This “recipe” couldn’t be simpler: it's simply apple slices with peanut butter and a few yummy toppings! Think of it as a weird and wonderful pizza-style snack-making activity, using apples, nut butter, fruit and nuts instead of bread, tomato sauce and cheese!
This recipe is perfect for allowing children to enjoy getting to know and experiment with new flavours and textures, as well as making the most of freshly picked fruit.
This recipe is from my debut cookbook Get Your Kids to Eat Anything, which contains 70 recipes and a 5-phase programme to help you and your kids become more adventurous with food.
Here's how to make apple slices with peanut butter.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 2 apples cored and cut into 5mm (¼in) slices
- 1 handful raspberries halved
- 2 bananas thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp runny honey
- 2 tbsp mixed nuts seeds or raisins, as desired
Equipment
Instructions
Spread a little peanut butter onto one side of each apple ring.
Arrange them on a platter or board.
Set out the topping ingredients in small bowls on the table.
Allow everyone to top their own slices, encouraging them to make patterns and faces while experimenting with ingredients they’ve never tried before.
Drizzle with honey, if you like.
If the self-topping approach proves to be a hit, try introducing “topping stations” to other mealtimes. A selection of fruit with the morning porridge, perhaps? Have fun!
Pointers, tricks and troubleshooting tips for your peanut butter apple slices
Are apple slices with peanut butter easy to make?
Totally easy! All you really need to do is core and slice the apples and put out the ingredients.
Then the kids themselves can do all the work spreading them with peanut butter and topping them with fruit, nuts and seeds, which is great fun.
Will I need any special equipment for this recipe?
You don't need any special equipment at all - just a knife to slice the apples and some bowls and a board to arrange everything on.
You might like to invest in an apple corer, which is a simple little tool that makes it easy to remove the apple pips and tougher central flesh, but it's certainly not essential.
What is the stick / dipper you have in the honey?
A honey stick is a non-essential item when it comes to making a recipe like this, but it is really fun for drizzling honey and can help keep crumbs out of honey at the breakfast table.
How can I tell if my apples have gone off?
As usual with fresh produce, your senses are the best tools for judging if your apples are still safe to eat.
First, look at your apple. It should have a bright, firm, slightly shiny skin.
If the skin looks shrivelled, hardened or dry, then the apple may be past its best.
If you can see any powdery substance or mould on the outside of your apple, then it should be discarded immediately.
Move on to the squeeze test. Your apple should feel firm when squeezed. If it’s very soft or collapses, it’s no good.
Apples bruise easily, so if you can see a slight indentation or soft patch where your apple may have been knocked, this doesn't necessarily mean that the fruit is bad.
Happy with the look and feel? Cut your apple open - if there's any sign of insects, dicard the fruit.
If your apple has any bruises, these may show as slightly brown patches at the edges of the flesh near the skin. As long as they are only pale and the flesh is otherwise firm, they are fine to eat.
Now, it’s time to use your sense of smell. Does it smell like a good fresh apple or is something not quite right?
If there is anything unusual about the smell, throw your apple away. If it smells good, you’re probably in the clear, but you can always taste some of the flesh as a final test.
Apples stored in the fruit bowl should last up to a couple of weeks, depending on the time of year and temperature in your kitchen. Storing them near bananas, can mean they rot more quickly as bananas give off ethene gas which causes ripening, or softening of fruit by the breakdown of cell walls.
If you store your apples in the crisper drawer of your fridge, they will typically keep for one or even two months before they degrade.
Is this recipe suitable for vegetarians?
Yes, apple slices with peanut butter are suitable for vegetarians as they contain just fruit, nuts, seeds and honey.
Are apple slices with peanut butter suitable for vegans?
In the recipe, I recommend using honey to drizzle sparingly over apple slices. But if you are vegan, you can leave the honey out or replace with maple or agave syrup. Then the recipe should be entirely suitable for vegans.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
There is nothing in this recipe that naturally contains gluten, so it should be safe to eat as part of a gluten-free diet.
Always be careful to fully check the packaging on all the ingredients you knew you use, especially the peanut butter, nuts and seeds as they may contain gluten as an additive, or have been produced in a factory that handles gluten products.
Are apple slices with peanut butter keto-friendly?
