Last week, I sat down to find a gluten free, vegan dessert. As much as I love our Healthier Texas Sheet Cake, I know that a gluten free and vegan version isn’t as simple as a few swaps. And while I used to rave about Black Bean Brownies, you can probably guess why I didn’t go with that swap.
In my mind a warm apple crumble was the perfect solution, but I was naive to believe it would be simple to find a recipe. If it was gluten free, it wasn’t vegan. If it was vegan, it wasn’t gluten free. And if it was both, it called for complicated ingredients!
After browsing a few recipes and a strike of curious inspiration from leftover pumpkin puree in my fridge, I present to you a delightful creation that can be enjoyed for dessert or breakfast.
Ingredients
Spiced Apple and Pear Filling
- 5 apples, diced
- 5 pears, diced
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- ½ cup golden raisins or dried cranberries
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
Oat Topping
- 1.5 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup pumpkin puree or applesauce
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup chopped nuts
- Pinch of salt
Prepare
- In a large sautee pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.
- Add diced apples and pears, stirring to coat with the oil.
- Stir in ½ cup golden raisins, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium-low.
- Continue cooking fruit mixture on low-medium-low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While your fruit is cooking, preheat oven to 350°F and begin preparing oat topping.
- In a medium bowl, combine 1.5 cups rolled oats, ½ cup pumpkin puree or applesauce, ¼ cup maple syrup, ½ cup melted coconut oil, ½ cup chopped nuts, and a pinch of salt. After a couple of stirs, use your hands to bring the crumbles together. The texture should be wet but crumbly.
- In a 8x8 glass baking dish, spread an even layer of the cooked fruit.
- Using your hands, drop crumbles of oat topping evenly onto the cooked fruit mixture. Don't spread or pack the topping using a spatula.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
Tips to Reduce Food Waste
Since all of our menu items are designed to eliminate food waste, I started this recipe by preparing an item from Saturday breakfast.
I know I can get tired of eating the same thing every morning, so next time you make our Stewed Apples & Pears with Warming Spices use the extras for this recipe, or make yourself a personal crumble!