Easy Vegan Apple Crumble {GF and grain-free}

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.

Even if readers don’t want to dive into the full plan, there are tons of simple, plant-based recipe ideas that are easy to follow.

In her book Kim-Julie includes:

• VEGAN VERSIONS OF GO-TO COMFORT FOODS: Pineapple Fried Wild Rice, Creamy Mushroom Penne, Corn-Avocado Tacos, and Butternut Mac ’N Cheese
• NUTRIENT-RICH DINNER INSPIRATION FOR BACK TO SCHOOL TIME: Tropical Creamsicle Smoothie for breakfast, Spring Roll Bowl for lunch, and Black Bean Tortillas for dinner
• GROCERY MONEY SAVING TIPS: meals are designed to be economical and use common ingredients found at any grocery store, busting the myth that maintaining a vegan diet has to be expensive.
• DECADENT DESSERTS WITH ALL-NATURAL SWEETNERS: Dark Chocolate Vegan Peanut Butter Cups, Red Velvet Truffles, Double Chocolate Brownies, and Espresso & White Chocolate Cashew Mousse made from pure ingredients.

I love that the book also follows a holistic approach, guiding readers step by step on their plant-based journey. Kim-Julie includes exercise and meditation tips and journal exercises at the end of each week, and a full section dedicated to healthy living.

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!

5 from 1 vote

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Easy Vegan Apple Crumble

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! 

Excerpted from VEGAN RESET © 2018 by Best of Vegan LLC. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apple crumble, vegan apple crumble

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 286 kcal

Author Mary Ellen

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

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place the nuts, dates, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt into a food processor. Pulse until crumbly.

3. Transfer mixture to baking dish, mix in diced apples, and bake for 15-20 minutes.*

4. 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.

5. Serve the crumble with the cream. 

Recipe 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 Facts

Easy Vegan Apple Crumble

Amount Per Serving

Calories 286 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Carbohydrates 39g13%

Fiber 4.6g19%

Protein 2.8g6%

Calcium 35mg4%

Iron 2.6mg14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Mary Ellen

Mary Ellen Valverde MS, CNS, LDN is a Licensed Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Specialist who helps clients regain their energy, confidence and health by adapting and enjoying a plant-based diet. By uniting her functional nutrition education with her passion for plants and mindfulness, Mary Ellen offers a completely holistic and science-based approach to designing a healthy, plant-based life. When she’s not reading up on the latest nutrition research, you can find Mary Ellen doting on her two rescue shih tzus, creating the perfect vegan mac & cheese, or exploring the world with her husband.