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Cinnamon Zapples

Cinnamon Apples: Low Carb Cinnamon Apples

Cinnamon Apples: Low Carb Cinnamon Apples

 

One of my biggest struggles on Trim Healthy Mama is getting in more veggies. This is especially difficult at breakfast time. Protein, no problem, since I usually have a glass of my fuel pull chocolate milk with breakfast for a little extra protein. And if I’m having an E meal I can add some fruit so I can have some “produce.” But veggies are also important, so I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate them. So I came up with these cinnamon “zapples.”

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What are “zapples” you ask? They are zucchini apples, kind of like “zoodles” are zucchini noodles. You see, zucchini doesn’t have a super strong flavor, which makes it a great veggie to hide in other foods, or to drown in other flavors. And the idea for cinnamon zapples came from my love of cinnamon apples (you know, like the syrupy ones you get from Cracker Barrel?) and my need to increase my veggie intake. And the really great part is these are low carb and low fat, which means they are a fuel pull (FP) for my fellow THM-ers. So, you can have them with any meal type. Enjoy them with sausage, bacon and eggs. Yay!

It’s zucchini season right now, so you should be able to get really nice zucchini at your grocery store. Or maybe you’re lucky enough to have a crop from your own garden! These only take about ten minutes to get ready, so it’s actually slightly quicker than cinnamon apples. By the way, you can use this same recipe for apples–just replace the zucchini wedges with peeled and de-seeded green apples and omit the lemon juice. Those would be an E though.

For the single serve I recommend a very small pot (like a quart). Make sure the pot has a lid. If you don’t have a pot that small, consider doubling the recipe and using a 2 quart-sized pot. Otherwise the water may be too shallow in the pot. You could add a little more liquid, but it might make the “syrup” more watery. Which is fine–it will still taste good!

Cinnamon Zapples (AKA Low Carb Cinnamon Apples)

Single Serve

1 cup peeled, sliced zucchini (about one smallish, or most of a medium)

1/4 cup water

1 TBSP lemon or lime juice (to help with the “tart” taste you get from green apples)

2-3 tsp Gentle Sweet , depending how sweet you want it (I make my own blend) If using Pyure, stick with 2 tsp

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp butter (optional. You can also add 1/4 tsp butter extract instead if you like)

pinch of gluccomannon (also optional, but helps make the juice more “syrup” like) I prefer the Trim Healthy Mama brand on this, but you can get it on Amazon too

First, peel and slice the zucchini into rounds and cut the rounds in half until you have about a cup (or 2 if you’re doubling).

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Put in a small pot that has a lid and add the other ingredients and stir until all the zucchini slices are coated.

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Cover and cook on medium high, about 7-10 minutes. You don’t have to sit and stare at it, but don’t leave it completely unattended. You want to be able to pierce the zapples with a fork, and the water to be syrupy. Careful not to let it burn! Dump it into a small bowl, or scoop out with slotted spoon to put on a plate to enjoy!

Microwave Option:

Since coming up with the original stove top recipe, I have also made these low carb cinnamon apples in the microwave, which makes this even easier. Simply mix all the ingredients (minus 1 TBSP of the water) in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes.

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Before you go, make sure to check out all my other Trim Healthy Mama recipes!

Don’t have a Trim Healthy Mama Plan book? You can currently get the audio version for free with a free trial to Audible (new subscriptions only). You get to choose 2 books to download, and the Trim Healthy Mama Plan book is currently on the list of available titles! Cancel within the 30 days if you wish–you still get to keep the books!

Be sure to also check out all my other THM friendly and healthy living products on my Amazon store!

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2 Comments

  1. How do you think this recipe would work in a crock pot? I do not have access to a stove and it will be at least another month or so before I do. But I just unpacked my crock pot and would use that. I always used the crock pot to make real applesauce. Just don’t want to ruin I big pot of zapples if it doesn’t lend itself to that kind of cooking.

    1. Hi Monica. I’m really not sure how this would do in a crock pot. I think it would be really easy to overcook, since the cooking time is so short, but I have not tried it. If you did try it, you’d probably want to quadruple the recipe at least. And cooking time would be much shorter than typical crock pot meals. Maybe 30 minutes? This is all guessing though. If you do end up trying it, please let me know how it turns out!

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