Stewed Apple Crisp Pots (Vegan and Gluten Free)

Recipe from Good Eatings (stewed apples and cashew cream)

Recipe from Cooking Light (coconut buckwheat granola)

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen 

Serves 4

Well, this may seem un-American, but I would choose this apple dessert over an apple pie anytime! This is absolutely the most scrumptious dessert ever!  (Although it would be a close call between this dessert and my delish and unusual contest winning apple pie.) 

The beauty of it is that you can make all the components in advance. The stewed apple recipe is pretty straight forward.  I like that it is sweetened with maple syrup instead of white sugar.  Any granola would work here, but I always have Coconut Buckwheat Granola on hand.  It's my fave. But, let me tell you, the cashew cream is the BOMB!  It would take any fruit dessert to a heavenly level.  Be sure to make this for your favorite people.  It would make a fabulous holiday treat.

Stewed Apples

5 medium-sized sweet eating apples, skin on, cored and chunked

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons maple syrup (not pancake syrup)

1 Tablespoon water

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of sea salt

Place the stewed apple ingredients in a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Simmer the apples for about 15 minutes or until the apples become soft and "fluffy" and still hold their shape.  You don't want it to turn into applesauce.  Now, when I made this, my apples were quite juicy and so, when they were cooked to this point, they gave off a lot of juice.  I took some of that juice and put it in a small saucepan with 1 Tablespoon maple sugar and cooked it until it became syrupy.  Then I returned the syrup to the apple pan and tossed the apples until they were coated.   So, if your apples seem to be swimming in too much liquid, you can do the same.

Coconut-Buckwheat Granola

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (Use gluten-free oats to make this dessert gluten free.)

1/2 cup unsweetened flaked dried coconut

1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup uncooked buckwheat groats

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

2 Tablespoons canola oil or coconut oil

2 Tablespoons maple syrup 

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl.  Whisk together the oi and maple syrup in another bowl.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix really well.  Spread the mixture in a single layer on a parchment lined or silicone lined rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Stir the mixture and then bake an additional 10 minutes.  Cool completely before using.

Cashew Cream

3/4 cup cashews, soaked overnight in water

1/2 cup plant milk

2-3 Tablespoons maple syrup (not pancake syrup)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Drain the water from the soaked cashews.  Rinse the cashews with fresh water and drain again. Then place the cashews in a high speed blender along with the rest of the cashew cream ingredients. Process until very smooth.  Add more milk to your thickness preference.  I thought the thickness was perfect as is.  

Serving

To serve, layer the three components into glass dishes for a simple, but lovely-looking dessert.  I layered the apples first, then the cream and then the granola crisp.  Malin (the recipe author) layered hers with the cream first, then the apples, the cream again and then the granola crisp.  Either way, it's going to look and taste fabulous!