Crisps are one of my favourite sweet comfort foods that can be pretty healthy with a few tweaks. I like to add in nut butter and maybe some nuts to the oat based topping for some extra protein and healthy fats to moderate the sugar from the fruits and slow down digestion. This keeps blood sugar levels more stable and makes the dish more filling. Since it’s October I also added in some mashed pumpkin to the topping, giving it a seasonal twist and big boost of vitamin A. Maple syrup gives it some sweetness while cinnamon and ginger add some spice.
Apples and pears, two tender and refreshing fall fruits, pair well together for a light base.
Pumpkin, hazelnuts and maple bulk up the dense, crunchy topping.
Slicing the apples and pears thinly makes them cook faster and keeps the dish easy to eat, so that both fruit are in every bite. Sweeter varieties are best, like bartlett pears (wait until they ripen from green to yellow to get them at their sweetest) and gala or honey crisp apples. I left the skins on for extra fiber and vitamins, they soften up enough during the cooking process to not be noticeable at the end.
- Base layer
- 2 cups pears cored and sliced (2 medium pears)
- 4 cups apples cored and sliced (4 medium apples)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Top layer
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- ½ cup hazelnut butter
- ¼ cup hazelnuts, chopped
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- Preheat oven to 375°. Mix together the top layer ingredients in a medium sized bowl and set aside
- Mix together the bottom layer ingredients in a deep 9x12 inch dish (approximately- use whatever dish fits) then press down firmly so there are no spaces between the fruits. Place the oat mixture on top and press down once more so everything is compact. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown then set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
