Apple pie is a classic, delicious American dessert that can pose a huge setback to anyone on a diet, as the average slice could total somewhere around 375 calories and 18 grams of fat. When looking for an apple dessert that can give you a similar satisfying feeling, consider any of these healthier alternatives:
1. Fresh Apple and Dip
The most basic way to get the apple pie taste without a lot of added calories is to go for the fresh apple itself, which already has a nice, sweet flavor. An apple is about 70 calories. If you want to add a bit more flavor to the apple, dip it in either all-natural peanut butter (without sweetener) or plain or vanilla yogurt. A tablespoon of peanut butter is about 100 calories and a tablespoon of plain yogurt has about 9 calories. Both are low in saturated fat, and peanut butter is high in protein while yogurt is high in calcium. If you choose peanut butter, just make sure to dip the apple in it in moderation.
2. Apple Sauce with Graham Crackers
Another way to get delicious apple pie flavor without all of the calories is to have apple sauce instead. Look for plain, unsweetened apple sauce, as the natural sweetness of the apple can make the sauce appealing to a sweet tooth without adding empty calories. A cup of unsweetened apple sauce has about 104 calories (whereas a cup of sweetened apple sauce has 193 calories). You can pair the apple sauce with other fruit or with unsweetened graham crackers, which will give you a bit more of that pie crust flavor. Each graham cracker is about 20 to 30 calories, so just limit your intake to 2 to 4 per day.
3. Apple Compote
This mildly sweet apple dessert averages only about 100 calories per 1-cup serving. You cook peeled, cubed apples in water on low heat for 10 minutes and then puree the mixture. You can add a bit of sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves or even brandy to the cooking mixture, but remember that most of these items will add empty calories. However, cinnamon and nutmeg are lower in calories than plain sugar.
4. Apple Pandowdy (Low Fat)
A version of apple cobbler, apple pandowdy, is probably the closest taste to apple pie you'll get of these options, although it has the highest amount of calories. Still, an average of 260 calories per slice is less than an average slice of pie. Just make sure to select low-fat options when making your pandowdy. Use skim milk, fat-free cottage cheese and sugar substitute in the recipe in lieu of the more fatty alternatives.
You don't have to have a slice of apple pie to have a delicious apple dessert. If you keep the pie to a very rare treat, you can pamper yourself with any of these healthier apple dessert alternatives the rest of the time.
