, there are plenty of simple, delicious ways to enjoy them.
From fresh and crunchy to warm and cinnamon-spiced, these fall apple recipes are some of my favorite ways to make the most of apple season.
Apple Breakfast Recipes
Apples are perfect for blending into smoothies or chia puddings for an easy, healthy breakfast or snack. Their natural sweetness pairs especially well with warming spices like cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice for that yummy apple pie flavor.
1. Apple Pie Chia Pudding
If you want a make ahead breakfast, this apple chia pudding is a delicious option that tastes like apple pie while still being healthy and satisfying. Apples are blended with soy milk, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and maple syrup, then mixed with chia seeds to create a thick and creamy base.
Once the base thickens, it is topped with softly cooked cinnamon apples. Make it the night before for an easy, healthy apple breakfast that’s ready to grab from the fridge in the morning.
2. Apple Banana Smoothie
This apple banana smoothie tastes like apple pie in a cup thanks to the combination of sweet apple, banana, and cinnamon. Oats, flax seeds, almond butter, and plant-based protein make it extra creamy, filling, and satisfying, with 21 grams of protein per smoothie. It comes together in just five minutes and makes a healthy apple breakfast or afternoon snack when you need something more substantial.
3. Apple Protein Smoothie
For more healthy apple pie flavors, this apple protein smoothie is creamy, refreshing, and packed with 31 grams of protein. Frozen apple gives it a lightly slushy texture, while pumpkin pie spice and vanilla protein powder create that cozy apple pie flavor.
I love using a sweet Pink Lady apple for the best flavor, and unlike many apple smoothies, this one is made without banana. It is an easy, satisfying high protein apple breakfast that tastes more like a dessert than a healthy smoothie.
4. Spinach apple smoothie
Enjoy your greens with this refreshing spinach apple smoothie made with fresh spinach, apple, mango, dates, and almond milk. The mango gives it a smooth and creamy texture without needing banana, while the dates add just the right amount of natural sweetness.
I tested several types of apples and found Golden Delicious worked best—Granny Smith was too tart, while Golden Delicious had the perfect balance of sweetness and tang while keeping that beautiful vibrant green color. It’s a light, nutritious apple breakfast smoothie and an easy way to get more greens into your day.
Apple Recipes for Kids
Apples are perfect for kids as they naturally sweeten oatmeal, yogurt, and other foods without needing refined sugar. They are also easy to blend or cook until soft, making them perfect for babies and toddlers.
5. Apple Oatmeal for Babies
For an easy and healthy apple breakfast for kids, this apple oatmeal for babies and toddlers is naturally sweetened with fresh apple and prunes, so there is no need for refined sugar. I blend the apple with cinnamon, peanut butter, hemp seeds, prunes, and almond milk, then stir it into warm oatmeal.
The peanut butter and hemp seeds add healthy fats and protein for a more balanced and satisfying breakfast, while the thick texture is perfect for little ones learning to self-feed.
6. Apple Flaxseed Baby Puree
This apple flaxseed baby puree is an easy way to introduce apples and ground flaxseeds to your little one and takes just 15 minutes to make. The apples are steamed until soft and blended with water and ground flaxseeds for a smooth, naturally sweet puree that can be served on its own or used to sweeten oatmeal, quinoa, or plain yogurt.
I love making a batch and freezing the extras in individual portions for an easy baby breakfast or snack. Ground flaxseeds also add fiber and omega-3 fats, making this simple apple puree even more nutritious.
Healthy Apple Salad Recipes
7. Fruit Salad with Apple, Banana and Orange
Apples are the perfect addition to fruit salads, especially when combined with banana, orange, and juicy pomegranate seeds. This apple banana orange fruit salad is fresh, crunchy, and naturally sweet, with hemp and flax seeds for extra fiber, healthy fats, and plant-based protein. A sprinkle of cinnamon brings the flavors together for an easy, healthy breakfast or snack you can enjoy year-round.
