Coconut flour raspberry and apple crumble

It is crumble season. Also pie season and pudding season, but today we're talking crumble. A simple, fruity, comforting crumble with the sweet tartness of raspberries and the tart sweetness of apples.

My crumbles are more fruit than topping, but the topping here is excellent too (even if I scorched mine a little bit). I used coconut sugar and coconut flour, which gave a slightly different texture and taste to standard sugar/flour combinations. I think coconut flour is particularly suited to crumble toppings because it is inherently quite crumbly. It also has a texture that is somehow light and fluffy but also rich and comforting. I liked it in this dish.

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No-bake chocolate-topped black bean and goji berry snack bars (vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free)

For someone who likes vegetable-containing desserts, it may seem strange that I have never tried black bean brownies. Beetroot brownies, yes; chickpea truffle balls, yes; black bean brownies, no.

There's no particular reason for this, although I will readily admit that brownies aren't my favourite treat. That might be why my entry into black bean desserts comes not with brownies, but with these no-bake snack bars. With a short ingredient list that features goji berries and coconut flour, the bars are a delightful mix of decadent and healthy. The best part? You can't taste the healthy.

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Vegan peanut butter fudge bites (super easy, single bowl, and 4 ingredients!)

My enjoyment of coconut flour has increased exponentially since my first dismal attempt to use it in purple carrot cookies. Since then, it has featured successfully in my recipes for 5-ingredient, 5 minute vegan brownie bites, vegan coconut banana truffles, vegan no-bake banana bread bites, and even strawberry oat squares.

Today, I am delighted to add another coconut flour win to the list. Like most of the successful recipes above, these peanut butter fudge bites have a short ingredient list and take hardly any time to prepare. Coconut flour works to bind everything together and give a chewy, fudgy texture that is incredibly satisfying

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Vegan coconut banana chocolate truffles

Yesterday, I had a ripe banana on the kitchen counter and some cooked chickpeas in the fridge. In other words, nothing too unusual.

Instead of freezing the banana and eating the chickpeas plain, I turned them into...these. 

I know. I think I made the right choice too.

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Strawberry oat squares with coconut flour

I think I am gradually getting used to coconut flour. I have learnt not to use it as the sole or main flour when baking. I have definitely learnt that it is a dangerous when combined with purple carrots. And I have learnt that it works rather spectacularly in no-bake chocolate brownies with avocado.

I didn't like these squares as much as I liked the brownie bites, but I did enjoy them nonetheless. They are very low in sugar; free of wheat, dairy and eggs; and incorporate sesame seeds as well as oats and coconut flour. They are crumbly, but in an appropriate way - crumbly on top, but holding together underneath.

I think the only thing I'd change if making them again is the fruit filling. Strawberry was fine, but it lacked punch. I think raspberries would have more zing and lift this slice from enjoyable to wonderful.

For now, here is the strawberry version I made last weekend. I have listed possible variations at the end, and if you are catering to 'regular' tastes I would advise increasing the sweetener. I liked the reduction in sweetness for a change, but the taste was different to commercial oat bars or squares.

Strawberry oat squares with coconut flour

Vegan and wheat free

Makes 16 squares

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Ingredients

For the filling

1 punnet (250g) fresh strawberries, washed, stems removed and cut in half

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp coconut flour

1 tsp vanilla

For the base and topping

1/2 cup + 1/2 cup rolled oats, divided

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup coconut flour

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 - 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)

1 tbsp + 1 tbsp maple syrup, divided

Method

Preheat your oven to 180'C and line a square baking dish with baking paper.

Place the filling ingredients in a medium saucepan and roughly mash the strawberries. Bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce heat immediately and simmer for approximately 10 minutes, uncovered and stirring regularly, until the mixture thickens. Set the filling aside while you prepare the base and topping.

In a food processor, process half of the oats (1/2 cup) and the sesame seeds until finely processed. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add the remaining oats, coconut flour, vanilla, baking powder, cinnamon, milk and 1 tbsp maple syrup. Mix well.

