These goodies have received four and five-star reviews from our readers, and we think you’ll too! These treats provide plenty of fall-inspired fragrance, thanks to annual ingredients like apples, squash, sweet potatoes and chestnut squash. For a delectable meal that is appropriate for the changing seasons, you’ll want to consider our Apple &amp, Peanut Butter Energy Balls, or Butternut Squash Queso Fundido. Apple &amp, Peanut Butter Energy Balls Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely These strength balls married two of night’s best flavors: fruit and squash pie spice. Apple butter can be used in place of applesauce to give a stronger apple flavor. Do n’t confuse dried apples with apple chips! Energy balls will become too crunchy due to the crisp texture of apple chips. If your apple mixture is too sticky and difficult to roll, use cooking spray to lightly grease your hands, or chill the mixture for 15 minutes before rolling. Pumpkin-Oatmeal Muffins These healthy pumpkin-oatmeal muffins will get you in the mood for fall. Every bite gets a nutty crunch from the addition of pecans when the muffins are sprinkling. Serve them for breakfast or as a grab-and-go snack. Butternut Squash Queso Fundido This cheesy dip recipe replaces some of the melted cheese with mashed butternut squash. We also loaded it with chili-spiced caramelized onions. Serve this tasty reversal with sliced jicama or tortilla chips for dipping. Do n’t discard the seeds when making spaghetti squash, use them when cooking it! You can use them as a crunchy, nutritious snack on their own or sprinkled on top of a salad. Banana-Oat Muffins Whip up a batch of these diabetic-friendly Banana-Oat Muffins for a quick and easy snack or add them to complete a balanced breakfast. These muffins can be consumed over several days, or they can be frozen and enjoyed for up to a month. Nachos and Greek Salad This vegetarian nacho recipe combines two of my favorites, Nachos, and Greek salad. Instead of the tortilla chips used in traditional nacho recipes, it uses whole-grain pita chips and creamy hummus, as well as traditional fresh vegetables like those found in Greek salad. And it does n’t even need the oven! Easily doubled, this makes a great appetizer or light dinner. Cinnamon-Ginger Spiced Pear Muffins These perfectly spiced muffins pair the delicate flavors of pears, ginger and cinnamon for a diabetic-friendly bite. This healthy vegetarian nacho recipe is high in vegetables ( thanks in part to roasted cauliflower serving as a substitute for chips ), protein-packed beans, and has much more fiber than traditional nachos. These baked cauliflower nachos, piled with guacamole, melty cheese, fresh pico de gallo and avocado, are great as an appetizer or could be eaten as a light dinner. No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies We upgraded the peanut butter and reduced the amount of added sugar and butter to give them a healthier makeover. The result is a chewy, peanut buttery, oat-packed delicious cookie. There are only a few easy ingredients needed to make these chewy peanut butter cookies, and no baking is necessary. In this quick and easy recipe, crispy sweet potato skins with guacamole are served with crispy sweet potato skins with guacamole for a healthy take on the popular potato skins. Coconut, white chocolate chips ( which have a more delicate flavor than milk or dark chocolate ), and tart dried cranberries give this traditional oatmeal cookie recipe a flavor twist. The result is a chewy, sweet treat that’s sure to leave you coming back for more. These wholesome pumpkin cookies are delicious without the addition of butter because of the intense flavors of molasses, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg, and they lend themselves beautifully to the inclusion of whole-wheat flour. Fill them with slightly sweetened cream cheese frosting to make them the ideal texture for sandwich cookies. Beet Chips With this nutritious recipe, make perfectly crunchy veggie chips at home. Use a mandoline to extra-thinly slice the beets for the best crunch! One-Bowl Monster Cookies If you thought it was n’t possible to make healthier monster cookies, think again. These peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chip and M&amp, M cookies have less butter and sugar than traditional recipes, but they have just as much flavor and tenderness, thanks to more peanut butter. Even better, they’re made in one bowl for easy cleanup. Lemon-Cranberry Muffins These light-colored, cranberry-crusted muffins are lightly topped with sugared lemon zest and crunchy with cornmeal. They’re great warm from the oven, but also keep well for a few days and freeze beautifully. Herb &amp, Cheddar Gougères Do n’t let the fancy French name for these cheese puffs mislead you—this is an easy appetizer recipe. They’re traditionally made with Gruyère or Comté, we could n’t resist turning to our Vermont roots and using good old Cheddar instead. Cherry-Chocolate Chip Granola Bars Skip the granola bar options at the grocery store–they’re easy to make at home! You can vary the add-ins to your taste, swapping 2 cups of any combination of small ( or chopped ) dried fruit, nuts and/or seeds for the chocolate, cherries and coconut in this version. We tested a number of sticky sweeteners, including honey and maple syrup, but we ultimately concluded that brown rice syrup held the bars together the best. Turmeric-Ginger Tahini Dip Flavored with turmeric, ginger and garlic, this tahini dip recipe is perfect for dipping vegetables or topping your next falafel. Date-Pistachio Granola Bars The mix-ins in these homemade granola bars are inspired by ingredients commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking–dates, hazelnuts, pistachios, tahini and cardamom. But feel free to vary the dried fruit, nuts, seeds and/or spices to your preference. We tested a number of sticky sweeteners, including honey and maple syrup, but we ultimately concluded that brown rice syrup held the bars together the best. The food processor’s selection of ingredients for this vibrant hummus recipe could n’t be simpler. Just toss a few of the ingredients into the food processor and whisk away! This healthy dip is made even more flavorful by roasting beets. Serve with veggie chips, pita chips or crudités.

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