Baked Fruit: 3 Ways

Guys, I think it's pie season. Every magazine cover I look at seems to have a pie (or two or three) on it. This proves a few things: 1. I apparently only read food magazines. 2. It's pie season. I've already started making my list of possible pies I'll be baking for Thanksgiving this year (I'm way early, I know). But man cannot live on pie alone. A great and lighter alternative is baked fruit. You still get to enjoy all the delicious fruit flavor without quite so much butter, sugar and crust. Here are a few of my favorites.

Baked Peach Parfait, makes 4 servings.

Needed: 2 peaches, 1/2 cup oats, 1/8 cup olive oil, 1/8 cup maple syrup or honey, a few pinches of cinnamon, and a handful of chopped pecans.

In a small bowl, combine the oats, oil, sweetener, cinnamon and pecans. Stir, making sure every oat is coated in oil and sweetener. Slice peaches in half and remove pits. Fill with oat filling and bake at 400 F for 15-18 minutes, until softened and the skin begins to pull away from the fruit. Garnish with whipped cream.

Baked Grapefruit, makes 4 servings. This is great for breakfast or a light dessert!

Needed: 2 grapefruits and a conservative handful of brown sugar.

Slice grapefruits in half and remove as many seeds as you can. Begin to segment the grapefruit—this will allow the sugar to soak in even more. Sprinkle with sugar and bake at 400 F for 16-18 minutes.

Baked Apples (or "Opposite Apple Pie" if you're feeling clever, and I AM), makes 4 servings.

Needed: 2 apples (I like Granny Smith), 1/4 cup brown sugar, a few pinches of cinnamon and 1/2 sheet of puff pastry.

Core apples and slice in half. Coat the inside with brown sugar. Slice up the puff pastry into thin strips and create a lattice design over the apples. Sprinkle with a little more sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 400 F for 16-18 minutes until puff pastry is golden brown, and apple has softened. Serve with vanilla ice cream!

As you can see these are super easy to make but also really cute and delicious. Impress your next dinner party guests with this sweet pie alternative. Happy baking!

xoxo, Joanna