Sitting on our black leather couch with my hair dripping wet from my shower, I glanced at my phone – 10pm. Finally I get to stretch out my legs and gather my thoughts to write this post.  After all, I did promise my roommate I would post this recipe by tonight.

Zoe and I had a rather fun morning of photographing the leftovers of our apple crumble.  I couldn’t serve our guest a half eaten looking dessert, so I had to wait patiently for the next day to take more pictures of the leftovers. It would be a shame if we couldn’t capture some good shots!

To be fair, I’ve had a good share of apple crisp/crumble growing up since it was one of my favorite desserts! For some odd reason, I had quite an unusual aversion to “fruity” desserts – basically anything involving berries and soggy dough. I would much rather have a slice of cheesecake or a bar of chocolate.



My only exception to this rule was was apple crisp or apple pie. My mum would purchase frozen apple pie and heat it up for us to eat. I loved the flaky, buttery crust that was nothing like the thin, light crust I had from the local Hong Kong bakeries.

I loved it so much that I often find myself rolling up my sleeves, hands covered with flour and butter on any given day. It was almost like a warm fall granola and fruit cup.

Since going gluten free, dairy free, I rarely make apple crisp anymore. I’m conscious of the fact that it does involve a heck load of butter and flour. Otherwise most Paleo versions include almond flour which my younger sister is allergic to. I found myself repeatedly frustrated at the fact that I couldn’t figure out an equally tasty and fail-proof recipe. Thus I just resorted to reminiscing those wonderful moments of cold vanilla ice cream dripping on my warm bowl of apple crisp.

After many mediocre/failed attempts, we decided it was time to bring back this incredible childhood favorite.  This time we settled on using a mixture of seasonal apples, sweetened only with coconut sugar and applesauce to reduce the carb and calorie count. Using coconut butter (or alternatively coconut oil) to give it a nice buttery fragrance. And of course, I made sure our version included an extra thick layer of delicious crumble.

After all, is the crunchy pecan topping the best part?

To our surprise and delight, at our weekly Sunday Dinner, this dessert served with a scoop of coconut gelato and it did satisfy the picky palettes of our guest.

After deciding between several ceramics, I settled on my favorite musty- beige pottery and plated up the cinnamon apple with its crunchy crumble. I was grateful I didn’t have to run to the store for ice-cream because we had some beautiful thick yogurt in the fridge in place of that.

My roommate caught sight of our huge mess in the living room and couldn’t help but comment on how good the apple crumble was. She was more than ecstatic to grab another portion of the leftover apple crumble. Our other friend, who also got a box of  leftover apple crumble, decided that it would a phenomenal breakfast treat. As you can see it makes for a huge portion!

Have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, dessert – whatever it may be – this apple crumble makes for a delicious treat. It is pure joy in a bowl that is bound to make your guests smile.

Tips & Tricks for the BEST APPLE CRUMBLE:

• Melted Coconut Oil:  You need the fat to create the crumbly texture, so we added the minimal possible amount for a large portion of dessert! We prefer melted coconut oil because it yields a crunchier crisp.
• Maple Syrup: acts as both the binder and sweetener, so please use a liquid sweetener.
• Apples: Use only apples that are fresh and crisp! You want them to hold their shape. You also want to use apples that are in room temperature. (You may substitute with other fruits on hand including peaches, pears)
• Use Whole Rolled Oats (not quick oats) for a crunchier top.
• Nuts adds great texture, but if you have allergies use seeds or coconut instead!
• Pre-cooking apples: To ensure that the apples are fully cooked through, we bake it ahead of time to make sure it is soft. This will not take extra effort as you are using the same pan!
• How to make ahead of time: This is the type of dessert that is best served right away. If you are not serving right away, you can make the apple filling and bake that part first. Separately make the crumble topping, fridge the crumble topping. When ready to serve place on top and bake.
• ALWAYS serve warm!

Gluten Free Vegan Apple Crumble (+ Tips for the Perfect Recipe)

 

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Notes: I prefer using frozen fruit because it creates a more jammy texture

Author: Unconventional Cooks

Serves: 8x8" pan (serves 5)

Ingredients

• Filling:
• 5 cups chopped fruit (Frozen berries, Granny Smith apples, pears)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp tapioca starch
• juice of ½ lemon (if you are using frozen berries, apples are optional)
• zest 2 lemon
• Topping:
• 11/2 cup quick oats (gluten-free, if needed)
• ¼ cup hemp hearts
• 2 tbsp ground flax
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Topping: take ½ cup of oats, blitz until fine. Mix the dry ingredients together before pouring over the coconut oil and maple syrup. Mix together. Set aside in fridge.
3. Preparing the fruit: if you are using frozen berries (highly recommend because it creates a more jammy effect), do not thaw, use it right away.
4. For fresh fruit e.g. apples: peel, core and chop into chunks.
5. In a bowl, toes together all the filling ingredients.
6. Pour into a greased 8x8 inch pan. (I have more than enough to make 2 extra ramekins)
7. Sprinkle the topping over the berries.To get the best crispness, don’t pack or press the topping. Spread it evenly over the fruit.
8. Bake in the oven for 35-45 mins or until the sauce is bubbling and top is golden brown.
9. Let it cool for 5 mins before serving with with yogurt/ ice cream.

3.5.3251

LOVE,

Zoe & Mia

(This post is featured on Weekend Potluck, Twinkly Tuesdays)

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