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Caramel Apple Crisp with Walnut Date Crumble

Let’s be honest here, this recipe is mostly just an excuse to use that incredible caramel sauce (from the caramel apple scones) again. But that’s not totally true, this apple crisp is incredibly delicious. And simple. And all-natural. These types of desserts are typically made with tons of butter and sugar, but not here. By using dates and a liiittle bit of maple syrup, we can completely cut out the sugar. Add a dollop of coconut whipped cream and a drizzle of vegan caramel sauce and you might just forget that this is supposed to be a “healthy” dessert.

Apple_Crisp

Oh! And another reason I’m really excited right now (in addition to having just eaten half of this caramel apple crisp) is because I took these pictures on my brand new wooden tabletop!! Isn’t it amazing? My super-talented friends at Ericksonwoodworks.com make these beautiful tabletops, by hand, from reclaimed wood. If you do any kind of food photography, you should definitely check them out.

Apple_Crisp_Half

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 5 medium apples
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 lemon (juice)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2/3 cup dates
  • 2/3 cup walnuts
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt
  • caramel sauce (recipe)
  • Coconut whipped cream (recipe)

Step Zero

Prepare a batch of the caramel sauce from the scone recipe. It’s super simple: combine 10 medjool dates, 2 tablespoons almond butter, 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt in a blender with just enough non-dairy milk to create the consistency of a sauce (you’ll want it a little more runny than the icing used for those scones). This can be made several days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 375º F

Step One

Start with the apples (you can use any varieties you like) and chop them into small chunks. Then, warm a skillet over medium heat with a drizzle of maple syrup, the juice of 1/2 lemon, and a few pinches of cinnamon. Throw in the apples, cover, and let simmer until soft (12 minutes?).

Apple_Crisp_Apples

Step Two

Meanwhile, prepare the walnut date crisp. Add 2/3 cup walnuts to a food processor with 2/3 cup dates and pulse until you have beautiful little crumbles. Add this to a mixing bowl with all the other ingredients (rolled oats, whole wheat flour, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and juice from that other half of the lemon). Toss together and give this a taste – the measurements aren’t super exact, so feel free to adjust to your own tastes.

Step Three

When the apples are soft, it’s time to assemble the crisp. Drain all but 1/3 cup of the liquid from the apples and add them to an oven-safe dish (or just bake in the stainless skillet like I did here) and top with the crumble. Press down firmly to create a seal and bake in a 375º oven until the top just starts browning – about 30 minutes.

Allow to cool before serving with a drizzle of the caramel sauce and a dollop of coconut whipped cream.

Apple_Crisp_Plate

10 Comments

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  1. Did you feel that? That was the breeze created when I raced off to the kitchen to prepare this yummy looking dish.

    That table top is gorgeous! Perfect backdrop for your comforting and wholesome food.

  2. This looks delicious! I am going to make this right away with the abundance of apples I have! (Living in Apple Country has its perks!) 🙂

    Love the new table top!

  3. I will be trying this for Sunday dinner this weekend!I love any dessert recipe that has no refined sugar, and is made with 100% whole grains… Fab!

  4. This completely rocks, anything this nummy, wholesome and that brings my husband down from his working cave to say: “wow, love, that smells ahhh-mazing!” is now on our ever growing list of our not-to-be-missed recipes form the amaze balls one ingredient chef! many thanks!

  5. Hi Andrew! This was totally gorgeous. I made it today for our guests and they loved it. My 4 year old daughter enjoyed the caramel sauce without anything else. I can see all kinds of uses for it. Even plain old yoghurt with that sauce would be delicious. Thanks for sharing!

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