VEGAN APPLE CRISP

Preheat the oven to 350º

APPLE FILLING:

• Toss the peeled and sliced apples with lemon juice, vanilla, sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (if using), and ¼ teaspoon salt.
• Spread into one even layer in an 8.5 x 12 baking dish (an 8 x 8 dish baking dish will also work if you like a thicker layer of apples).

OAT TOPPING: 

• Mix the oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg (if using), and salt. Add the maple syrup and melted butter (if using) into the mixture while stirring. Stir well until incorporated and the mixture is evenly moistened.
• Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apple filling.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the topping is brown and crisp and the apples are fork tender.
• Let cool for a few minutes, then serve warm with dairy-free ice cream.

TIPS:

• Use tart apples. Sweet apples mixed with sugar and maple syrup will yield a much too sweet dessert. A combination of tart apples and sweet apples could work, though.
• Peel the apples! Apple peels are delicious and healthy, but NOT in a fruit crisp. The peels will be tough and get in the way of the apples absorbing all those yummy fall flavors.
• Slice the apples about ¼ inch thick. If too thin they’ll turn to mush, and if sliced too thick, the topping will burn before they are cooked through.
• Use old-fashioned rolled steel-cut not steel-cut oats – they won’t work in this recipe.
• Make sure all the oat topping is moistened thoroughly. Keep mixing until no dry patches remain. Add an extra tablespoon or two of pure maple syrup, if needed. But do not use too much liquid! If the topping is too wet, it won’t crisp properly.
• Choose the right baking dish. If you like more apples to topping in each scoop, use an 8 x 8 baking dish. If you like an equal amount of topping and apples, use an 8.5 x 12 or 9 x 13 baking dish.
• Stick a fork into the apples to check if they’re done. They should be tender, allowing the fork to slip through easily, but not mushy.

Credit: veggieinspired.com