Whether you’ve been apple picking at your local farm or local grocery store, this is the perfect time of year to start incorporating fresh, in-season, high-fiber and nutrition-packed apples into your weight loss diet and healthy lifestyle.

Welcome in sweater weather with more anticipation and less winter padding with these fall-friendly, sugar-free, low-fat recipes starring crisp and delicious apples.

5 Weight Loss Recipes Featuring Autumn Apples

Raw Caramel Apples

1 ½ cups pitted dates, soaked overnight and drained

2 Tbsp raw cashew butter

2 Tbsp virgin coconut oil

1 Tbsp mesquite powder

Pinch salt

5 apples

5 popsicle sticks

Optional Toppings: chopped nuts, shredded coconut, dark chocolate shavings

Blend the dates, cashew butter, coconut oil, mesquite powder and salt in a food processor to create a thick paste. Stop blending periodically to scrape down the sides and push all of the ingredients back towards the blade.

Meanwhile, insert the tip of each popsicle stick into each apple. Using a spatula, coat each apple in the caramel paste.

Sprinkle on optional toppings. Serve immediately, or place caramel apples on a lined baking sheet (popsicle sticks pointing up) and refrigerate.

Gluten-Free ‘n Easy Baked Apple Crisp

6-8 medium apples

1 ¼ cup ground almonds

½ cup pecan halves

3 Tbsp virgin coconut oil or organic grass-fed butter

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp ground cloves

¼ cup raw honey

Optional: vanilla Greek yogurt

Slice the apples into thin wedges and place them in a 9×9 glass baking pan. In a separate bowl, combine the lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and honey. Pour this mixture over the apple pieces and toss everything well to coat.

In a small sauce pan, gently melt the coconut oil or butter (careful not to burn it). Turn off the heat and stir in the ground almonds and pecan halves, stirring and tossing the mixture so that the nuts absorb the oil and form a crumbly mixture. Spoon the crumbles over the apple pieces in the baking pan.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with a scoop of Greek yogurt.

Curried Quinoa & Apple Salad

1 cup white quinoa

1 red apple, diced

¼ cup raw almond slivers

1 Tbsp dried currants

½ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, roughly torn

For the Dressing:

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp honey

1 tsp curry powder

1 Tbsp shallot, finely minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a sauce pan, boil 2 cups of water. Add quinoa, return to a boil and stir. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the quinoa is tender. Fluff quinoa with a fork and allow it to cool.

Meanwhile, combine all salad dressing ingredients with a whisk or blender. Allow the dressing to rest on counter for several minutes so that all of the flavors infuse.

Combine the quinoa, apple wedges, currants, almonds and mint in a bowl. Toss in the dressing and serve.

Zesty Turkey & Apple Pecan Salad

Click here for this delicious weight loss recipe

Cleansing Autumn Detox Smoothie

2 medium sweet apples

1 medium red beet, scrubbed and grated

½ cup beet greens and stems, finely chopped

1 carrot, grated

2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

2 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

2 ½ cups ice water

Optional: stevia or raw honey to sweeten

Combine all ingredients in a powerful blender or food processor and process until smooth.