December 17, 2015

Vegan + Gluten-Free Cinnamon Apple Crisp

Vegan + Gluten-Free Cinnamon Apple Crisp (w/ extra crumble!)

I’m going to make an odd, perhaps offensive analogy here, but crisps are like the gateway drug of pastry baking.

I know – dramatic.

But well before I ever made a pie, a tart, or a gleaming galette, I first made a crisp. And it was because of this crisp that I even considered attempting all the rest, because with my crisp came a confidence, a euphoria, and a sense of invincibility that YES – I too can bake things that look super fancy.

And now, so can you.

Vegan + Gluten-Free Cinnamon Apple Crisp (w/ extra crumble!)

Vegan + Gluten-Free Cinnamon Apple Crisp (w/ extra crumble!)

Through much trial & error I’ve found that a good crisp breaks down to a mix-and-match formula that can be called on anytime, any fruit, my personal blueprint being a filling of fruit + oil/butter + sugar + lemon, combined with a choreographed crumble of steel-cut oats + flour/cornstarch + oil/butter + sugar + vanilla. Seasonings like cinnamon or nutmeg and booze like bourbon or rum can be employed depending on your fruit of choice, but my core crisp formula always remains the same.

As for what fruit to work with, go with whatever you like best. I’ve experimented with crisps made of raspberries, blueberries, and now apples (duh) to equally delicious delight, but I’ll fully admit that working with berries is definitely the easiest – No slicing, no dicing, just straight baking. BUT! There’s also something sickly rewarding about arranging slender slivers of peach or plum into the perfect circular scheme, so if you have crippling OCD apples will totally be your thang.

Vegan + Gluten-Free Cinnamon Apple Crisp (w/ extra crumble!)

Vegan + Gluten-Free Cinnamon Apple Crisp (w/ extra crumble!)

Vegan + Gluten-Free Cinnamon Apple Crisp (w/ extra crumble!)

Since this recipe is both vegan + gluten-free I’m sure you’ve already guessed that I swapped coconut oil for butter and cornstarch for flour – Good guessing. Coconut oil is a critical element in the basic bitch holy trinity (yoga pants and eyebrows complete the trio) so I’m gonna go ahead and assume you’re down with its amazingness. But on the off-chance you’re NOT a coconut oil freak (#partyofone), Earth Balance has great vegan butters that will work just as well here, so follow your groove.

Whether you keep the apple skins is up to you, but I’m partial to their flavor + fiber, so I keep ’em. I also go hard and heavy with my crumble game, because extra crispiness is what’s up. And after just three steps of prep + 30 minutes of baking? You’ve got a crazy delicious dessert that looks just as sexy as a pie, but with only half the effort.

Vegan + Gluten-Free Cinnamon Apple Crisp (w/ extra crumble!)

Vegan + Gluten-Free Cinnamon Apple Crisp (w/ extra crumble!)

Just don’t try and freebase this, okay? Forks only.

Vegan + Gluten-Free Cinnamon Apple Crisp (w/ extra crumble!)

Vegan + Gluten-Free Cinnamon Apple Crisp

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 50 minutes

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

Filling:

  • 1 1/4 lbs Fuji or Gala Apples, sliced
  • 2 tbsps Coconut Oil
  • 1/2 cup Organic White Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 2 tsps Cornstarch, sifted
  • 1/2 tsp Lemon Zest
  • pinch of Sea Salt
  • drizzle of Agave Nectar (approx. 2 tsps)
  • Crisco to grease

Topping:

  • 1 1/2 cups Steel Cut Oats
  • 3 tbsps Cornstarch, sifted
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp Organic Brown Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • pinch of Sea Salt
  • drizzle of Agave Nectar (approx. 1 tsp)
  • optional: powdered sugar & sliced apple to garnish

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease 9″ pie dish with crisco, then set aside.
  2. Arrange sliced apples into a neat, circular pattern inside greased baking dish, then drizzle with coconut oil. Next, in small mixing bowl combine the sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch, tossing lightly until well combined. Evenly sprinkle sugar mixture over apples, then sprinkle with lemon zest, salt, and agave.
  3. In another, large mixing bowl combine all topping ingredients, stirring well. Evenly crumble oat mixture atop apple filling, then bake for 30 – 35 minutes until browned and bubbling. Serve immediately, topping with vegan ice cream and additional cinnamon if desired.

Vegan + Gluten-Free Cinnamon Apple Crisp (w/ extra crumble!)#addicted.

posted by Christine in: Sweets, Thanksgiving & Christmas
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