I’m always looking for healthy snacks. Living with type 1 diabetes for 30+ years now, and having been a kid with diabetes, I also have an appreciation for a healthy snack for diabetic kids. And these apple nachos with peanut butter drizzle and chocolate chips will win every time. (It wins with adults too… don’t be fooled!) And as a bonus, it’s super quick to make, so you have a nutritious and delicious snack in five minutes.

This recipe combines a juicy bite of apple, a crunch from the granola, a tangy taste from the cranberries, and sweetness from the chocolate chips. It’s a ingredient marriage made in heaven. Add a healthy drizzle of salty peanut butter and you’ve got a winning recipe! How can you go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate?

These apple nachos are particularly good for people with diabetes because they contain what I call the diabetes trifecta for recipes — protein, fat, and whole grains. We’ll talk more about that later, but for now, I’ll just say those three together help avoid a spike in blood sugar levels (yay!) so enjoy this nutritious snack for diabetic kids!

How to Make This Healthy Snack for Diabetic Kids

Get ready — you’re about to make the quickest and easiest healthy snack you’ve made in a long while. And not only is this quick and healthy, but it’s super tasty too. And you don’t need an oven or a stove for this no bake treat, so that’s even better. So, let’s get to it!

1. Prep the Apples for your healthy snack

The very first thing to do for this apple nacho recipe is to gather your favorite apples and get ready to enjoy a delicious treat. They are naturally vegan, gluten free, and grain free on their own. That’s a great start to a yummy snack! Some prefer a tart apple like a Granny Smith, but I prefer a sweeter one like a Honeycrisp or Gala. For this particular recipe I used a Fuji apple.

Wash and slice your apples first. The photos here show only one apple sliced, and both my kids share that for a snack. If it’s a treat for more kids or the whole family, you will need to consider slicing more apples.

I don’t always use an apple corer for this part, but you certainly can. Most often I find that a cutting board and paring knife work just fine. I like to cut down one side of the apple, turn the apple 45 degrees, and cut that side, and repeat until all sides are cut off the core. Then I trim into these thinner slices from there.

Then you can arrange the apple slices on a plate however you prefer. I prefer to simply drop them on and let them land as they may! If an apple slice is completely covered by another one, then I will shift it over. I want all the gooey peanut butter drizzle and toppings to be on every slice of this delicious treat!

2. Melt the Peanut Butter

While you are grabbing all the other ingredients, I would suggest you warm the peanut butter in a small bowl the microwave. Now, I will melt my peanut butter on 30% for 60 seconds, stir it, and put it on another minute on 30%.

Cooking it on that low a percentage will help it not get too hot or pop in the microwave and make a mess. No one likes a sticky peanut butter mess in the microwave!

3. Gather Other Apple Nacho Ingredients

For these apple nachos, I used the following toppings:

• granola (for whole grains and protein)
• peanut butter (for more protein and some heart healthy fats)
• cranberries (for a chewy texture and tart bite)
• dark chocolate (for an overall healthier choice than milk chocolate chips)

4. Pour on the Peanut Butter

I like to pour the peanut butter on first. Sometimes I pour it straight from the small bowl I use to melt it, and sometimes I drizzle it on the apples from a spoon. Whatever you choose will work just fine. Just be sure to coat the apples with peanut butter so that some gets onto every slice. This will be your “glue” for holding on the other toppings that will come next.

5. LAYER this Healthy Snack for diabetics with Additional Toppings

Now it’s time to add in the other toppings: sprinkle on the cranberries, granola, and chocolate chips. Do these in whatever order you choose. And you can again just throw them on. However they all land, they land. It’s not necessarily an art project — unless you want it to be. I try to put the toppings on somewhat evenly, but they are delicious and tasty regardless of how it looks.

Serve immediately because there you have it — a healthy snack for diabetic kids!

CARBS FOR THIS HEALTHY DIABETIC SNACK for KIDS

This is definitely a wholesome snack for kids with diabetes, but there are still carbs to consider. There are carbs in every ingredient: the apples themselves, peanut butter, granola, cranberry, and dark chocolate chips. It all adds up, so let’s take a look.

