My Favorite Apple Crumble

I greatly dislike throwing food away, so when apples get too soft (or sometimes, you buy them, and they are already too soft! I hate that!) rather than toss them I've been playing with crumble recipes. This one is the one I'm going to stick with: developed, tasted, and enjoyed right in The Meals Maven kitchen.

Traditional recipes usually include quite a lot of butter and sugar. I've got a little less of those and a little more nutrition from the addition of nuts. There's also no flour, so this is perfect for a GF dessert. Using pre-made granola was a shortcut I was happy with- the results speak for themselves. And adding a pop of chia seeds gives more nutrition per serving.

Truth be told I was torn between putting this in the dessert category or adding it to breakfast. I ate some this morning and it was just as delicious cold as it was fresh from the oven.

3 large apples
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/8 c. butter
1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp saigon cinnamon
1.5 c. granola
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1 tbsp chia

Spray a glass 8x8 square baking dish with oil. I used my Pampered Chef kitchen spritzer and canola oil.

Wash and slice the apples into pieces, removing the core. I keep the skin on (more fibre!). Place in the bottom of the baking dish. Drizzle with maple syrup, and toss the walnuts in.

Cut brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter together. Add chia, and mix. Add in granola, and mix as best as you can. Sprinkle over apple mixture. Bake, uncovered, 40 minutes, at 350*F. You'll know it's done when the apples pierce easily with a fork, the liquid in the bottom is bubbling, the topping is browned a bit, and your kitchen smells amazing!

Note: When baking for someone with celiac disease, make sure your granola or oats are certified gluten-free. This bag of granola, while not containing any wheat ingredients, does have the standard "may contain" warning. Better to be safe!

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