I think we can all admit that we sometimes want dessert for breakfast. I mean, look at what’s popular at restaurants—chocolate chip pancakes, cinnamon vanilla french toast with swirls of brown sugar, mounds of whipped cream, strawberry syrup… The list goes on and on. To satisfy your sweet tooth while keeping the sugar to acceptable levels, I created this breakfast bake, a healthy twist on your classic apple crisp. The traditional fall spices create a rich flavor, and a touch of brown sugar combined with the natural sugar in the apples gives it just the right sweetness. Top with non-dairy milk or yogurt for creaminess and chopped nuts for some extra crunch, and you have yourself a healthy dessert for breakfast. 

Prep Time: 20 min. Cook Time: 30 min. Makes 4 generous servings.

For the filling:

5 apples 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

½ tablespoon lemon juice 

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon nutmeg

⅛ teaspoon ground ginger 

Pinch salt

1. Thinly slice the apples and then cut each slice in half.
2. Mix the apple slices together with all the other ingredients and then put in casserole dish.

For the oat crumble:

1 cup oats (use GF oats to make the dish gluten free)

2 tablespoons whole wheat or oat flour (use GF oat flour to make the dish gluten free)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch nutmeg

Pinch ginger

Pinch salt

2 tablespoons cold water

1 tablespoon Earth Balance or other vegan “butter” or coconut oil

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Extra ¼ cup oats for topping (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Mix together the 1 cup oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. 
3. Cut in the earth balance with a knife (or two), and then use the knife to stir in the water and vanilla.
4. Spread on top of the apple filling.
5. If using the extra oats, sprinkle them on top. As you can see in the photo, these remain lighter because they don’t get mixed with the liquid in the rest of the topping. My family and I like the chewiness this adds, but if it doesn’t sound good to you, skip it.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the apples are soft and the topping is browned.