How To Make Apple Nachos (Easy Healthy Recipe)
These apple nachos are your answer to a mom-approved kid-friendly snack, party dish, or dessert!
If you are looking for more kid-friendly snacks, try our Caramel Apple Wrap (TikTok Viral Hack) and these amazing 3-Ingredient Homemade Blueberry Popsicles.
As parents, we all want to provide our kids with the most nutritional, healthy snacks we can, but the reality is that sometimes we have to spice up that snack a little to make it more appealing to them.
Who can blame those kiddos??? Sometimes a simple apple just doesn’t cut it 😉
So we have to get a little creative (ok….sometimes A LOT creative) to ensure that they’re eating healthy with just a little bit of added fun. These caramel apple nachos will win over your pickiest snackers. And they’re the perfect healthy snack for fall, an after school snack, or even an evening treat to satisfy a sweet tooth!
What are apple nachos? This apple nacho recipe is simply a fun play on normal nachos with the messy deliciousness of some fun gooey toppings.
Apples provide a healthy base and a daily serving of fruit, while the caramel and chocolate provide additional layers of flavor and some oooey-gooey fun. They’re basically fun, bite-sized caramel apples!
You can adapt this recipe in so many different ways that your kids will ask for them over and over. There are so many great variations of toppings to use (see ideas down below).
If you love apple snacks and recipes, check out my Chocolate Caramel Apple Pops and Air Fryer Apple Chips!
Ingredients Needed For Nutella Caramel Apple Nachos
Here is what you are going to need to create this sweet, nutritious treat that makes the perfect alternative to the traditional caramel apple!
- Honeycrisp Apples – the type of apple you choose is totally your preference. You may prefer a sweeter apple or one that is more tart. There are so many different options, so experiment to find out which kind your family prefers most. The humble Granny Smith apple can be a great option too!
- Cream cheese – make sure it is softened for easy mixing.
- Marshmallow Creme/Fluff – creme and fluff are essentially the same things; they just might be labeled differently
- Caramel Syrup/Topping – Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce from Trader Joe’s is a perfect choice, but any caramel topping or syrup of your choice will work as well. And homemade caramel sauce is a great option too!
- Nutella Hazelnut Spread – Nutella is perfect for layering those flavors with caramel sauce.
- Milk Chocolate Chips – for a change of pace, try white chocolate, peanut butter, or butterscotch chips.
- Sprinkles – GO WILD!!! There are so many different colors, shapes, and sizes to choose from that you really can’t go wrong. Plus, kids seem to love eating anything colorful!
- Sharp cutting knife
- Cutting board
- Lemon juice mixed with ⅓ cup water (optional to keep apples from turning brown).
How to Make Apple Nachos
Just follow these step-by-step instructions and you will have this apple nachos recipe ready to serve before you know it!
Step 1
Make the Fruit Dip: In a large bowl, combine the whole jar of marshmallow fluff with softened cream cheese. Mix until blended well. Add your desired amount to a small bowl and top with sprinkles. Set aside.
Step 2
Use a sharp knife to cut the apple into thin slices.
Step 3
Place apple slices in a single layer facing the same direction around a big plate or serving platter, leaving space in the center to place the bowl of marshmallow dip. Then make a second layer of apple slices on top of the first layer.
Step 4
Heat the Nutella Hazelnut Spread in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, making sure it is warm enough to easily stir and spread.
Use a spoon and start with the chocolate drizzle. Drizzle the Nutella in circles over the top of the apples moving from the outside toward the center.
Step 5
Heat the caramel sauce in microwave for 8-10 seconds. Stir well and drizzle in circles over the Nutella moving from the outside to the center as before.
Step 6
Sprinkle the chocolate chips and remaining sprinkles over the apples nachos and place the marshmallow dip on the platter or plate in the center of the apples.
Serve and enjoy!
Apple Nachos Recipe Tips
Add sprinkles just before serving: If you aren’t going to be serving these immediately, be sure to add the sprinkles right before serving, so that they won’t melt and mix into the dip or Nutella/caramel toppings.
Keep apples from turning brown: If you will not be eating the apple nachos right away, prevent the apple slices from browning by soaking the apples in a lemon juice and water mixture first, then pat dry.
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Possible Variations For Easy Apple Nachos
Here are some fun ideas for adding variety to these apple nachos. This recipe is super flexible, so you can change out toppings based on your mood or what you have in the pantry that day!
You can use:
- Chopped peanuts
- Mini marshmallows
- Raisins
- Melted caramels
- M&M’s
- Toffee bits
- Chocolate sauce
- Chopped up Snickers, Reese’s, or Milky Way candy bars
- Chopped pecans, or your favorite nuts
- Hot fudge
- Melted peanut butter or almond butter
- Mini chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
- Your kids’ favorite cereal crushed up.
