Fall foods Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Easy Apple Tart Healthy Recipe

Apple tart can be a breakfast idea or dessert made from healthy baked wheat, oats, and honey. Oh, and wholesome apples are whole snacks for some… maybe you? Fuji apples here, but there are so many apple to choose from for your enjoyable tarts. 🍎

baked apple tart with oats and honey.

Below is an easy breakfast ingredient recipe for apple tart that’s low sugar and needs no proofing. And the proof is when you make them (…and in photos below 😊).

And if you decide to bake your apples at all…

Because a whole apple snack from an apple tree needs no improvement or addition… and if all you do is add peanut butter on them and eat them raw, they’re delish-elevated!

I esp. like the crunch and taste pairing of Granny Smith green apples with a natural peanut butter (like the kind you stir up with peanuts). 🥜

With a baked apple tart recipe, the sweeter crisp red apples are better for dessert snacking. As they soften in the oven, you can taste more of the sweet and tart.

…And for a pop of bright red on a plate.

Well… sometimes.

They do come out with baked fall colors. You’ll see below what I’m talking about. 🍁

Because red apples vary in color as you’ll see shades of red, yellow, white, and green if you pay closely attention. It’s like nature did a Bob Ross painting on each apple (and apple orchard if you like landscapes).

Like us peeps in nature, no two apples are exactly alike.

They say there are over 7,000 apple varieties and you know the ones that are abundant and growing in your surroundings. 🌳

Red apples dominate the fruit market scenes in the autumn. They match the fire engine red leaves on the U.S. east coast and make great healthy candy apples (instead of sugary caramel).

Healthy apples can be stuffed with healthy ingredients… like the sweet messy kind you can’t stuff in a bag 🎃, but you can stuff yourself with and enjoy the swirling mess in your mouth.

That’s one idea for today.

And with apple season upon us, you need no other reason to come up with new apple snack ideas, like an easy baked apple tart.

The steps are simple and easy…

Cut your whole apples in half and de-core them.

An easy way to do this is to take a paring knife and cut around the core, and as you get around to the other side of the track, you can almost pop the center out.

Save your apple seeds and plant them.

Then seedless, you can eat all the apple flesh parts without waste. Organic (pesticide-spraying free) apples are suggested if you eat the skin (that have a lot of healthy fiber).

Add peanut butter (that will ah! and ooh!-ze out when warmed and baked).

Then put your apple halves aside.

Make your pastry dough:

It’s an easy mix of ground oats and whole wheat. You can even add wheat bran and/or buckwheat for some more variety and healthy goodness, like I did. Mix in water.

Then add the honey and butter that’s a food pairing harmony, working so well together for taste and texture.

But if you want to use a healthy oil (instead of butter) you could do that.

And also your choice is to add cinnamon (and/or cardamom) spices with your apples.

Cinnamon adds that warm fall-ish cozy fireplace or fall hiking outdoor tasting vibe. Sweater weather is coming, but apple cinnamon baking is the active season beforehand.

For Vata (fall season) and us balancing moods, that’s comforting and clearing. It’s a great season to breathe intently and catch new breaths.

And getting back to the bake (and not to get too much in the weeds), cinnamon will help anxious energies. Cassia or traditional cinnamon spice you find easily in grocery stores is going to be sweet for adding to bakes before going in the oven. The other Ceylon cinnamon kind is more healthy and good to add to coffee and zhughing. But mix-and-match spices and kinds before, after, and during as you please.

You do you… and dousing some cinnamon spice of any kind is healthy. The plants even love some on their soil to prevent unintended growth. 😊

Cinnamon is one of those natural foods that have no pitfalls. and goes great in the fall.

And now you’re ready.

For this easy apple tart good for fall bake, you can put this short pastry crust together in a few short minutes.

The dough will have crumbly bits falling off (appropriate for the season), but will mostly stick together as a ball.

Divide the dough into three equal parts.

Flatten/roll out the dough with the palm of one hand is easier. See as easy promised, you don’t even need a rolling pin.