8. Kale Beet Apple Salad
Making this kale and beet salad with apples is one of my favorite ways to enjoy my greens. Crisp apple adds the perfect fresh sweetness and crunch to balance the earthy beets and kale, while pumpkin seeds and cranberries add even more texture and flavor. Everything is tossed in a sweet and zesty creamy citrus dressing, making this colorful apple salad so refreshing and delicious.
9. Beet and Apple Salad
This simple beet and apple salad is made with just three ingredients: raw beetroot, crisp green apple, and apple cider vinegar. I originally created this recipe while focusing on keeping my blood sugar levels balanced during pregnancy.
The combination is fresh, sweet, and tart. At the same time, the fiber-rich apples and beets, plus apple cider vinegar, make it a great side salad to support healthy blood sugar levels, insulin sensitivity, and liver and gallbladder health. It takes only 5 minutes to make and makes a great vegetable side dish to garnish your meals.
Healthy Apple Snacks & Cookie Recipes
10. Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Cookies
These cinnamon apple oatmeal cookies are naturally sweetened with apples, dates, fresh orange juice, and cinnamon, with no refined sugar. Soaked almonds, oats, and shredded coconut give the cookies a satisfying chewy texture while adding plenty of whole-food goodness. They are vegan, gluten-free, and one of my favorite healthy apple snacks when I am craving something sweet.
11. Chocolate Apple Cookies
These raw vegan chocolate apple cookies are naturally sweetened with apples and dates, making a chewy, chocolatey snack without refined sugar or flour. Almonds, walnuts, coconut, cacao, and warming spices make them rich and satisfying, while dried cranberries and cacao nibs add extra texture.
Healthy Apple Sauce Recipes
12. Unsweetened Applesauce
This unsweetened applesauce is one of my favorite ways to use up an abundance of apples, especially during apple season. Naturally sweet Ambrosia apples are cooked until soft and flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla for a cozy apple pie flavor without any added sugar. Enjoy it on its own or spoon it over yogurt or granola for an easy, healthy apple snack that kids and adults can enjoy.
13. Homemade Applesauce for Gut Health
For another variation on applesauce that is great for gut health, this homemade applesauce is made with apples, cinnamon, vanilla, and a touch of honey for natural sweetness. I originally made this recipe when I had some green apples that were starting to soften, and since I only like my fresh apples crisp, turning them into applesauce was the perfect way to use them up.
Cooked apples are soft and easy to digest, while their fiber acts as a prebiotic to help nourish beneficial gut bacteria. I love leaving this applesauce a little chunky and using it as a topping for my apple pie chia pudding.
14. Beet Apple Juice
This refreshing blender beet juice combines raw beets with tart green apple, fresh lemon, and water for an easy homemade juice without a juicer. The green apple adds natural sweetness and helps balance the earthy flavor of the beets, while lemon makes it taste fresh, crisp, and bright. Simply blend everything together and strain through a nut milk bag or tea towel for a smooth beet apple juice that’s packed with antioxidants and nutrients.
15. Sliced Cinnamon Apples With Lemon
These sliced apples with cinnamon are an easy 2-minute apple snack made with fresh apple slices, lemon juice, and cinnamon. The fresh lemon adds a delicious tart flavor that balances the sweetness of the apple and cinnamon while also helping to keep the sliced apples from turning brown. They are perfect for packing in school lunch boxes or enjoying as a quick and healthy apple snack.
There really are so many healthy recipes you can make with apples, which is why I always love having a bag in my fridge. Their natural sweetness can sweeten up oatmeal, chia pudding, smoothies, and cookies, while a crisp apple adds the best fresh crunch to green salads and fruit salads. And when those apples start getting a little too soft for my liking, homemade applesauce is the perfect way to use them up instead of letting them go to waste.
Whether you have just been apple picking or found a big bag of apples on sale, I hope these healthy apple recipes give you plenty of inspiration for using them. From creamy apple smoothies and cozy cinnamon-spiced breakfasts to crunchy salads, naturally sweet cookies, and homemade applesauce, there is seriously so much you can make with a simple apple.
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