Poached apples

Poached apples recipe

A twist on the French classic, our easy poached apples are topped with creamy whipped ricotta and crunchy almonds – and a single serve contains only 1g fat! The genius of this simple dessert is that the apples are poached in Earl Grey tea, which gently infuses a citrusy orange-bergamot flavour. Fresh rosemary leaves are added to the mix for an elegant dessert that needs less than 30 minutes cooking. Although poached fruits are normally eaten in the colder months, this good-for-you dessert is light enough to be eaten all year around. It’s also the perfect make-ahead sweet treat, as the apples can be left in the poaching liquid, soaking up the flavour, for up to 5 days. 

Key ingredients in this poached apple recipe

Apart from the natural sugars in the apples, our healthy poached apples recipe uses monk fruit as a sweetener. It has no calories and is a natural sugar replacement that leaves no chemical aftertaste. As well as the tea, the poaching liquid is flavoured with both rosemary and lemon. The aromatic rosemary has piney citrusy notes that complements the lemon, as well as making a pretty garnish. The lemon also helps to keep the apples from going brown. Be sure to use Earl Grey tea bags, as loose-leaf tea will stick to the apples. 

What are the best apples for poaching?

We use Granny Smith apples in this poached apple recipe, as they have a sharp taste and hold their shape as they gently cook. Want an apple with a sweeter flavour? Try Braeburn of Fuji varieties.

How to poach apples

When poaching fruit, sugar and a couple of flavourings, like citrus rind, vanilla or cinnamon, are usually added. Normally you start with cold water, but in this recipe, boiling water is poured into the saucepan to release the flavour from the tea bags. Keep the apples at a gentle simmer, not boiling, and cook for no more than 15 minutes, as you don’t want them to become mushy. You want the apples to be just soft yet still hold their shape. Place a heatproof plate on the apples to keep them submerged. If making the poached apples in advance, remove from the heat and allow to cool in the liquid. If not, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a plate and cover to keep warm. The liquid then needs to be simmered until reduced by half to intensify the flavours and thicken to a sauce consistency.

Love this recipe?

Once you have perfected how to make poached apples, this fruit is the star in many healthy breakfasts, desserts and snacks. Grated apple provides a subtle sweet flavour in these healthy turmeric chia puddings, while they team with berries in our apple and berry crumble. Apple also provides a crisp fresh flavour in this easy green smoothie and there’s no added sugar in Courtney Roulston’s cinnamon apple chips.