Apple Crumble would have to be one of the most versitile dishes. This dish of goodness can be eaten for dessert or breakfast (yep breakfast!) and enjoyed hot or cold. It is the perfect all-rounder.

As with all of my takes on the classics, I like to add in a little extra nourishment and this Apple Crumble is no different. I put together a crumble that is packed with good fats, protien, removed the refined sugar, dairy and gluten for those who are sensitive. But do not worry, it still comes with the crunchy, chewy, flavour hit that a traditional crumble brings.

Now whilst everyone loves an Apple Crumble for the crumble – me included, I always leave it to last to eat – the star of this dish is the stewed apple.

We in the gut health space love talking about the benefits of bone broth for gut health. But another lesser talked about and most certainly just as beneficial food is the humble stewed apple.

And my favourite part about both of these foods – how basic they are. Nothing fancy. No need to know how to be a Masterchef in the kitchen. No specialised equipment or ingredients. The both keep it simple. And honestly that is how our guts like it.

At the heart of all gut conditions is inflammation to some level. The humble stewed apple not only reduces inflammation, it can help improve the function of your gut, balance your good gut bacteria, which helps with better mood, better poos and in some cases weight balance.

So what makes stewed apples so damn amazing for our guts?

I do have an article on this, so if you want to dive in a little deeper have a read of that.

But in brief.

When we stew apples they release this super cool fibre called pectin. Pectin is a soluble fibre, which in the gut is a prebiotic, helping to feed our beneficial gut bacteria. There have been studies that show that this fibre can help repair and maintain the all important mucosal lining along our intestines, which reduces and even helps repair leaky gut (intestinal permeability).

Pectin also helps produce something called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) which actually help stop the growth of the bad bacteria, help regulated blood sugar and cholesterol, increase absorption of nutrients, particularly minerals and helps produce serontonin.

Apples also contain polyphenols, which are antioxidants. Oxidative stress is a huge underlying driver for so many chronic lifestyle conditions, so having protection against this is important.

Stewed apples can increase immune system tolerance which is a fancy way of saying that is becomes reactive to things it should be such as parasites and less reactive to harmless things like food.

Now onto the crumble.

My favourite part of a crumble is those parts that are super crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy as you bite into them. This combined with the texture of the nuts and coconut, make for the perfect crumble.

This dish is focused on the gut so I’ve used buckwheat flour (actually not wheat at all), as this is anti-inflammatory through the gut, removed sugar and replaced it with raw honey and maple syrup and whilst I’m a fan of butter, I know some have a dairy intolerance so have popped in an alternative for this. I’ve also pimped it up with some hemp seeds – these are such a great source of plant Omega-3, our anti-inflammatory fats – along with walnuts and almonds for some protien.

 

Packed with wholefoods, the bonus really is that you can enjoy this for breakfast. Add some dairy free yoghurt and you have a nutritious breakfast. I mean really who doesn’t enjoy dessert for breakfast!

What do I need?

• 5 Apples
• 1/2 Cup of Water
• 1/3 Cup of Almond Meal
• 1/3 Cup of Buckwheat Flour
• 1/2 Cup of Coconut, desiccated or shredded
• 1/2 Cup of Mixed Nuts, roughly chopped, l like walnuts + almonds
• 1/4 Cup of Hemp Seeds
• 1 teaspoon of Cinnamon, ground
• 1 teaspoon of Ginger, ground
• 1/3 Cup of Coconut Oil (or butter)
• 2 Tablespoons of Raw Honey (for vegan sub for more maple syrup)
• 1 Tablespoon of Pure Maple Syrup

 

Let’s Do This!

1. Cut your apples into quarters, remove the core, then slice each quarter into three.

2. Place apple slices in a medium saucepan with the water and lid on. Bring to the boil over medium heat, then turn to low to simmer.

3. Leave apples for around 20 minutes, checking regularly to ensure they aren’t sticking to the pan. If they do you can add in a touch more water.

4. Whilst your apples are stewing, preheat the oven to 170c.

5. Place all of your dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine.

6. Place the coconut oil, honey and maple syrup in a microwave safe jug/dish and heat. Depending if your coconut oil is melted or not this will take between 20-60 seconds. I recommend doing it in short intervals so it doesn’t bubble over.

7. Pour your warm coconut oil mix into the dry ingredients and combine.

8. When the apples are finished, place them in an oven proof dish. I used two small pie dishes. Cover with the crumble mix, ensuring it’s evenly distibuted.

9. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until your crumble has browned and cooked through a little. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

I like mine with either coconut ice cream or coconut yoghurt.

 

Serves 4

Gluten free, diary free, refined sugar free, vegan options

You can store leftovers in the fridge and have them cold – still very tasty! Or re-heat on low in the microwave for a couple of minutes or in the oven for 20 minutes