Healthy Apple Crumble

Making healthy desserts without added sugar and oil can be a bit of a challenge, especially for those of us who are watching our weights but still hanker after the occasional sweet treat. That's why I came up with this dessert. It's packed with fibre, vitamins, minerals and healthy fats so that you can feel satisfied and nourished whilst enjoying a sweet treat. It is also oil free, low GI, dairy-free, vegan and can easily be made gluten free by using gluten free oats.

Apple crumble (2).jpg

For my patients on calorie-controlled meal plans:

1 seving (1/6th of the recipe)=

  • 1 fruit serving
  • 1 starch serving
  • 1 nuts/ seeds serving OR 3 fat servings

SERVES 6

Ingredients:

For the filling:

  • 4 golden delicious apples, cored and diced (I leave the skin on because fibre is cool!)
  • 1 cup filtered water
  • Juice of ½ a lemon
  • 1 dried cinnamon stick

For the crumble:

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • ¼ cup shredded coconut
  • ¼ cup walnuts
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup or liquid sweetner of choice
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

  1. Heat your oven to 180 degrees celsius.
  2. Dice and core your apples and add to a pot on medium heat. Add the water, lemon juice and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the apples are soft, stirring throughout and adding more water as necessary.
  3. Once cooked, set the apples aside, removing the cinnamon stick and make your crumble.
  4. For the crumble: add your oats, coconut, walnuts and seeds into a food processor and pulse until a course crumble is formed. You're looking for a grainy texture and not a fine flour texture.
  5. Once processed, pour your crumble mix into a mixing bowl.
  6. In a separate bowl, mix together your maple syrup, tahini, cinnamon and vanilla essence.
  7. Pour this mixture over the crumble mixture and work it through with your hands so that the flour is evenly coated.
  8. Spread your cooked apples over the bottom of an oven proof baking dish and cover evenly with the crumble.
  9. Bake at 180 for about 10-15 minutes or until the crumble is golden.
  10. Serve with a side of cashew nut yoghut or coconut cream.
Jessica KotlowitzComment