Shape the dough into an apple shape around each apple half if you like. Of make into a circle with your circle cutters.

Use some honey to glue your apple bottoms (halves) to your flattened pastry bases. Then when you’re happy with your apples…

Bake at 325°F for about 25 minutes. If you want to give your apples a drying baked apple look (see 🍎 baked photo above), you can leave them in the still-warm oven after you turn the oven off. That will soften the apples even more for that you can even add to an apple pie. 🥧 💭

Before the apples are fully softened, the pastry base will be golden brown. You can pull them out of the oven at that point or bake a ‘lil longer. The apples start out shiny smooth like this duo below.

Which btw, these apple tarts in-the-making look like they are in jail but believe me, they’re enjoying their warm cell and cozy base as they bake. 😁

Oh, and if you like this recipe, you’ll love these low-sugar dessert recipes… some even have apple ingredients.

And if you’re looking for Vata season sweet and salty snack idea, you can try a happy Rocky Road energy bar, a no-bake peanut butter cookie, and/or pair with an apple carrot smoothie.

Curious, what you like? Lemme know in the comments.

Baked Apple Tart Breakfast with Oatmeal and Peanut Butter

This is a great dessert snack idea with healthy oatmeal breakfast-inspired ingredients. Makes 3 apple tarts.

Course Breakfast

Servings 3 apple tarts

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole wheat flour (can combine with wheat bran or buckwheat)
2 Tbsp softened or melted butter
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
3 tsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp raw honey, plus more
4 Tbsp heated warm water (plus a little more as needed)
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon spice
1/2 tsp cardamom spice (optional)

Instructions

Grind your oats into fine pieces.
Cut your apples in half and hollow out center with seeds. Leave skin on (if using non-organic apples, you can de-skin apples also if you choose).
Add peanut butter to apple hollowed center. Set apples aside.
Make the pastry dough apple bases. In a bowl, add the flour and oats, butter, cinnamon, and then add water and honey, and cinnamon (if using). Fully combine with a spoon. You can use a little more water as needed to help the dough crumbly pieces stick together. The dough should stick together and have some crumbly bits.
Divide pastry dough into 3 equal balls. Flatten each with palm of hand and shape into circle or apple disc-base shapes that your apple halves will fit onto of.
When you're happy with your pastry discs, add a honey circle ring drizzle around to "glue" your apples to the pastry. The peanut butter will ooze out of the apples.
Bake at 325°F/165°C for about 25 minutes or until the pastry is lightly browned on the sides and bottom. You can leave in the oven after the temp is turned off for a softer baked apple tart.

Salmon Salad – No Mayonnaise (Lunch Idea)

Salmon salad is something you can enjoy anytime on bread or by itself. And it can be made deliciously without mayonnaise, in case you’re not a fan. Or if you want to try a different healthy way like this version on an open face toast… toast to that!

And any way you prefer, it’s a great protein snack or meal. Especially for lunch for all ages. As salmon salad is universal and can be eaten anywhere unlike an egg salad (…where I still remember a classmate’s bag lunch).

Cooked salmon has no fish aroma that your companions next to you can detect, (and that can make you feel self-conscious about your lunch).

It also has a more subtle fish taste. So it could be the new tuna salad sandwich… if it isn’t already on your menu!

…This also reminds me of my days as a teen working in a deli where it was all about the scoops. But the scoop wasn’t an ice cream scoop… it was tuna, chicken, or shrimp salad… and served like this salmon salad one on the plate that fits in a 4 oz cup (recipe below 👇).

In the deli, it was served on the side of a bed of lettuce or grapes, or on a sandwich.

And you can smear this salmon salad like butter.

But without butter. I personally like my dinner salmon with a béarnaise sauce, with a French Mediterranean vibe (no butter).

And this version for lunch.

For variety and fresh healthy ways, you can also serve your salmon salad with or without mustard, like Dijon mustard.

And if mustard is what you’re craving, you can substitute the horseradish or add ontop of the salmon salad.