- And more!
The best part of this sweet snack is that the customization possibilities are limitless, and that’s what I love the MOST about this apple nachos recipe!
Need more ideas? I’m sure if you ask your kids they will give you some interesting ideas you hadn’t thought of before. 😁
Apple Nachos FAQs
Here are some common questions I see from readers about this recipe – and their answers.
Although my favorite apples to use are Honeycrisp apples, you can easily substitute them for different varieties in this healthy apple nachos recipe! Try your favorite variety of apple such as fuji apples or other red apples (if you want to use sweet apples), or go for Granny Smith sliced apples if you want tart apples!
This is going to depend on how hungry your crew is, how many people you are serving, and how much you prepared. Your family and friends will most likely devour them right away, and you won’t have any leftovers to be concerned about.
However, should you have a few leftovers, it’ll be difficult to store them for long because the apples will turn brown and get mushy pretty quickly. If you put the apples in lemon juice and water prior or assembling the apple nachos, they may last a day or two if stored in an airtight container.
Not really…..you could make them a couple of hours ahead of time (if you’re prepping for a party or play date) and that’s only if you prepare the apples so they don’t brown.
If you want to meal prep this, really the only thing you can do is slice and soak the apples (or sprinkle lemon water on them) and keep them in the fridge until you are ready to do the rest. And even then, they may still brown a little.
Lemon juice is most commonly used to prevent brown apples. Luckily, if you have some lemons, limes, grapefruits, or oranges you can brush the surface of the apple with these citrus fruit juices to help prevent the browning as well.
More Delicious Kid-Friendly Recipes
- Peanut Butter, Nutella & Banana Sushi Rolls
- No-Bake Energy Balls
- Taco Cups with Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce
- Nutella S’mores
- Caramel Apple Wrap (TicTok Tortilla Wrap Hack)
How About Some Fast & Easy Weeknight Meals? Click on the image to get them FREE!
Pin For Later!
Apple Nachos
These apple nachos are your answer to a mom-approved kid-friendly snack, party dish, or dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 block cream cheese, softened
- 7 oz jar marshmallow creme/fluff
- 1 large Honeycrisp Apple
- 1/4 cup caramel syrup/topping
- 1/3 cup Nutella Hazelnut Spread
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp sprinkles
- Sharp cutting knife
- Cutting board
- Optional: 2 tbsp lemon juice mixed in 1⁄3 cup water
Instructions
- Sprinkle the milk chocolate chips and remaining sprinkles over the apples, and place the marshmallow dip in the center of the apples.
- Cut large apple into thin slices using a sharp knife.
- Arrange the apple slices facing the same direction around a plate or serving platter, leaving space in the center to place the bowl of marshmallow dip. Then make a second layer of apple slices on top of the first layer.
- Heat the Nutella Hazelnut Spread in microwave for 10-15 seconds making sure it is warm enough to easily stir and spread.
- Use a spoon to drizzle the Nutella in circles over the apples moving from the outside towards the center.
- Heat the caramel sauce in microwave for 8-10 seconds. Stir well and drizzle in circles over the Nutella moving from the outside to the center as before.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips and remaining sprinkles over apples and place the marshmallow dip on the platter or plate in the center of the apples.
- Enjoy and serve!!!
Notes
Make the Fruit Dip: In a large bowl, combine the whole jar of marshmallow fluff with softened cream cheese. Mix until blended well. Add your desired amount to a small bowl and top with sprinkles. Set aside.
How do I prevent the apples from turning brown…especially during a party when they are sitting out? I saw the 2 TBSP of lemon juice with 1/3 cups water as an option but what do I do with that? Thanks!
Hi! So what you want to do if you will have them sitting out is to put your apples in a bowl and drizzle the lemon and water mixture over them. Then use your hands to “mix” them up so that the lemon juice and water coat the apples. Pat the apples dry(ish) and then make your nachos! The lemon juice is the key to keeping the apples from turning brown.
These are so fun! My kids love apples and it is nice to have some cute snack ideas for them.
I admit that I’m not an apple fan but these look yummy! My two little toddlers would love this.
These look absolutely delicious. My kids would LOVE them.
This will be great for movie night, I know my kids will love it!
I’ve never seen apple nachos, but just the name is super fun! They look really good and pretty too.
Yum! I’m definitely going to have to make these soon.
This looks so yummy!
Wow! Such a wonderful recipe idea and looks really delicious. The presentation makes it more enticing and tempting. Definitely, an instant favorite to our kids.
I’m not a huge fan of apples but I would definitely eat these. Yum!
Really nice treats for the kids. Easy and fun for the sunny days.
This looks like a treat my kids would love, I like how easy this looks to make! It would be cute to use different colors and sprinkles to match the holiday for the month.