Apples are not considered keto friendly. If you wanted to make this recipe, more suitable for a keto diet, you could swap the apple for thin slices of watermelon, peach or cantaloupe.
You would also need to leave out the honey and banana, although peanut butter and raspberries are generally considered keto-friendly.
Are apple slices with peanut butter healthy?
This recipe is made up almost entirely of fruits and nuts, so it offers some good nutrition. It is naturally high in fruit sugars, though, which you should consider when enjoying as part of a balanced overall diet.
Are apple slices with peanut butter safe to eat while pregnant?
According to UK’s National Health Service advice as at May 2020, there is nothing in this recipe that should present a risk to pregnant people. The NHS also states that you do not need to avoid eating peanuts when you're pregnant unless advised to by a health care professional or if you have a nut allergy.
You should ensure all ingredients used are in good condition and have been stored correctly, and that the recipe is prepared hygienically and safely.
Note: this website does not offer not medical advice and you should always check with your health professional.
What goes well with this recipe?
These apples slices with peanut butter are designed as a fun snack so can be enjoyed on their own.
However, if you wanted to turn it into more of a meal, you could consider serving with yogurt or crispbreads, or really anything you fancy!
Apples slices with peanut butter would also make a rather lovely dessert after a main meal.
Can I make this recipe without apples?
If you don't have apples, you could use any other firm, sliceable fruit, such as pineapple, pear, or even firm peaches or plums.
I haven’t got peanut butter, what else can I use?
If you don't like or are unable to eat peanut butter, you have quite a few options.
You could switch the peanut butter for another nut or seed butter such as almond butter or sunflower seed butter.
Alternatively, you could use chocolate spread or just leave the spread part out.
How should I store apple slices with peanut butter?
I wouldn't recommend storing the apple slices once you’ve topped them as they won’t keep well.
However, if you have clean apple slices to spare and they have not been out more than an hour or so, you can place them in a small sealed container (optionally with a squeeze of lemon juice to keep them fresh) and place in the fridge where they should keep until the next day.
You may see some browning due to air exposure, but they should still be safe to eat providing they look, smell and taste otherwise normal and have not been left out on the counter for a long period of time.
The berries and banana slices should be refrigerated in a sealed container within two hours. If they have been left out for more than two hours, then you should throw them away to prevent the risk of food borne illness.
Can I leave apple slices with peanut butter out on the counter?
No, it's best to discard any made up slices that have been out at room temp for more than an hour or so.
Can I make this recipe ahead?
I would recommend against it. You should only cut your apples and bananas when you are ready to use them.
Can I make this recipe in a different quantity?
It’s very easy to adjust this recipe to make more or fewer apple slices with peanut butter.
Simply scroll down to the recipe card towards the bottom of this post and hover your mouse (or tap your finger) over the portion number.
You will then be shown a slider, which you can move up and down to change the number of portions the recipe will give. As you do so, all of the ingredient quantities will automatically change accordingly. Clever, right?
If you have any questions about changing the quantities, just ask!
Why did my apples go brown?
As soon as you cut an apple open, oxygen makes contact with the cut cells on the surface. The oxygen triggers enzymes in the apple's flesh, which in turn causes the release of amino acids which cause the apple to produce brown-coloured melanin. That's right, melanin, just like we have in our skin!
Lots of other fruit brown in the same way. You've probably seen the reaction in pears and bananas.
Generally speaking, although browning may look unsightly, if you've only recently cut your fruit, this reaction won't have any immediate impact on the safety or taste of your fruit.
If you want to slow the browning process, you can squeeze a little lemon juice over each of your apple slices right after you cut them. Bear in mind that the lemon juice flavour may be detectable in your final dish.
Print this peanut butter apple slices recipe
Peanut butter apple slices
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 2 apples cored and cut into 5mm (¼in) slices
- 1 handful raspberries halved
- 2 bananas thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp runny honey
- 2 tbsp mixed nuts seeds or raisins, as desired
Instructions
- Spread a little peanut butter onto one side of each apple ring. Arrange them on a platter or board.
- Set out the topping ingredients in small bowls on the table.
- Allow everyone to top their own slices, encouraging them to make patterns and faces while experimenting with ingredients they’ve never tried before.
- Drizzle with honey, if you like.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Images by Tom Regester.
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