I’ve never subscribed much to the idea of ‘soul mates’.
One person in the entire world made just for me??
It’s a very romantic notion, but truth be told, I’m not much of a romantic.
I tend to look at situations with a sensible and practical mindset that can, at times, be frustrating for whimsical individuals around me.
It’s not that I don’t sob like a baby when Travis shoots Old Yeller or that I’ve lost all sense of my child-like ways…I more than anyone in my house, including the kids, love a good game of spontaneous tag or dancing around the house in my skivvies, but I can’t tell myself something that I don’t truly believe, and I don’t believe there is one perfect person out there.
Despite all the things I might have in common with someone, there will always be traits that irk me as well.
Of all the people I’ve ever known, however, my husband is the one best suited to my idiosyncrasies. His uncharacteristic romanticism keeps my pragmatic attitude in check, and his easy-going manner is a great match for my sometimes persnickety ways.
Now, to be clear, this soul mate thing, doesn’t apply to food.
I definitely have a perfect match when it comes to food and it ain’t beets.
This apple crumble defines what I love in a dessert…it’s healthy, it’s delicious, it can be eaten any time of the day without the blood sugar crash of a Mountain Dew, and it contains two of my favorite foods: oats and apples.
I’ve made plenty of variations of this recipe throughout the years, and I eat them all joyfully, but this time, I really wanted to hone in on a ‘staple’ recipe that I could refer to again and again.
By employing oats, oat flour, and oat bran in the crumble, I’ve not only made this nutritious, but high in fiber as well.
The bake time allows the apples to soften, without turning to mush, and it creates a golden brown, lightly sweetened crust that stays crunchy in some places, while becoming mixed with the apple juices in others, creating different, mouth-pleasing textures that I just love.
Healthier Than Grandma's Apple Crumble
Ingredients
- 5 c. apples about 3-4 apples, peeled and sliced
- 1 T. lemon juice
- 1 T. maple syrup
- 3/4 c. oat flour I grind Country Choice Organic Oats into flour
- 1/2 c. quick oats I use Country Choice Organic Oats
- 2 T. oat bran
- 1 t. cinnamon
- 1/4 t. nutmeg
- 1/4 t. sea salt
- 3 T. coconut sugar or another natural granulated sugar
- 4 T. softened coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Butter or oil an 8 x 8 baking dish.
- In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with the lemon juice and maple syrup.
- Spread the apple slice on the bottom of the baking dish.
- In another bowl, mix the ingredients for the crumble (flour, oats, bran, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and sugar).
- Using a fork or your hands, cut the coconut oil into the dry crumble until the mix is moistened throughout.
- Spread the crumble atop the apples.
- Bake the crumble for 35 minutes.
- Cool 20-30 minutes to allow the apple juices to thicken.
- Cut and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
Notes:
Use a good, crisp apple, such as Granny Smith or Fuji for best results.
Top as desired with a well-tolerated ice cream or whipped cream for extra deliciousness.
Do you believe in soul mates? What’s your perfect food match?
Taylor says
Athough I love this recipe and have used it for a couple years now, it is not nut free. I just found out that I have a nut allergy and coconuts are a tree nut, so be aware when serving.
Lauren says
Hi Taylor,
Coconuts are recognized by the FDA as a tree nut, but they are botanically known as a fruit (drupe, to be specific). Many people with threatening nut allergies (including my daughter) tolerate coconut just fine. I will remove the ‘nut-free’ label, however. 🙂
Charlotte Moore says
I made this yesterday to take to my son’s house. His girlfriend is GF,DF. MY son loves apples with cinnamon so I thought this would be great for both. I did sprinkle cinnamon and coconut sugar on the apples too. He likes extra cinnamon. They really liked it. I will be making this again. Thanks!!
Lauren says
That’s great Charlotte, thanks for your comment!
Ally @ Om Nom Ally says
I’m loving this crumble recipe, you had me hooked when I saw there was oats in the ingredients list!
I’m not sure how I feel about ‘soul mates’ either, but I do think it’s wonderful to be with someone who complements you, congrats to you both for finding your perfect match 🙂
Lauren says
Thanks so much Ally! 🙂
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen says
This apple crumble looks delicious – I love having healthy, staple recipes like this! Can’t wait to try 🙂 Pinned!
peggy says
Can’t wait to try this recipe. I have old fashion oatmeal in the house which I will be using for the oat flour & quick oats but I am stumped on what I can substitute oat bran for – I have toasted oat cereal (generic whole wheat cheerios) & plan corn flakes? Thanks for any suggestion.
Lauren says
Hi Peggy,
You can just omit the bran or sub in an equal amount of quick oats. 🙂
olivia says
If you’re not gluten free, try wheat germ. That’s what I used as a sub, and it turned out beautifully.
Mike @TheIronYou says
Apple crumble with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream was granny’s fave dessert. It’s simple yet so delish.
Loving this healthified version Lauren!
Lauren says
Thanks so much Mike! 🙂