It’s also delicious with crackers, multigrain, rye bread, or sourdough.

And what makes this one different is the lightness. Unlike heavy duty mayo (as in full fat), this version is salad light.

It uses yogurt, so you can hold the mayo. And no eggs.

But you could make an egg salad layer (if you want) for a Smorgastorta effect, or sandwich cake to go with your salmon salad.

That goes hand-in-hand with these 2 Swedish concepts I can get behind:

Lagom is a way to balance and moderation.

Fika is a Swedish concept for a coffee break with pastries and while you’re on yours, you can enjoy a Swedish finger sandwich or smorgastorta. This concept is kinda like afternoon English tea or an American brunching on the weekend (one of my fun things to do!).

And a salmon salad is perfect fit for a brunch. It’s light and protein-full. And if you want to give it a building-an-autumn-fire tasting vibe 🍁, you can add fiery orange color turmeric-spice that has ember burning smokey flavors… in case you didn’t know what the turmeric taste is like.

Black pepper and turmeric are a healthy spice combo so it makes sense too.

You can also substitute with Spanish smoked paprika that’s sometimes harder to find. Now that you have some good ideas, maybe it’s time to make your salmon salad sandwich! 🥪 You can make it today and eat tomorrow.

I bake the salmon and then decide!

A good tip is to decide what you will do with the salmon when it is still warm cooked or baked 🐟 . Because it will finely crumble easier when it’s warm and soft.

Drizzled with olive oil and a little salt and pepper, on 350°F/180°C it’s to my baked doneness liking in 3o-40 minutes depending on the fish filet thickness.

You can also cook on the stovetop if that’s your preference. But don’t add too much EVOO if you plan to make it into a salad, as it leaves the salmon more oily. Vs. baking that will dry out and soak in the oil quicker.

But no worries, you can’t go wrong…and all who love salmon will love. 😋

Salmon Salad - Yogurt (No Mayonnaise)

A healthy salmon salad that can be added to a sandwich.

Course brunch, fika, lunch

Cuisine American, swedish

Servings 4 oz

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

2 oz salmon, cooked
1 oz Greek yogurt (use both liquid and thick portions)
1 tsp fresh dill (or spice form)
1/4 tsp black pepper and salt, or lemon pepper
3/4 tsp fresh horseradish
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (optional)

Instructions

Crumble salmon in a bowl into fine pieces.
Make the yogurt mixture: Mix yogurt, dill, horseradish, and other dry ingredients to a separate bowl.
Mix in salmon with yogurt mixture. Add to your sandwich bread or enjoy as a scoop on a plate or green salad.

Notes

Tip: Crumble the salmon for salmon salad when it is still warm. Let cool and then make the salad.

Malt Loaf Bread – Banana Cake

Malt loaf bread is comfy country bread that I could eat regularly as in weekly. It’s hearty, comfort food like a raisin bread. And this similar molasses cake (yes, you heard right!) recipe needs no proofing.

Learn more below 👇

malt loaf with early grey tea. — Recipe below 🧡

Molasses is one of the star ingredients in this loaf or cake (depending on how you want to look at it) and one of my favorite sweet ingredients. ⭐️

Watching the slow as molasses dark glossy liquid glide down the jar to the opening is joyful.

And when it does and makes contact with its destination, it comes with multi-dimensional tastes.

…I like to call it dark caramel and one that Grandma’s from the south grew up with. (That’s also the common household molasses brand most of us know).

It’s got the old-fashioned flavors mixed in…

Along with regular molasses comes a bit of sweet, bitter, and black licorice tastes that gives gingerbread cookies its distinct flavor.

The acidity in the ingredient also helps to activate the cake rise if you use a common household ingredient like baking soda (that’s usually stored in the fridge for other purposes).

Also, unlike white table sugar as a sweetener, amazingly molasses has anti-inflammatory effects. If you’re a food science nerd like me then you get excited about these nuances in daily sustenance that affect the body! 🎉 …and whether the ingredient will be used.

