Christmas is the one time of the year where I finally get around to doing some baking… there’s not much more “Christmassy” than a house filled with the smell of fresh baking, right!? And it’s the time of the year where I finally have the time to do something fun with my kids… and watch the oven so nothing burns. (I’m notoriously bad at this!!!)
To get you in the holiday spirit I’ve asked one of my foodie friends, Megan Kate Swan from Swan Blog, to share one of her favourite Christmas recipes and she came up with this beaut…. Spiced Apple Christmas Crumble Bars, plus the good news is that it’s vegan-friendly too!!!
Spiced Apple Christmas Crumble Bars (Yields: 16 bars)
Apple crisp meets apple pie in this delicious vegan apple crumble bar recipe!
A generous spiced apple layer between a pecan and oat crumble that serves both as the crust and topping.
The almond maple caramel topping takes this humble Christmas treat to another level; it can be drizzled over the bars or over some ice cream served on the side.
Ingredients
Apple Filling
3 apples
½ lemon, juiced
3 tbsp coconut sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Crumble Mixture
3/4 cup raw unsalted pecan halves
1 cup cake or spelt flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
Salted Almond Caramel
1/3 cup almond butter
3 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 175C. Line a 20cm square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Slice the apples thinly with a mandolin and place in a bowl.
Add the lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix. Set aside.
Place the pecan halves in a food processor and pulse a few times until you get a coarse meal.
Transfer to a large bowl and add the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and sea salt. Mix to combine.
Pour the melted coconut oil onto the dry ingredients and stir well to combine.
Reserve about one cup of mixture and pour the remainder into your prepared baking pan. Press firmly into the bottom of the pan so that the crust is quite compact. Spread the apples evenly onto the crust. Sprinkle the reserved crumble mixture on top.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.
While the bars are baking, prepare the caramel. Place the almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla and sea salt into a small bowl and whisk. Add one or two tablespoons of warm water as needed to thin out, until you get a caramel-like texture.
Remove the pan from the oven and let cool completely.
Slice into squares and serve with a generous drizzle of the pecan caramel. Serve with some coconut whipped cream and enjoy.
Soooo yummy! I’ll certainly be trying this recipe out with my kids this Christmas.
What’s your favourite festive season recipe that you enjoy baking with your kids over the holidays! Let me know in the comments below.
Recipe & Photos: Megan Kate Swan
