Low-fat Cheesecake Stuffed Baked Apples
PIN IT!It’s officially fall in Northern Virginia [to me anyway]. Even though the trees haven’t changed yet and my husband is still wearing shorts and flip flops (to his own insanity, it’s 50 degrees out), I’m grabbing onto fall and never letting go. To celebrate the beautiful morning we’re having here, I’m sharing a quintessential fall dessert, low-fat cheesecake stuffed baked apples.
It can’t be fall without apples, right? Because I’ve been too busy showering pumpkin with all of my love, I’ve sort of forgotten about apples. I mean, I’ve made a few things, like this boozy caramel apple ice cream and this low-fat apple crisp, but other than that, I’ve sadly let them sit on my counter top without a real purpose. That was until I had a mad craving for cheesecake.
I wanted it but also knew if I made an entire cheesecake, my pants would never fit again because I’d eat far more than one piece. Then, as I was staring at the bag o’ apples on my counter, I got the idea. I’ll bake cheesecake INTO AN APPLE!
People bake things into apples all the time, like oatmeal, keen-wah and even savory sausage, so why the heck can’t I bake cheesecake into it? So I did.I made cheesecake and poured it into carved out apples. Then I sat by the stove and waited for them to bake. The smell of cinnamon and apples baking made me ravenous and eager to gobble them up. I’m pretty sure if you tortured war criminals with the smell of cheesecake baking in apples (without letting them eat it), we’d have world peace in an instant.
Despite a few attempts to reach into the oven and sneak one out, I let them cook and chill. An about two hours of sitting in the fridge, these gorgeous apples were done. Without a plate or a fork, I inhaled one. Out loud I said “holy crap, I’m onto something.” The apple is soft, but still has a bit of a crunch and the cheesecake is spicy and creamy. Paired with a hefty drizzle of light homemade caramel, this dessert is just…perfect.
Sorry pie, you’ve been replaced by the cutest little dessert you ever did see. Oh and these aren’t just cute, they are light as a bird too with just 6 grams of fat per serving!
Gluten-free Cheesecake Stuffed Baked Apples
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Serves 6.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 – 32 minutes
Ingredients:
- 6 medium apples (I used red)
For the filling:
- 8 ounces low-fat cream cheese
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 3/4 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chopped apples
- Caramel for drizzle* (for a light version, try this recipe)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut the top off each apple. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the insides of the apples until you’re left with about a 1/2 – 3/4 inch thick shell. Keep apple insides. Place apples in a greased baking dish.
- To prepare the filling, beat the cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla and egg together with a handheld mixer until creamy. Add in cinnamon and apples, stir to combine.
- Carefully fill each apple about 2/3 the way full with cheesecake filling. If you have leftover filling, prepare another apple or save for later use. Bake apples for about 25 minutes, or until insides are almost set and apples are beginning to soften. Place in the fridge to chill for at least two – three hours.
- One chilled, serve with caramel and enjoy!
Nutritional information per apple (with 3/4 tablespoon light caramel):
Calories: 270.7
Fat: 6
Carbohydrates: 49.5
Fiber: 3.5 grams
Protein: 5.3 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 7
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