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Apple Desserts for Fall

It’s time to trim the holiday table with some beautiful mini apple tarts! This time of year, many of us tasty desserts that we remember from our childhood along with some new ones that we have picked up along the way that have become new traditions.

I hope that this little holiday tart will become part of your Thanksgiving apple dessert recipe collection.

When creating this new recipe, I was thinking small portions of something tasty that could go from the holiday table to the holiday gift box for family and friends!

Since there are still a few local apples around at the local farms and farmers’ markets, I wanted to incorporate them to trim my holiday table. I also wanted to make little individual desserts to provide flexibility how they could be used and also encourage healthy portion sizes. It is much harder to bring over a piece of pie or a pie with pieces missing than it would be to bring over little tarts to your next door neighbor after Thanksgiving.

It has been a little while since I have worked very much with filo but this video is a great refresher for those of us who haven’t worked with filo in awhile!

Video How to Make Phyllo Shells

Today, I am using frozen filo sheets.

Apple Cream Cheese Dessert

Mini Apple Tarts
From trimming the table to holiday giving!

Mini Apple Filo Tarts

For this apple cream cheese dessert, I was looking for small portions, less sugar and lots of flavor! The filo crust is light and crisp! You can easily make it into a vegan apple dessert by using a plant based cream cheese.

Makes 12 servings.

2 apples, cored and sliced (you can also peel if desired but I did not)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon flour (use gluten free if desired)

Filo Dough

Baking spray

Cream cheese filling

1/2 cup cream cheese that has reached room temperature (if you are looking for a vegan alternative to dairy try this one from Kite Hill)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon flour (gluten free if desired)

2 tablespoon confectionery sugar

Muffin tins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel, core and slice apples. Place in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice, brown sugar and flour. In a medium bowl, add cream cheese, vanilla, flour and confectionery sugar. Mix all the ingredients well. Spray the muffin tin cups with spray. Take a large piece of wax paper or pie rolling mat and spray with baking spray.

Lay a piece of filo on the paper and spray again and lay the next piece of filo over it. Continue to spray and layer until it is 7 pieces thick. Spray the very top. Cut the filo into 4 pieces and gently press into four muffin tins to make the filo crust. Do this three more times until all 12 cups have filo crusts.

Divide the cream cheese between the muffin cups. Cover the cream cheese with apples. Bake 20 minutes. Carefully take out and cool on a baker’s rack. Place on a platter for the big event or put in an airtight container in the refrigerator and they will keep fresh for several days. They even reheat very well.

More Mini Apple Filo Tart
Just right portion size of this holiday dessert!

Make an Apple Cream Cheese dessert

I hope that you enjoy making, eating and giving this mini apple tarts for the holidays and it becomes one of your new family traditions. It can also easily be adapted as a vegan apple dessert.

As a registered dietitian nutritionist in Asheville, I love helping clients, family and friend’s new healthy menu ideas and recipes to make our lives easier! I am glad that you stopped by and hope you come back to see what I am cooking this holiday season! I will be posting lots of tasty things!

Here are some delicious holiday breakfasts that you may also like 10 Vegetarian Brunch Recipes for the Holidays – Vine Ripe Nutrition.

These filo apple cups packed for gift giving
Decorate a box and fill it up with these tarts for a food gift!
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