Picked With Passion

Healthy Slow Cooker Apple Crisp is a healthier version of traditional apple crisp that is made right in the slow cooker.

Have you seen the honey crisp apples that are available right now? Around me they are amazing. Crisp and sweet and delicious. They are almost as good as the Macintosh apples I miss dearly from growing up in New England. And my favorite way to eat apples, apple crisp. Normally apple crisp is loaded with butter – the recipes I looked at had over a stick – but this one is lightened up but still packed with flavor. This is a rift on a weight watchers recipe that ingeniously uses apple butter to mimic some of the richness from the butter and made a bit more healthy with whole wheat flour.

It also wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t tell you that I have been eating this for breakfast all week with yogurt. There is something so satisfying about warming up a bowl of apple crisp, making a cup of coffee, and taking 15 minutes to relax and enjoy the morning. It’s the perfect way to start the day and even though its a bit more sugar than I typically have in the morning, I balance it out with what I am eating the rest of the day.

Tips for Making this Healthy Slow Cooker Apple Crisp:

• When you are baking with apples, there are certain types to look for that will hold up better and not turn into mush. Generally I look to use Honey Crisp, Jonagold, Braeburn, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, Gala, Cortland, or Fuji.
• This recipe is delicious with pears, a combinatin of apples and pears, and even berries. If you decide to make a berry crisp, keep an eye on the cooking to make sure it doesn’t completely disintegrate since berries cook faster than apples.
• This recipe can be made in the oven as well in the traditional way. Bake it at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes until the apples are tender and the liquid is bubbling.
• I love the richness that the apple butter adds to this recipe but you can leave it out if you don’t have any on hand.
• Feel free to add nuts to the crisp if you like – pecans and walnuts are my favorite options. If you want to kick up the nutritional content a bit, you could also add some ground flaxseed or chia seeds.

Looking for more healthy apple recipes?

Here are some of the products I used when making this recipe.

• Slow Cooker: There are so many different slow cookers on the market but I personally use this one that allows me to brown, sear, or saute in the same pan. Plus I find the cooking temperature to be really even and consistent.
• Apple Butter: Apple butter is something I absolutely love so I usually buy this no-sugar added version since apple butter is sweet enough on its own. It’s delicious with oatmeal, yogurt, toast, bagel thins, you name it. I also love cooking with it to make a simple apple sauce for pork and chicken dishes.