I try to keep my pantry stocked with a few essentials that make it easy to come up with a variety of healthy snack ideas. One of my favorites are these Weight Watchers Mini Apple Pies, which I like to top with some reduced fat cheese for extra flavor.
Weight Watchers Mini Apple Pies
Fall is rapidly approaching, and in our town, kids go back to school next week. Once school begins, our schedule gets so hectic, but I still try to be very aware of our food choices, and ensure that we are eating food that will help fuel our bodies, as part of a healthier lifestyle.
That becomes more challenging when we are on the go every day. I like that the Weight Watchers Market snack items are a healthier snack option that are really tasty. Focusing on healthier snack ideas does not mean I have to sacrifice convenience, or the taste and flavor of full fat snacks.
During the fall, it is Apple Season. All of the local farms and supermarkets will be bursting with fresh apples. While they are delicious on their own, they are divine when used in recipes.
One of my favorite apple recipes to make is Mini Apple Pies. It makes my mouth water just thinking about how good they are! However, the original version does not make the cut on my meal plan.
So, I decided to make these healthier Weight Watchers mini apple pies using a few substitutions. That way I can still enjoy the taste and flavor of my Mini Apple Pies as a snack or dessert, and still keep my health on track.
How to make Weight Watchers Mini Apple Pies
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix your diced apples, citrus fruit juice, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract and salt and stir until the apples are coated.
- Heat a medium sized saucepan on the stove top over medium heat.
- Add olive oil to coat pan.
- Cover and cook for about 6 minutes until the apples are soft and tender. Check and stir the apples at the 3 minute mark.
- Add honey, and cook uncovered for about a minute.
- Pour the apple pie filling into Reduced Fat Mini Pie Crusts and top with diced Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Cheese and serve warm.
Weight Watchers Mini Apple Pies recipe ingredients
- APPLES: I use 4 apples, my preference is honey crisp, but you could also use Granny Smith, gala, corland or pink lady.
- SPICES: I use ground cinnamon and nutmeg to flavor the pie filling.
- VANILLA: I always opt for vanilla extract as it has the best flavor, but you could use vanilla essence in a pinch.
- CITRUS: Some freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice adds the right amount of acidity to the apple pie filling to balance out sweetness.
- OIL: I use regular olive oil to coat the pan, but you could use any other light flavored oil.
- HONEY: Honey is used to sweeten the pie filling, but you could also use maple or agave syrup which are other unrefined sugars.
- CHEESE: Top the pies with reduced fat cheese, my preference is Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Cheese Sticks.
- PIE CRUST: Use any reduced fat pie crust or mini pie crusts. My preference is Graham Cracker Reduced Fat Mini Pie Crusts.
Flavor variations
- I’ve used apples, but you can substitute with other fruits. Try pears, apricots, peaches or plums. I like to use the fruits that are in season at the time.
- Ground cinnamon and nutmeg flavor my apple pie filling, but you can add other ground spices like ground ginger, a pinch of clove, or a mixed spice or apple pie spice blend.
- Swap the honey for other refined sugars like agave or maple syrup.
- You can also substitute the Reduced Fat Mini Pie Crusts with Phyllo Dough.
Other Healthy Snack Ideas
I’m always looking for healthy snacks to feed my family. Here are some other quick and easy ideas:
Flavored popcorn
We love flavored popcorn in our home. By choosing Jolly Time 100 Calorie Healthy Pop Popcorn and melting down a few Weight Watchers Dark Chocolate Candies & Bite Size Caramels, I can pour the chocolate and caramel over the popcorn, to enjoy a phenomenal snack. Once I pop it and flavor it, I can put it in a zipper top bag to enjoy as a snack on the go, or leave it in the bowl to snack on while we enjoy family movie night at home.
Fresh Fruit & Cream Cheese
We also really enjoy eating fruit in our home. Our local Stop & Shop has a wonderful selection of fresh fruit. When I get home from grocery shopping, I like to wash and prep all of it, so it’s easy to grab and go. I make a few containers of mixed fruit up, and leave some whipped cream cheese next to it in the refrigerator ready for dipping.
Weight Watchers Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Bars
One of my biggest weaknesses that always seems to derail my healthy eating habits is chocolate. Sometimes I just crave chocolate, specifically fudge. I was so excited to find that the Weight Watchers Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Bars give me the craving satisfaction that I really need. I can keep a box of these in my freezer, and with just 45 calories, 2 SmartPoints, and no artificial sweeteners, I am hooked on these bars.
FAQs
Yes, it’s important that we all allow ourselves the odd treat, but I prefer to make my own pies, that way I know what is going into them. I recommend doing this using reduced fat ingredients, for example I use reduced fat pie crusts and make my own apple pie filling, which I can sweeten with a little unrefined sugar like honey, which is a healthier option.
I prefer to peel my apples as you get that lovely soft apple filling that you expect in a pie. Leaving the skin on can leave some pieces of apple feeling tough.
Once assembled, place the pies into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If you want to warm the pies up again, pop them into a warm oven or microwave to heat through.
Try some of my favorite Weight Watchers inspired meals here at When is Dinner
- Weight Watchers Apple Crumble
- Weight Watchers Stuffed Peppers
- Instant Pot Zero Points Poached Chicken
- Crock Pot White Bean & Turkey Chili
Weight Watchers Mini Apple Pies
Ingredients
- 4 Baking Apples (I prefer to use Honey Crisp), peeled, cored, and finely diced
- 1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Nutmeg
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tsp Fresh Lemon or Lime Juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 4 sticks Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Cheese Sticks, finely diced
- 8 Graham Cracker Pie Crusts, Mini Reduced Fat
Instructions
In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix your diced apples, Citrus Fruit juice, Ground Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Vanilla Extract, and Salt, until the apples are coated.
Heat a medium sized saucepan on the stove top over medium heat.
Add Olive Oil to coat pan.
Cover and cook for about 6 minutes until the Apples are soft and tender. (Check and stir at the 3 minute mark).
Add honey, and cook uncovered for about a minute.
Pour into Reduced Fat Mini Pie Crusts
Top with Diced Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Cheese
Serve Warm
Notes
*You can also substitute the Reduced Fat Mini Pie Crusts with Phyllo Dough.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 668Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 693mgCarbohydrates: 90gFiber: 4gSugar: 31gProtein: 7g
You can find more information about Weight Watchers ideas by visiting the the Weight Watchers Twitter, Weight Watchers Instagram, or Weight Watchers Pinterest pages!