These super simple apple nachos are the perfect afternoon snack for kids: healthy, delicious, and ready in less than five minutes. Enjoy!

The search for easy, healthy, and kid-friendly snacks has been a long-standing quest around here. My kids come home from school hungry, and one in particular gets a *little* hangry if he doesn’t get food at regular intervals. So I really try to have a good quality snack available for my kids when they get home from school each day.

Often, I just throw a bunch of random healthy-ish stuff in a party tray. My kids love that. Other days, we have one of my tried-and-true afternoon snack ideas for kids. We have a pretty good rotation going (and yes, some days it involves me throwing a graham cracker at them and telling them to find whatever they want in the pantry because I’m too busy to plan ahead), but from time to time I like to change things up and try something new.

A month or so ago, I had one of those days. I had seen versions of apple nachos before, and I decided to make my own healthy-ish version.

It was so easy! Just slice your favorite apples thinly, and spread them out on a plate. Then melt some creamy peanut butter in a small bowl and drizzle over the top. Finally, sprinkle lightly with chocolate chips, Heath bits, granola, or whatever other topping you like.

The whole recipe is done in less than five minutes! That’s my kind of snack.

Plus, my kids LOVED it.

In fact, as I was editing the photos for this post, my seven-year-old saw them on my computer screen and excitedly asked, “Are we having apple nachos again, Mom?!”

Well, I hadn’t been planning on it, but who am I so say no to a kid who is begging me for a healthy snack that only requires a few minutes of effort. So, apple nachos for lunch it was!

We’ve put this simple afternoon snack on repeat for the past few weeks, and the kids are thrilled every time they show up on the table.

How healthy are apple nachos, really?

Now, you may look at the chocolate chips dotting the top of these nachos and think to yourself, “That’s NOT health food.” But hear me out. Admittedly, these apple nachos do have some added sugar, but I use mini chocolate chips rather than the regular ones, so it’s really pretty minimal. I am personally okay with adding a little sweet if it encourages my kids to eat all the goodness of the apples and peanut butter. I do the same thing with our favorite muffins and banana sushi.

So while it’s not strictly health food, I would argue these apple nachos are overall much more nutritious than a lot of snacks kids consume. It’s all about balance, right?

If you want to cut out the added sugar all together, try sprinkling the nachos with homemade granola, raisins, or unsweetened shredded coconut instead. Delicious!

Getting your kids involved in the kitchen

If you have younger kids who get antsy waiting for older siblings to get home from school, let them help you with the prep! This recipe is perfect for little chefs who want to help out in the kitchen. Once you have sliced the apples, let your kids help with drizzling the peanut butter and sprinkling the toppings. It may not be *quite* as beautiful as if you do it yourself, but they will develop confidence and coordination as they cook with you.

To make snack time a full-on party, try putting various toppings in small bowls and letting kids build their own loaded nachos!

Ready for the super-simple recipe?

Want more easy snack foods for kids? Try these easy after school snacks for kids!