Grandma’s Apple Crumble

Let’s admit that most people think the topping is the best part of a fruit crumble. The crunchy, sweet oat nuggets are really “the icing on the cake”, right? It may surprise you to learn that you get better results with coconut oil than with the butter our grandmas used.  Coconut oil makes for a rich, crisp topping that’s also much better for you.

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 70 minutes

Filling

12 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 tablespoon arrowroot starch

½ cup coconut sugar

3 tablespoons chia seeds

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

Topping

2 cups GF rolled oats

¾ cup GF all-purpose flour

1 cup vegan butter

½ cup roughly chopped almonds

3/4 cup organic cane sugar

3 tablespoons shredded coconut (optional)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish.
2. Make the apple filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the apples, arrowroot starch, coconut sugar, chia seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add lemon juice and mix again.
3. Make the topping: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, vegan butter, almonds, sugar, coconut, cinnamon, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Clusters should form in the mix; these will get brown and crunchy during baking. Using your hands to combine the mixture works best!
4. Put the apple mixture into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with the topping.
5. Cover the crumble with foil, then poke several holes in the foil to allow steam to escape.
6. Bake for 45-50 minutes, then remove the foil, and “rake” the crumble with a fork. Return crumble to the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
7. Allow the crumble to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Makes 10-12 servings

Note: Can be refrigerated for up to a week. Leftovers make a yummy breakfast!