Apple Crisp With a Twist

It’s baking season and one of my absolute favorite desserts is Apple Crisp.

It beats out pie, tarts, cookies, cakes, you name it.

My mom makes the best version using oats, brown sugar, and lots and lots of butter.

This year I took to making this classic with a healthier twist.

Coconut oil replaces the butter (plus with this swap, you need less),

and liquid stevia helps to cut the sugar.

(Don’t even ask me about powdered stevia.

The after taste is too overbearing for me.

Liquid wins. Forever.)

Here’s my recipe, I hope you like it.

Apple Crisp With a Twist

Filling:

6-8 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

(I used apples and Bartlett pears because that’s what I had.

Heck, make a pear crisp, or a persimmons crisp! All equally yum.)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons Apple Pie Spice

2/3 teaspoon liquid stevia

Topping:

2 cups rolled oats

1 cut whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons Apple Pie Spice

¾ cup refined coconut oil

2/3 teaspoon liquid stevia

In a mixing bowl, stir together oats, whole wheat flour, and Apple Pie Spice. In a separate bowl, whisk coconut oil with liquid stevia.

Use refined coconut oil, and you won’t get a coconut-y flavor. If you don’t mind your Apple Crisp having a coconut tinge to it, any coconut oil will do.

Add coconut oil mixture to the dry ingredients and incorporate completely.

(You want the oats to soak up the oil mixture so it will make a crumbly topping.)

Set aside.

Grease a 9×13 pan with coconut oil.

In another mixing bowl, combine peeled, cored and chopped apples with the liquid stevia.

Toss to coat apples in the stevia. Add cornstarch, and apple pie spice. Toss until completely coated. Put apple mixture into the bottom of your 9×13 pan, making an even layer. Next, sprinkle oat mixture on top, making sure to cover any bare spots.

I found that the stevia adds the sweetness factor, but the depth of flavor achieved by using brown sugar just isn’t there. So I took a little less than ¼ cup brown sugar and just sprinkled it on top over the oat mixutre, and it was perfect.

You can totally leave this step out, it you’re hard core avoiding sugar.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

And, of course, have a very Merry Christmas!

kristen

I'm a Maui Girl married to a Tongan Boy, and together we have 5 little island babes. I love my life as a wife and mom, living in the islands, and immersing myself in my family. I have a degree in International Cultural Communications, and I love to organize, read, write, exercise, and cook. I have an affinity for simple things, a clean house, a loud kitchen, and lots (and lots!) of family.