The Best Peach Crumble

This is the best peach crumble because everyone’s favourite part of a crumble is the topping right? This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, paleo, refined sugar free and totally delicious!

The main component of crumble base is cashew nuts. Cashew nuts are pretty much a super food with high levels of iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, phosphorus and manganese. They are known to boost bone and oral health, prevent heart disease, reduce the risk of diabetes, promote the development of red blood cells and boost your immune system. Peaches are also pretty awesome on the health scale with similar mineral components to cashews as well as high Vitamin C, A and E, making this sweet treat not only super tasty it is also nutritious.

Peach tree's grow wild all over Northland and the lack of rain is much welcomed by us foragers that's for sure, as they get the rot usually at this time of year because of the humidity. Alternatively you could use apricots or even plums in this recipe.

There is still enough fruit on this upside-down crumble to balance it out and baking the peaches on top caramelises them a bit, yum!

The crumble layer is easiest to do in the food processor, otherwise just chop up the cashews as small as you can and mix everything together in a bowl.

PEACH CRUMBLE SLICE RECIPE

~Recipe from The veggie Tree Spring and Summer Cookbook~

Makes a 10x35cm slice tin with a removable base.

Gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 180°C.

Grease a tin with a removable base then measure the following into a food processor:

1 ½ c cashews

½ c virgin coconut oil

½ c coconut sugar

1 c desiccated coconut

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking powder

1 T cornflour (starch)

¼ c coconut flour

2 T coconut nectar, brown rice or date syrup

Pulse together until the cashews are chopped and the mixture is starting to stick together. Tip into the tin and push the base down evenly.

Prepare the topping using:

10 peaches or apricots, stone removed and quartered

1 T coconut nectar, brown rice or date syrup

Arrange the quartered peaches on top of the crumble mixture. Drizzle the coconut nectar over the top and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin. To remove, push the base up; you may need to loosen the edges a little first. Serve with yoghurt or cream or enjoy on its own.