Apple pie is a beloved Thanksgiving classic, and while we don’t always like to mess with our favorite family recipes, apple pie turns out to be a good candidate for producing a more nutritious dessert. This variation is sweetened strictly with date paste, whose deep brown sugar notes pair wonderfully with tart apples and warm fall spices.
Apple-Date Torte
Sweetened only with dates, this simple variation on apple pie offers great nutrition alongside the natural sugar. Enjoy a small portion as a treat! For a little creamy goodness, top with a tablespoon or two of vanilla Greek yogurt.
Servings: 8 (234 g )
Prep Time: 25 min.
Cook Time: 45 min.
Ingredients
- 30 pitted dates, divided
- 1 cup warm water, divided
- 1½ cups walnuts
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- ½ tsp. salt
- 4 apples, thinly sliced
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 8″ tart pan with parchment paper.
- Cover 18 dates with half of the warm water and set aside.
- Place walnuts in food processor and grind to a fine meal. Add the remaining pitted dates and water and process until dates are blended with the walnuts to form a coarse, sticky meal. Press mixture into tart pan.
- Place soaking dates and their liquid in blender along with cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and salt. Blend until smooth.
- In a medium bowl, toss apple slices with the date sauce. Layer into crust.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until apples are tender when poked with a fork. Sprinkle with extra cinnamon to serve.