Healthy Caramel Apple Bites

So…Halloween is coming. Yeah, I'm not excited about the massive amounts of candy that will be pouring into my house this year. I have five kids, with five buckets, and I'm already anticipating sugar overloads all around. I always have a hard time resisting candy in any form (well, sugar in any form, to be honest), so this year I made a plan! Much, much better than consuming sugar – I'm going to have a Trim Healthy Mama crossover with Healthy Caramel Apple Bites. A sugar-free recipe like this still works on the THM plan as a crossover or S Helper, and it's MUCH better for me than candy! (PS – if the terms “crossover” and “S Helper” are puzzling to you, check out my explanation of Trim Healthy Mama and how it's helped me to lose stubborn weight).

This snack idea CAN fall into the “S Helper” category, if you stick with an extra small serving of fruit, like 1/2 of a small green apple (see page 91 in the first edition of the Trim Healthy Mama book for more details). 

Even my friends who don't participate in Halloween activities have shared that it seems like candy and sweets multiply and invade their homes at this time of year, so this is really just a great Autumn treat that will work for anyone. We made it today, and the kids devoured it in minutes. I kept my portion to about four apple slices to stick with an S Helper instead of a full-blown crossover. And if I still want Reese's Peanut Butter Cups after I have my caramel apple bites, I'm going to make one of my favorite low-carb Peanut Butter Blizzards, too. 

Here is what I used (it's SO simple!): 

Caramel Sauce – There are several versions of low-carb caramel sauces that I've used and loved. I really like AllDayIDreamAboutFood's Caramel Sauce (with the molasses option), and there's another excellent recipe for low-carb caramel sauce at Simply Healthy Home. **Please note that these caramel sauces do not harden, they are soft and delicious (which is necessary for us because my tweens have retainers!). 

Chopped Lily's Chocolate Chips (you could also use skinny chocolate or any other sugar-free chocolate). 

Crushed Peanuts – I tossed a handful in my Magic Bullet and crushed them up. 

Granny Smith Apples

You could use different types of nuts, different healthy toppings – there are so many choices! This is a great, healthy way to keep from gaining weight with all of the sugar-laden fall treats available. Do you have any tips to avoid Halloween candy? Share them in the comments; I'd love to hear from you!

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