Not as common is blackstrap molasses that comes out after the third boiling, so most of the sugar has dissolved like Houdini. It has a lower glycemic index and polyphenols compared to regular molasses. PLUS it has minerals and Vitamin B-6.

With the dark flavor, the dark color matches.

It’s perfect for the cooler months and warming inside if you think of a warm fireplace playing jazzy tunes. 🎶

…And just in time for holiday baking season.

Malt loaf was a challenge on the The Great British Bake Off where I heard of the cakey bread.

And I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a cakey bread because that means no proofing, but is Prue-fitting, as in Judge Prue Leith who sent the loaf popularity waves across the pond… and into my sound waves vicinity.

…And what makes this loaf so out-of-the-ordinary great is the plumped up raisins from the Earl Grey tea.

It’s a strong brisk black tea that is what you expect for an afternoon high tea. 🫖

I had first heard of the intriguing “raisin plumping” idea in a food class where I collaborated with dieticians.

I loved the idea then… and loved it even more when I added them to this recipe.

You can see how bold and dramatic the raisins become. Who knew raisins could grow and not more wrinkly old? 😁

And to top off this breakfast dessert, you can add a glaze if you wanna shine! ✨

But I like the rustic and plain… like the simple raisin bread. But with bananas, this one is even BETTER.

Not needing butter.

And however you bake your cake or bread, you can make this in one bowl or even in the same baking pan it will end up in! That’s what happened here…

I mean, it doesn’t get much easier than this for fall foods, breads, and baked goods. That makes a malt loaf like this so easy to FALL for! 🍂

You in? 😊

Easy Banana Malt Loaf Cake

A moist malt loaf that has molasses as a star ingredient.

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy LIfe Secrets

Ingredients

1 tbsp Early Grey tea, brewed
1 tbsp raisins (plumped up from tea)
1/3 cup currants, chopped dates, or additional raisins
1 cup mashed bananas
1 tbsp coconut oil (in addition to coating the pan)
1/3 cup molasses
2 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup almond milk or milk of choice or more
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour of choice
walnuts, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Coat your baking vessel with coconut oil that helps to give a nice thin outer crust and help prevent sticking to the pan. If you prefer less crust, then you can use a light dusting of flour to coat your pan or use a non-stick baking spray.
Brew hot tea and add raisins to the tea. While you're waiting for the tea to steep and raisins to plump up, make the loaf.
Mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Easy tip: you can do this in one bowl and even the same baking pan/vessel that you will use to bake the loaf! This is/should be a very liquid-y batter (like pancake) depending on the flour(s) you use tthat will come out moist. Bake on 350°F for 65-80 minutes until outside is the brown color preferred.

Banana Walnut Bread Cake – No Proofing

Banana walnut bread with cinnamon and optional raisin is a simple baked bread I celebrate and you can too just because it’s autumn-fall season or you’re looking for a warming everyday hearty bread like this star bread with a rustic cap to fall in love with. ⭐️ 🍞 This is no-proofing and one bowl bread cake easy.

Walnut raisin bread is another name for Pan co’Santi that’s an All Saints Day bread. It adds to this celestial star effect. ⭐️ And you can douse in some cinnamon to celebrate National Cinnamon Day on November 1.

But you can also make this banana bread cake plain with the same sentiments or for any occasion. 🍌

Add in your ripe bananas for a banana bread that most people go bananas over.

And you can turn a joy-filled banana walnut bread cake into a fruit bread cake filled with dates, cranberries, coconut… and cherries too? You can also make a gluten-free fruit cake.

These are all great pairing ingredients for a banana bread. 🍌

Adding walnuts to make a banana walnut bread loaf reminds us of home baking. It does for me as I remember taking a loaf to school my mom had baked. She didn’t bake often but I remember my teacher asking for the recipe that of course I didn’t have and my mom didn’t either (cooking and baking by heart like so many moms from earlier generations and oversees cultures).

Bananas though are universal.