With the specific ingredients and brands of ingredients I used for this recipe, the entire recipe totaled 94g. Because this recipe makes 2 servings, that’s right at 47g of carbs per serving.

Be sure to work these into your diet how you best manage your diabetes. And be sure to count the total carbs (or net carbs) in the specific products you use. Different brands vary in ingredients, so be doubly sure of the nutritional information in what you’re eating.

What Makes This A Diabetic Friendly Snack?

That’s a great question. Here’s the thing with something being “diabetic friendly.” We all have different diets and preferences and ways to manage our diabetes. And although most people with type 2 diabetes limit carbs and sugar intake for a low carb lifestyle, some people with type 1 diabetes will tell you they can eat literally whatever they want as long as they dose for it. And I won’t say that’s not true.

For me, after living with type 1 for 30+ years, I consider something to be diabetic friendly if it is either:

• a recipe that combines whole grain, protein, and healthy fats to help stabilize blood sugar levels to avoid a blood sugar spike
• a healthier alternative to the ingredients you would normally find in a traditional recipe

Why is this one of my Go-To Diabetic Snack recipes?

This is one of my favorite recipes for a snack because this particular recipe fits both of these “diabetic friendly” criteria! First, it contains whole grains in the granola (and fiber from the apples too), healthy fats and protein from the peanut butter, and protein from the hearty oats in the granola.

Second, it contains dark chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate chips — a substitution to make the recipe a bit healthier. This is a great way to increase the nutritional value of the recipe, and more wholesome ingredients make this recipe a better choice. And any time I can get my kids to eat more whole foods and fewer processed foods, we all win.

I’m all about ingredient substitution, and I have been for years. I love to sub in healthier ingredients for traditional ones. Sub in whole wheat flour for all purpose flour. Use greek yogurt for sour cream. Exchange milk chocolate for dark chocolate, like we did here. Sub in applesauce, vegetable oil, or coconut oil for butter. Try natural sweeteners or a sugar substitute for regular sugar. You get the picture. And you can get any of these things at any grocery store around, so it’s super simple to make healthier substitutions.

Two other go-to recipes I love for diabetic snacks are:

• TRIPLE BERRY OATMEAL BAKE

• DIABETIC FRIENDLY OATMEAL COOKIES WITH CRANBERRIES AND CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Variations on this healthy snack for diabetics

There are likely a hundred different combinations for making apple nachos. This particular way is the way my kids like them. It’s a good combination of wholesome ingredients, and that’s what we typically do. But you could easily adjust with any of the following:

• almond butter, especially if you have kids allergic to peanuts
• omit the granola and cranberries to cut carbs, and keep it a simple peanut butter and chocolate topping for the apple slices
• nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, peanuts)
• seeds (chia seeds, pepitas, sunflower seeds)
• shredded coconut
• raisins
• a sprinkle of cinnamon
• caramel or honey (but watch the carbs)
• marshmallows or other candies if you want to make it more of a sweet treat

OTHER PRO TIPS & Ideas

• This would also make a great appetizer or take-along as a finger food to a party.
• This is not only a great snack, but a nutritious breakfast as well (or a late night snack you won’t feel too guilty about eating).
• Toss the apples in lemon juice before adding toppings to keep them from turning brown if you may not be eating them all immediately.

STORING FOR LATER

I hope you’ve enjoyed this free apple nachos recipe. I always enjoy making this super quick and easy snack for the kids, and they always enjoy eating it!

This entire recipe is generally eaten in one setting because it’s such a simple, tasty, healthy snack for diabetic kids, but if you may have some left over, just coat them in a bit of lemon juice before assembling to keep them from browning. Then they will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about a day or two. If they last that long — they don’t in my house!

And now for your free recipe:

DID YOU MAKE this recipe?

If you’ve made this recipe, would you please leave a comment? I would love to hear from you!

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NOTE: I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietician. Nothing here should be taken as professional medical advice. Any nutritional information provided should be used as a general guideline and estimate only. For the most accurate information, please calculate based on the specific ingredients and brands you use, as well as any changes you make to the recipe.

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