Sweet Potato Apple and Pear Stacks with Cinnamon Syrup
When I was creating these sweet potato, apple, and pear stacks I was thinking about all of my favorite Fall flavors. During that time of the year, I crave apples, pears, walnuts, and cinnamon. Sweet potatoes are also in season, and they taste so well in combination with Fall fruits.
This recipe is also inspired by baklava. That is one of my favorite Turkish desserts. It is prepared with a lot of sugar, nuts, butter, and phyllo dough. I wanted to achieve a similar taste but lighter in sugar and much healthier. That is why I replaced the phyllo dough with very thinly sliced fruit and sweet potato. I also replaced refined sugar with maple syrup. The end result was so good. I really didn’t miss the flour and the sugar one bit.
Why should you make that recipe?
These sweet potato, apple, and pear stacks are nutritious and delicious. This is an example of a dessert that is good for you. In every serving there are valuable nutrients like, vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber. Also, seasonal fruits taste better and more nutritionally dense. Local and seasonal produce is proven to have superior value.
The maple syrup has a lower glycemic index than sugar and it won’t cause spike in blood sugar. Therefore, this recipe is suitable for diabetics, but in moderation.
This dessert is also grain and gluten free. Anyone who doesn’t consume gluten for heath or other reasons can consume this dessert.
Helpful tips
It is very important to use a mandoline slicer to create very thin and uniformed rounds. Food processor with a slicing attachment might work too.
If you want to make this recipe vegan replace the butter with coconut (or other) oil.
Baking time depends on how thick your slices are. Mine were almost see through and the stacks baked for 40 minutes. Use a fork to check if your stacks are baked. If they are soft and tender, they are ready. Otherwise, bake for 5-10 more minutes.
Sweet Potato Apple and Pear Stacks with Cinnamon Syrup
Equipment
- Mandoline Slicer
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato medium size
- 1 apple any apple you like
- 1 pear any pear you like
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter replace with coconut oil if you are vegan
- 1 cup walnuts without shells
- ¼ cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- extra maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Wash and peel the sweet potato, apple and pear. Remove the core of the apple and the pear. Slice them all to very thin slices with a mandoline or a food processor.
- Break the walnuts halves to smaller pieces. I add them in a ziplock bag and hit the bag with a rolling pin. You can also chop them (but not too finely).
- Add 12 small dollops of butter (about ¼ of a teaspoon) on the bottom of a baking dish (mine was 13×5 inches).
- Start layering in this order: sweet potato, some walnut pieces, apple, walnuts, pear, walnuts. Continue layering 12 tall stacks until you are out of fruit and sweet potato. Add a little bit of walnuts between each layer.
- When you are done stacking combine the maple syrup with the cinnamon and drizzle a little bit over each stack.
- Finally add about ¼ teaspoon of butter on top of each stack and bake for 40 minutes.
- You can serve warm or cold, drizzled with extra maple syrup. Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.