And you can make your version of a banana walnut bread loaf for a sweet breakfast dessert that goes with a chocolate chai, hot cocoa, or orange juice coffee.

…And this banana bread is EVEN better… it’s heavenly and has landed on the plate like a meteor in the shape of the sun. ☀️ You can see the whitish chopped walnut contrasting the dark purple raisins.

Or it’s a shooting star under the sun. 🌠 …either way, it’s earthly food that was sliced in half to enjoy and you can make today.

…Like bread that fell from the sky like a gift during Biblical Ezekiel’s era. It was sent daily from above with love. 💌🌤️

And you can have the same experience from your miracle oven.

Bread afterall is life.

And LIFE is a gift.

Where we can appreciate the present as in now (and 🎁).

And for the blessing of our daily bread, like this banana walnut bread. 🍞

Bread used to be a food category on its own as one of the four basic food groups when I was growing up. And food is one of the 4 basic needs of survival, so that makes bread a need for us (and this one needs no knead 😊).

These days, since our lives are more complex and we have more healthy food options, we get to choose. Bread is one option in the broader acceptable grain category for healthy living.

Flipped bottom side up, you can see the bread’s hearty glow from the sunlight, next to the flower and moon. 🌻🌕

You can make your celestial or favorite grounded shapes with your baking pans and molds that you use for making bread, cake, and donuts.

You can also make a moist chocolate banana cake bread recipe.

Because of how moist and sweet it comes out piping hot from the oven is why I call it cake bread.

…Part of that comes from the nature of adding ripe bananas that are wet.

That’s one way this recipe is super simple.

Another way is there’s no need for yeast, proofing, or proofing time.

And a third way is you won’t need a mixer as you can do this all by hand with little effort.

…So maybe I got your attention now. 😊

And to lean in on easy recipes, I like to mix using a regular metal kitchen spoon instead of a whisk because the batter can get sticky and you end up losing a big part of the batter that way… and that could be the reason for a low-rise bread (as there’s less batter).

Mixing is also why this is more like a cake recipe, but turns out like a bread in the magical oven.

The baking secret is to use use enough flour so that the cake bread can stand almost firm on its own. That will better ensure a bread with homemade bread holes.

We don’t want too dense of a bread (like a gluten-free flour would make), but we want a moist bread that will rise with a little dome, and not look flat in the end.

And if you’re like me, you probably like to see the ingredients first to see if you have them and want to use or eat them at the end. 😋

So here’s the banana walnut bread (or Pan co’Santi bread) easy ingredient list:

mashed bananas

healthy oil

maple syrup

eggs

yogurt liquid (or milk)

flour

baking soda/powder

salt

ground cinnamon

optional: walnuts, dates, raisins, craisins

And that’s it!… go Pan co’Santi bananas and welcome in the new season weather and time changes!

Tip: If you don’t have baking powder on hand, you can omit that. Your loaf will be not be as leavened (risen), but you will still get a little rise with the baking soda activated with the maple syrup and yogurt liquid if using (or you can sub in buttermilk, or ACV with milk as other options).

You can also try these other autumn bread recipes.

Easy Banana Walnut Bread

Banana walnut bread is a hearty, balanced bread that's easy to make and delicious to taste.

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (225 grams)
1/3 cup canola oil or light olive oil for healthy (73 grams)
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup yogurt liquid or milk of choice (59 mL)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/3 cup all purpose, whole wheat, or both flours combined (168 grams)

Instructions

Combine wet and dry ingredients with a spoon in a bowl.
Bake in 325 F˚/ 165 C˚oven for 65-75 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Fruit Roll Up – Homemade with Applesauce

Fruit roll up is a happy memory from when I was a kid. 💭

They were a sweet and light snack from the grocery store that melted in the mouth.

It was (and is) a cross between fruit + candy.

They came wrapped up in their own packaging and were attached to cellophane that I liked to play make things with when I was young. They were rolled up like scrolls.

Almost like the Dead Sea Scroll minus the ancient writing.

…And not that far back, my young days was when posters were the rage so anything rolled up meant happy entertainment or enjoyment.

