Easy Cinnamon Apple Crumble : gluten-free vegan

I’m happy to share this incredibly easy and delicious Cinnamon and Ground Clove Apple Crumble that’s naturally gluten-free, dairy free and vegan. This easy crumble recipe has lovely warming spices that bring out the best in an apple dessert. Also, I use stevia to add a little touch of sweetness without the extra sugar calories! Together, it’s a delicious and healthy dessert meant to be shared with special people in your life…

Yes, great desserts should be shared with great people…. 
I was so happy to see my sister a couple of weeks ago and spend some much-needed-sister-time. We met at a beautiful cottage in Mont Tremblant, Quebec for Thanksgiving weekend. And thankful I was. Very thankful for that beautiful weekend, for seeing my sister really happy and for our family time to be fun, relaxing and very special… and delicious!

I offered to make dessert there at the cottage before going up and took a few ingredients with me from home. 
When you make a really easy and quick dessert – why not whip it up fresh from scratch right there? Desserts like that travel better and will stay nice and fresh. Also, I enjoy the process of baking and cooking with a side of good conversation.

This crumble was easy to make and quick to bake. And it’s meant to be eaten still warm from the oven so perfect for this time of the year. Also, the spices I added are actually naturally warming to the body ~ so perfect on so many levels.

I have always looked for beauty in the everyday and when you’re in a magical place it’s nice to really surround yourself in the beauty of nature and get right in there – into the sights and sounds of mother nature’s autumnal vibes. We took our dessert right to the dock and made our last day together even more memorable and special oven chai tea and this amazing warming Apple Crumble.

Easy Cinnamon & Ground Clove Apple Crumble

gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, no sugar added, real food recipe

Ingredients :

6 apples (red delicious or any apple varieties will do)
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup powdered stevia or coconut sugar
1/2 cup Earth Balance vegan buttery spread or coconut oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)

Directions : 

Preheat oven to 350F.

Peel, core and slice the apples and layer at the bottom of an 8×8″ baking dish.

To make the crumble in a food processor : Add in all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse to combine well.

To make in a bowl : Combine oats, almond meal, stevia and spices in a medium bowl. Toss to mix well. Add in margarine or oil and mix with a spoon (or it’s best to use your hands and press the dry ingredients with the margarine as you incorporate them). Mix until ‘crumbles’ form. 

Pour out over the apple slices and spread out evenly all over. 

Bake at 350F for 25-35 minutes or until top is slightly golden. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. 

It’s perfectly delicious just like this spooned onto a plate still warm or cold from the fridge.

 

Then the rest of the gang joined us and I’m so happy my husband snapped a few sweet photos of me with my daughters. What can I say, our weekend could not have been any more perfect… I feel so thankful for these amazing people in my life. I treasure my family so much and appreciate these moments so much. 

I am also thankful for my blog readers for being here and supporting what I love and do and get to share it all with you. I am so happy to reach 10 K followers on Facebook and 14 K followers on Instagram – if you’re not already following Pure Ella on social media, you should as it’s a fun way to stay in the loop of what I do! :)

On a side note, I can’t believe my book Cut the Sugar is just two months away from being released! I am so excited and happy you will be able to enjoy my recipes and health tips to live a sweet life with less sugar!! :)

With the book in mind, here is how we ‘cut the sugar‘ in this recipe : 

I added a zero calorie sweetener (no sugar added) :
Apples already contain natural sugars and oats are carbohydrates which turn to glucose/ sugar in the body so in this recipe it was important for me to not go overboard with the sugar. So that’s why using Stevia was important here as stevia contains zero sugar calories. Basically the only sugars we get here are from the fruit and oats – so that’s pretty great!

I added protein & fat :
Also, I added a source of protein and healthy fats which helps you feel fuller so you are more satisfied with less! That sounds pretty good too! Because when it comes to dessert – it’s not about the quantity but quality! 

I did not serve this with ice cream! :
Contrary to the popularity of eating crumble – I would not serve this with vanilla ice cream! Sorry, that’s just too much sugar together and you don’t need it! It’s delicious as is!

Also, not portioning the dessert may be a great way to allow for smaller servings if a person wishes. Serve on small plates so that you avoid a huge scoop! If you’re still not satisfied, eat a handful of nuts after. 

I do enjoy homemade desserts and I truly believe that when ingredients are pure and natural and healthy – the food is good for you too. You should not feel deprived or hurt by your cravings. It’s simply a mind game and it takes a little bit of getting used to what’s better for you. Once you do that, I think you will enjoy a life that feels free from nagging cravings but is sweet indeed!

I hope you’re also excited about ways to Cut the Sugar from your diet! :) You can preorder the cookbook Cut the Sugar now on Amazon or any major retailers. And I can’t wait to hear what you think! :)