Truth be told I’m a simple girl with simple tastes. You can keep your French macarons and fancy foams and fluff. I’m happiest with my chocolate self-saucing pud and dollop of cream. And I can’t say no to a fruit dessert – I’ll take caramelised pineapple over creme caramel any day! While I don’t make a dessert for after dinner every night, we usually like to have a little something something with a cup of tea after the kids have gone to bed and while we’re watching a show on TV or whatever. It’s our ritual. Sometimes it will just be a medjool date or two, or sometimes it will be this yummy sugar-free Apple Crumble.
This Apple Crumble is free of refined sugars, and while it isn’t gluten free, I imagine it would be a fairly simple affair to swap out the rolled oats for quinoa flakes or something similar, I just haven’t tried it – perhaps I will when my Mum comes to stay next. I love a thick, buttery crust of crumble on top, with some crunch. Buckwheat groats are my new best friend – I use them to top banana bread, in granola bars and wherever else I think a little bit of tasty crunch is needed. And it is imperative that the apples have just the right amount of bite because no one wants sloppy Apple Crumble, right?
I always make lots, because what’s better than a sugar-free dessert you can eat for breakfast? Not much, I say.
Sugar-free Apple Crumble
Makes 4-5 generous serves
4-6 large Granny Smith apples
a squeeze of lemon or lime juice to stop the apples from browning
1 cup almond meal
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup buckwheat groats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tspn cinnamon
1/3 cup almonds, roughly chopped
1/3 cup rice malt syrup
75g butter, melted
Preheat your oven to 180°C, fan-forced.
Peel and core the apples and cut into large chunks. Squeeze a small amount of lemon or lime over the apples to prevent browning. Steam the apples in a saucepan on the stovetop, or in a microwave, for a 2-3 minutes, or until just softened. Drain well and transfer to a medium-sized baking dish.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients; add the rice malt syrup and the melted butter and mix well to combine. At first it may seem like you need to add more moisture, but keep mixing until all the ingredients are moistened. Adding more liquid will make the mix too wet and it won’t be nice and crumbly!
Scatter the crumb mixture over the top of the steamed apples, ensuring the apples are well covered. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve when slightly cooled, with cream and custard.
