Crockpot Pumpkin Chai Spice Applesauce

I love apple season. I adore going apple picking, I enjoy going to the grocery store and discovering new-to-me varieties (my favorite find this year is the Gingergold), I love eating plain apples out of hand, putting them in my daily oatmeal, baking with them, making apple chips in my dehydrator….my love for apples is pretty much all-inclusive. One of my favorite apple recipes from last year was this Pumpkin Applesauce from The Novice Chef. I decided to mix it up a little by increasing the pumpkin, adding some maple syrup and chai spices, and cooking it in my crockpot.


 

Crockpot Pumpkin Chai Spice Applesauce

Adapted from here
Makes about 9 1/2 cup servings

2 ½ lbs apples, cored and roughly chopped (I used a mix of Golden Delicious and Gala)
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 packets Truvia
1 tbsp Ideal Brown Sweetener
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
Chai spice, to taste (recipe below)

Place the chopped apples in the crockpot. Add the water, lemon juice, Truvia, Ideal Brown Sweetener, and cinnamon. Turn the crockpot on low heat and let the apples cook for six hours, stirring occasionally. Add the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and vanilla. If you prefer a chunky applesauce, stir the mixture with a spoon until combined. If you like a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender to mix the ingredients. After the applesauce has reached the consistency you desire, add the chai spices to taste. I used all of the spice blend in my applesauce, but I recommend waiting until the end of the cooking process and tasting as you add since the spices are definitely on the more potent end of the spectrum.
 

Chai Spice Blend

½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground nutmeg



For the minimal effort involved in preparing this applesauce, I was really happy with how it turned out. My apples were perfectly sweet to begin with, but I do have quite the sweet tooth, so I appreciated the extra sweetness from the Truvia, brown sugar, and maple syrup. The pumpkin and chai spices give the applesauce a decidedly warm flavor perfectly reminiscent of fall, and I especially enjoyed the addition of cardamom. This makes quite a bit of applesauce, so in addition to eating it by the bowlful, I have used it in Greek yogurt parfaits, overnight oats, and I think it will also find its way into some apple cinnamon protein muffins in the near future!

Apple and Bacon Protein Pancakes & Some Scenes from Minnesota

Protein pancakes are a staple in my diet. I make a pretty standard version a few times a week after the gym, but once in a while, I get the urge to change things up. These pancakes from Chocolate & Carrots caught my eye, so I decided to incorporate the flavor combination in a protein version.

Apple and Bacon Protein Pancakes

1/2 an apple, chopped
1 tsp Ideal Brown Sweetener (or other sweetener of choice)
1 tbsp water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cup 2% cottage cheese
1/4 cup liquid egg whites
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
Truvia, to taste (I used three packets)
splash of butter extract, optional
2 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled

In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chopped apple, Ideal Brown Sweetener, water, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on for two minutes or until apples are softened. Set apples aside.

In a bowl, combine oats, cottage cheese, egg whites, baking powder, cinnamon, Truvia, and butter extract. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Stir in apples and bacon bits.

Coat a large frying pan with cooking spray and heat over medium low heat.  Spoon about 1/4 cup batter per pancake into the pan. Flip when the pancake tops are covered with bubbles and the edges look cooked. Cook until the pancakes are golden brown and cooked through.



Calories: 316
Fat: 5g
Carbohydrates: 47g
Protein: 21g
Calculated on Sparkrecipes.com

I ate mine with some maple syrup, but I can also imagine that they would be delicious topped with peanut butter. These were a nice change from my usual protein pancakes. I have really been loving sweet and salty combinations lately, and the apples and cinnamon were perfect for fall.



Speaking of fall, we are currently on vacation in Minnesota visiting family and enjoying some gorgeous autumn weather. Hardcore training has been replaced by sleeping in and long, leisurely walks. Yesterday we went to Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis Park and wandered around for a couple of hours. It was beautiful and so peaceful to be surrounded by nature.



We saw six deer, including these two who were kind enough to pose for a picture.
  
This little box turtle was just hanging out in the sun.



It’s been an awesome vacation so far, and we still have so many fun activities planned before we go home!