This Vegan Apple Crumble is full of of whole foods and tastes amazingly delicious. Apples, cinnamon, nuts, and dates are topped with coconut cream to make a comforting dessert. This crumble is gluten-free, dairy-free and full of flavor!
I’ll be honest with you, my kitchen dream is that I would have delicious yet good-for-me food magically appear in front of me at every meal. But until my Fairy Godmother shows up or I win the lottery to pay for a personal chef, I don’t think that’s going to happen.
While meals can sometimes feel overwhelming and/or time consuming, home cooking and focusing on whole-foods based meals is so important for health.
Meal planning and meal prep are pillars for healthy meals. They make cooking so much easier especially during hectic weeks or when cravings hit.
That’s why I was really excited when I was asked to review Kim-Julie Hansen’s new book Vegan Reset which is a great resource for those wanting to get started on a healthy plant-based diet.
I’m also sharing with you a tasty whole foods dessert from the book, an Easy Vegan Apple Crumble, so be sure to check it out!
The Vegan Reset
You might know Kim-Julie Hansen from her popular Instagram account, Best of Vegan. She wrote the The 28-Day Plan to Kickstart Your Healthy Lifestyle because she understands how overwhelming it can be to transition to a healthy new lifestyle.
Her book includes all the tools, tips and tricks one could need to go vegan, including 28 days of vegan meals with budget-friendly shopping lists, weekly meal prep guides, and easy-to-follow meal plans with including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
A Healthy Dessert
There are no processed foods or added sugars in this Vegan Apple Crumble. It’s made with all whole foods ingredients.
The base of the crumble is made with apples, pecans, walnuts, and dates. The creamy topping is coconut milk whipped with a touch of real maple syrup.
Because there are no refined carbohydrates in this dish, you’re not going to get that big blood sugar spike like you would with cake or ice cream. While the dates and apples are considered carbs, they do not raise blood sugar like a typical dessert filled with sugar would do.
The fiber in the fruit as well as the fat and protein in the nuts also helps regulate any blood sugar spike so this makes for a great alternative to a traditional dessert.
Easy Vegan Apple Crumble
A little background on crumbles. Originally made in Britain, traditional crumbles sweet variety usually contains fruit topped with a crumbly mixture of butter, flour, and sugar and baked.
In this healthier version, nuts and dates take the place of the non-plant-based in ingredients, making for an all around healthier option.
Baking this vegan apple crumble fills the house with the scents of fall. I couldn’t wait to take this out of the oven and have some of this apple cinnamon goodness!
This would be a perfect treat for so many occasions:
- anytime fall or winter dessert
- Halloween party or movie night
- Thanksgiving gathering
- alternative to a candy bar during that mid-afternoon slump (I’ve brought it to work for this exact reason!)
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. If you make this recipe, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below.
Share your pictures of any of my recipes on Instagram and use #vnutrition or tag @v.nutrition so I won’t miss it!
Easy Vegan Apple Crumble
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup walnuts
- 1/3 cup pecans
- 1 cup dates pitted
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt
- 2 apples diced
Coconut Cream
- 1 can coconut milk full fat
- 3 TB maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the nuts, dates, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt into a food processor. Pulse until crumbly.
- Transfer mixture to baking dish, mix in diced apples, and bake for 15-20 minutes.*
- Drain liquid from the chilled coconut cream and use solid part only.* Mix the sold coconut cream and pale syrup using a whisk or blender.
- Serve the crumble with the cream.
Notes
- The original recipe calls for 15 minutes but I liked it even better when baked for 20 minutes (both ways are delicious).
- Save the liquid from the can of coconut cream and use it for smoothies!
Nutrition
Mary Ellen Valverde MS, CNS, LDN is a Licensed Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Specialist who empowers vegans to feel confident creating sustainable habits that align with their values and health goals. She shares easy plant-powered food to nourish your body + satisfy your tastebuds. Mary Ellen’s recipes and nutrition info have been featured on Yahoo News, Parade, VegNews, LIVESTRONG, Dr. Axe, Greatist, LIVEKINDLY, Brit+Co, Well+Good, and more. She lives in NJ with her husband & two sweet shih tzus, Firenze & Sophie.
Randi Tisdall says
I love apple crumbles!!! What a fun thing to do- a giveaway that kicks off the fall season. I love these pics and it looks amazing. You’ve made me hungry now lol.
Mary Ellen says
Thanks so much Randi! I was surprised how much I enjoyed the crumble and how tasty it could be without flour/grains!
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says
This sounds like the perfect dish to welcome in fall weather 🙂 Yum!
Arvie says
Ahhh! Fall ! My favorite season ever ~ all the apple and pumpkin goodness! My favorite of all favorites is pumpkin pie 🙂
Lauren says
I don’t usually make many desserts, but as soon as the weather starts to turn, all I want to make is pumpkin bread! Definitely my favorite fall dessert. It was 112 degrees in Phoenix this weekend, so I’m not ready to turn on the oven just yet, but I’ve been looking forward to it, for sure!!
Corrine says
I always enjoy the variety of pies in the fall.