Transfer approximately two-thirds of the oat mixture into the bottom of your lined baking dish. Press down firmly.

Pour the filling over the base and smooth out evenly. Cover with the remaining oat mixture, and then drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp maple syrup across the top.

Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool before cutting into squares. 

First oat layer

Strawberry filling

Oat topping, drizzled with maple syrup

Baked

And sliced

I enjoyed these more when eaten from the refrigerator, but am aware that might be a climate-specific preference. They certainly paired well with a cup of tea, and made for an enjoyable mid-afternoon snack most days this week.

As for possible variations? As noted, I would probably use raspberries (defrosted from frozen) instead of strawberries next time. If you want a sweeter product, I would recommend adding 1 - 2 tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar to the filling, and using 2 - 4 tbsp syrup or sugar in the oat mixture. If you don't have or don't like coconut flour, you can of course use regular flour instead.

Submitted to Healthy Vegan Friday 26, co-hosted by Gabby and Carrie.

Have you had any recent experiments with coconut flour (or other non-wheat flours)? I have no problem with wheat / gluten so my experimenting is more for the fun of it than anything else.

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Crumbly strawberry coconut flour muffins

Yesterday, whilst at workplace number one, I started the day by dropping a glass container of coffee on the floor. It shattered.

It turns out that cleaning up glass and coffee granules without a brush or broom is a tricky task indeed.

Overnight, I remembered that yesterday was the birthday of one of my university friends. I'm still feeling terrible about forgetting.

This morning, at workplace number two, I spent some minutes wondering where I'd put my coffee cup. Then I remembered that I dropped it on the floor last week. You guess it - it shattered too.

To this string of events, I could add these coconut flour muffins. They weren't dropped, and I didn't forget anything in their preparation, but they didn't quite turn out as expected. As their name suggests - they were crumbly. If optimal muffin crumbliness is a 3 out of 10, these are probably a 7.

However, whilst these muffins are above average in crumbliness, they are also above average in taste. They taste of strawberries and slightly of coconut, and are sweet enough to taste like a treat without being so sweet that they deserve to be called dessert. They are also light and dense at the same time, in the way that coconut flour manages to be.

In light of this, I'm going to interpret these muffins as a lesson in my coconut flour learning process. I'm sharing them along with my thoughts for future adaptations.

Messiness in the form of muffin crumbs is, after all, a lot better than messiness in the form of coffee or glass all over the floor.

Crumbly strawberry coconut flour muffins

Not quite right in texture, but highly enjoyable in taste

Adapted from banana coconut flour muffins at Detoxinista

Yields 12 muffins

Vegan and gluten free

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Ingredients

1 1/2 punnets strawberries (150g unhulled / 15 medium strawberries)

1 medium banana

1 cup (125g) coconut flour

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup apple sauce

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp water

1 tbsp coconut oil, in liquid form

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp baking soda

In future I would also add: 1 tbsp chia seeds soaked in 1 cup water

Method

Preheat your oven to 180'C and prepare a 12-pan muffin tray.

Hull and roughly chop the strawberries. In a large bowl, roughly mash the berries and the banana. Leave some strawberries relatively whole.

Add the coconut flour, maple syrup, apple sauce, water, coconut oil and vanilla to the strawberry mixture. Mix well to combine.

Add the apple cider vinegar and baking soda to the other ingredients, and mix through.

Divide the batter between 12 muffin trays.

Next time I would press the mixture firmly down into the muffin trays.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.

I really enjoyed these, but do concede to needing more coconut flour practice. It is quite odd not being able to predict how baked goods will turn out! Most non-vegan coconut flour recipes use rather a lot of eggs, so I am working on the assumption that these needed more binder (thus my thoughts on adding chia). However, if you have any other thoughts or ideas for me - please let me know.

Do you enjoy baking with coconut flour? How about other gluten-free flours? I don't have problems with gluten and am thus quite a novice in this area!

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