Playing around, I haven’t had a fruit roll up like those until now as an adult. 😋

Decades later and these parchment paper looking treats are naturally preserved…

These were like the ones that ruined me to never want any other fruit roll up wannabes. 😅

These are the REAL DEAL.

Making these fruit roll ups bring me joy (...and maybe for you too?) because they resembled packaged old-fashioned fruit roll ups that you would buy at the store… minus additional sugar that’s not needed for these.

As thin as they are like sheets of music, these stack up nicely! 🪵…

Thin as paper and pretty as rice paper too.

They’re as durable as leather.

Technically they fall in the leather fruit category but are as smooth and supple as suede.

My mom was a dressmaker, so she played a role in influencing my fabric choices where I learned lighter materials are usually higher quality.

And I’d agree about that with this light leather fruit material…

These feel light and feathery (not leathery) and are very apple healthy! 🍏

Plus, they last for weeks at room temperature.

Made with apple they are a great fall snack that can be made year round.

It’s almost like wrapping paper… or maybe it’s an old map or a key to hieroglyphic history. However you want to call it, it’s a SWEEET fruit roll up.

Oh, and kidding aside, the BEST part is (…can you tell I’m getting excited that it just gets better? 😊)…

You can make these in your home oven in one hour and 20 minutes with just 5 minutes of prep time.

How’s that for predictability?

…Seriously it’s that easy!

They are fun (and dare I say relaxing) to make and everyone of all ages will love them! 💕

They make a great sweet snack without any artificial ingredients.

And actually just 2 sweet and natural ingredients that make a perfect duo. 🍏🍯

Using applesauce, you don’t even have to turn the stove on to cook down apples and de-core them… and they will turn out even better. Because for one, the apple fruit roll up will be more even.

…The first time you make them, don’t freak out because they turn transparent on a baking sheet.

Don’t worry, it’s there. 😀

…I tried that once with Aquafaba because I heard you could make meringues that way… and POOF! I wish I could say that was magic, but it was more like a trick. 🪄

They dissolved into thin oven air… but I digress.

These fruit roll ups will turn out… I promise.

These are the proof…

I’m so happy to share these with you through the screen. And I hope they make your day like they did for me the first time I made them. 🍥

(And maybe this will keep the kiddos staying happy and cavity-free as low-sugar goodies with plenty of sweetness… that are substitutable for a certain candy holiday 🎃).

And if you’re into experimenting (like I am gladly doing with sweets), you can try other flavors.

Keep in mind they will take longer to bake with more complex ingredients.

You will know when you touch or look at the baked fruit roll up whether it’s dry and done, or half-baked and almost there….

In this one, you can see here that the dry section is on the upper right area and the rest of the fruit roll up is not done… simply pop it back into the oven.

Change the time but don’t mess with the temperature.

This one took another 20-25 minutes to finish… and was worth the wait. ⏲️

Ready to make these? 😋

homemade fruit roll ups like the ones I had as a kid.

Easy Apple Fruit Roll Ups

These are no fuss-no muss apple fruit roll ups you can bake in under 2 hours. This will make 4 - 4 inch roll ups that are about 9 inches long.

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Equipment

Silpat silicone baking mat on sheet pan

Ingredients

2 4 ounce applesauce cups, unsweetened
2 tbsp raw honey (high quality)

Instructions

Thoroughly combine apple sauce in a bowl and add honey. Tip: use a high quality honey with a smooth consistency.
Smear the mixture into a thin layer on a Silpat (silicone sheet) laid out on a baking pan. Tip: Use different light to check that there are no "holes" that show up with shadows.
Bake on 200°F/100°C for 80 minutes. Tip: if you add or experiment with other more vibrant colors and flavors, they can take significantly longer. You'll know it's completely done, when the fruit roll up is one uniform color and dry throughout to the touch.
Let cool completely and then start to peel at one corner and then slowly peel up the entire fruit roll up. Roll up, slice, and enjoy!