Crustless Slow Cooker Apple Pie à la Mode
Try this Crustless Slow Cooker Apple Pie à la Mode recipe.
Try this Crustless Slow Cooker Apple Pie à la Mode recipe.
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 1/4 pounds (about 6) apples (i like honeycrisp) peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices1/3 cup packed light brown sugar1 tablespoon cornstarch1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg4 cups nonfat frozen vanilla yogurt, for serving (i like stonyfield)
- 2 1/4 pounds (about 6) apples (i like honeycrisp) peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 4 cups nonfat frozen vanilla yogurt for serving (i like stonyfield)
- Carbohydrate 5.24664270431674 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0282830048077995 g
- Fiber 0.190824994419267 g
- Protein 0.0236280769282838 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0183140865384808 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (261g)
- Sodium 1.37141025751442 mg
- Sugar 5.05581770989747 g
- Trans Fat 0.00638344230769231 g
- Calories 20 calories
Step-by-step
- Place the apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours, until the apples are bubbling and tender.
- To serve, put 1/2 cup of the apples in each of 8 small bowls. Top each with 1/2 cup frozen yogurt.
Slicing apples to a uniform thickness of one-quarter inch is the single variable that separates a successful slow cooker fruit dessert from a watery failure. When fruit pieces vary wildly in size, thinner pieces disintegrate into mush while thick chunks remain crunchy before the cooking cycle ends. Honeycrisp apples maintain structural integrity better than softer cultivars like McIntosh, resisting complete collapse during prolonged exposure to moist heat. Tossing those slices with cornstarch before applying heat ensures the fruit starches gelatinize properly as the juices release.
Dry cornstarch must coat every apple surface evenly to prevent white lumps from forming in the finished sauce. Mixing the spice, sugar, and starch together first distributes the fine powder so it adheres to the damp fruit surfaces. As the cooker reaches operational temperature, the starch granules absorb the liquid exuded by the apples and swell. This reaction transforms the watery juices into a glossy, clinging syrup rather than a thin puddle at the base of the crock.
Low heat settings require four hours to break down the pectin walls inside the apple flesh completely. High heat accomplishes this tenderization in two hours if thermal transfer proceeds without interruption. Opening the lid during these intervals vents accumulated steam and adds twenty minutes of required cooking time for every inspection. The final visual cue for doneness involves bubbling around the edges and a fork piercing the center of a slice with zero resistance.
Prepared fruit can sit in the unheated ceramic insert for up to twelve hours in the refrigerator before the heating base is turned on. Leftover cooked apples store safely in an airtight container for up to four days. Reheating portions gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat restores the sauce viscosity without scorching the natural sugars present in the fruit.
