The holiday season is filled with a lot of gatherings and parties with friends and family, and at the heart of that is food. While it is important to enjoy yourself and indulge from time to time, it is more important to understand that a healthy lifestyle shouldn’t be sacrificed. You have the ability to indulge but stay within your healthy nutrition plan. In order to do this, watching portion sizes, making sure you are having 3 balanced meals a day, and focusing on protein with each meal is important. Along with this, there are healthier dessert options, such as this recipe.
What makes this recipe healthier?
- Rolled oats and oat flour adds whole grains and fiber
- The walnuts add a healthy fat component
- Fresh apples, pears, and cranberries for fruit, fiber, and natural sweetness
- Option to use stevia based brown sugar to reduce sugar content
Healthy Holiday Fruit Crisp
Adapted from The Kitchen Girl
Ingredients for topping:
½ cup dry rolled oats
¼ cup oat flour
¼ cup walnuts, chopped
¼ cup brown sugar (brown sugar substitute)
¼ tsp sea salt
1 tbsp canola oil
Ingredients for filling:
2 pears, peeled and chopped
2 apples, peeled and chopped
½ cup fresh cranberries, rinsed and dried
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp cinnamon
Instructions:
- Preheat oven (or air fryer oven) to 350 degrees, and prepare an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray
- To make topping combine oats, oat flour, walnuts, brown sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add oil and stir until it becomes coarse and crumbly. Set aside.
- To make filling, add pears, apples, cranberries, orange juice, brown sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon to a mixing bowl. Toss until fruit is evenly coated.
- Transfer fruit filling to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit evenly.
- Bake uncovered 20-30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. If using an air fryer, bake time is 15-20 minutes.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and rest 10 minutes at room temperature.
- Serve warm
Nutrition facts:
Serving size: 3oz
Calories: 305 kcals
Carbohydrate: 43g
Protein: 3g
Fat: 15g
Saturated fat: 7g
Sodium: 80mg
Potassium: 237mg
Fiber: 5g
Sugar: 28g
Calcium: 39mg