You know how Christmas smells like pine trees? Well in my house, autumn has a smell too. Apple crisp. Baking this recipe on a brisk, sunny day, burnt-orange leaves falling past the windows, the aroma of cinnamon and apples wafting from the oven, there is a fleeting moment when I feel just like Martha Stewart. Of course I have to take care to keep my eyes tightly closed so I can’t see the curtains that need hemming and the floors that need scrubbing, but the moment is lovely while it lasts. Try this easy recipe and you too can have a home that smells like Martha Stewart’s. When the feeling passes – it always does – you can indulge in a bowl of scrumptious apple crisp to ease your disappointment!
The recipe that follows is my clean, vegan version of a buttery old favorite. Your mouth won’t know the difference but your body will thank you. Brad had been eating the old version for years before I switched things up and he never even noticed a change. There’s still plenty of sugar and fat in this dessert, but it’s entirely plant-based and whole grain.
Autumn Apple Crisp (vegan)
- 4 heaping C sliced, peeled apples *use Gala, Macoun, or another variety that is firm and tart
- 1 tsp brown sugar plus 1 1/2 C packed brown sugar
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 C spelt flour *use whole wheat flour if you can’t find spelt flour
- 1 C old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/8 C chia seeds
- pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/3 C coconut oil
- 1/3 C non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
TIP: You will need 6-8 apples to produce 4 heaping cups of thin apple slices. Use an old-fashioned, hand-crank apple peeler/corer/slicer to make quick work of it.
- preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
- combine the apple slices with 1 tsp brown sugar and the lemon juice in the bottom of a 9×12 glass baking dish
- in a large bowl, mix together the rest of the brown sugar with all the dry ingredients
- add the coconut oil and margarine to the dry ingredients and mix it all together with your hands until it is completely combined and forms large crumbs
- spread the crumbly mixture all over the top of the apples in one thick layer
- bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees
Can be served warm or cold. My favorite way to enjoy it is warm with a scoop of non-diary vanilla ice cream.
