When the days turn to cool and crisp, Maanas starts craving for the smell of cinnamon from the fresh baked apple crisp. One of my favorites to make, this could be as healthy and easy a dessert can get. The tartness from the fresh cranberries and pomegranates perfectly balancing the sweetness of the apples, the oats and the walnuts giving the perfect crunch, and the coconut oil making it vegan, this apple crisp is our favorite all natural, guilt-free dessert!

Except for the apples and a basic topping with flour, oil and maple syrup, everything else in this recipe is optional and can be easily played around with or totally omitted. That is the beauty of this recipe. Also, there is no need for any exact measurement. Whatever we do, the result is always a delicious apple crisp!

I find mixing a variety of apples makes it tastier than using just one type. I also feel anything made with oil turns out crispier than with butter. Coconut oil, not adding any particular flavor after baking, makes a perfect choice. According to the Ayurveda, honey becomes toxic when it is heated above 40° C (104° F). So, when it comes to substituting sugar, I use honey if no heating is involved, and for baking, I go with maple syrup. The use of ginger with apple is quite accidental. Once we happened to have a fresh apple juice with cinnamon, ginger and lime and all of us loved it so much and ever since I started adding ginger and lime juice to apples, any time I bake with them. The tartness, the seasonal cranberries and pomegranate add along with the health benefits makes them find their place in this dessert. Instead of slicing the apples, I cut the bottom of the apple and scooped the flesh out using a melon baller, to get the perfect cups for serving. These small things make the kids get excited and they love eating the crunchy cups in the end. No wasting of the healthy peels either.

Apple Crisp

The baking dish I used is 1 1/2″ deep with approximately 10″ in diameter.

Apple filling

5-6 apples, mixed variety

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

one pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

a handful of fresh cranberries and pomegranate seeds

Half of a key lime

one inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

Snip the stems off the apples. Cut the bottom of the apples and scoop the flesh out into the baking dish using a melon baller. Add maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, cranberries and pomegranate seeds. Squeeze the lime and ginger. Add one tablespoon of the oats powder (from Crumble topping ingredients below). Toss them all to combine.

note: If you are using lime, cranberries and pomegranate, then go with more sweet apple varieties else use of a mix of sweet and tart varieties.

Crumble topping

2 cups rolled oats – grind 1 cup to a powder in a blender.

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

one pinch of salt

a handful of walnuts, chopped

5 teaspoons of maple syrup

5 teaspoons of coconut oil ( cold and solid)

Preheat the oven to 400F.

In a bowl, mix the oats and the oats powder, cinnamon, salt, walnuts and the maple syrup, by hand. Cut the coconut oil in to make a coarse crumble.

Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the apple filling. Bake for about 40 minutes until the apple juice is bubbling around the edges and the topping is golden brown. Serve warm.

According to wikipedia,”Many high-profile chefs of the 21st century have publicly denounced the combination of apple crisp and ice cream. This is because, as the ice cream melts, it mixes with the apple and undermines the crumbles texture, which is an integral part of the popular dessert.” Moreover why not enjoy this healthy dessert as it is.