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Easy After School Snack Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Easy After School Snack Recipe

I started making this the day my kids came home from school starving and cranky, and I had exactly five minutes before homework chaos began. I didn't want to hand them another granola bar from a box, so I grabbed what I had on the counter and threw this together instead.
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Total Time 5 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 medium apples sliced into thin rounds — go for a crisp variety like Honeycrisp or Gala so they hold up well against toppings
  • ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter slightly warmed — warming it for 10 seconds makes it easy to drizzle instead of clump
  • 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips — mini ones spread more evenly across the apple slices than regular chips
  • 2 tablespoons granola — pick a store-bought or homemade kind with minimal added sugar for a healthier crunch
  • 1 tablespoon shredded coconut — toasted coconut adds extra flavor but plain works just as well
  • 1 tablespoon chopped nuts optional — skip this if your child's school has a nut-free policy

Method
 

  1. Wash your apples thoroughly, then slice them into thin, even rounds about a quarter-inch thick. I like keeping the skin on for extra fiber and color, but you can peel them if your kids prefer it that way.
  2. Lay the apple slices out in a single layer on your serving platter, slightly overlapping if needed. Spreading them out like this makes the whole snack feel more like a fun little board than a plain plate of fruit.
  3. Microwave your peanut butter for about 10 seconds until it loosens up. Use a spoon to drizzle it back and forth across all the apple slices, covering as much surface as you can for maximum flavor in every bite.
  4. Sprinkle the chocolate chips, granola, coconut, and chopped nuts evenly over the top. Let the kids help with this step if they're around, since choosing their own toppings makes them far more excited to actually eat it.
  5. This snack tastes best right away while the apples are still crisp and the peanut butter is soft. Serve it straight from the platter so everyone can grab a slice and dig in.

Notes

  • I always slice my apples right before serving, since they start browning fast once cut.
  • I like tossing the apple slices in a splash of lemon juice if I need to prep them a little early.
  • I never skip warming the peanut butter, because cold peanut butter is nearly impossible to drizzle evenly.
  • I keep a rotation of three or four topping combos on hand so my kids don't get bored eating the same thing every day.
  • I always make a bit extra, since this disappears faster than almost anything else I put out.