Raspberry Plum Crumble w/ Whipped Cream (Vegan)

When thinking about a crumble, I usually think apple or blueberry. But when you come across a sale on plums at the store in the winter, and it’s been way too long since you’ve had a delicious, fresh plum, you make a plum crumble. With raspberries, of course. And dried cranberries, and vegan whipped cream!

It’s also been a long time since I have made a crumble, perhaps years, and this is what I have been missing. Not super sweet, but super delicious, and also healthy(ish) when you consider the fruits, oats, and minimal sweetener in this recipe. That is what I love about cooking with fruit – you can sometimes cut down on the sweeteners when you have all of that yummy, natural sweetness from the fruits. The combination of plums, raspberries, and dried cranberries in here is just magical with the coconut-iness of the whipped cream.

Let’s talk about texture for a minute. I love a dessert that has a sweet creaminess and a bit of crunch, and this certainly delivers! The plums and raspberries underneath the crumble topping get soft, sweet and delicious while the crispy and crunchy oat crumble add that much needed balance. The vegan whipped cream, made of just two ingredients, is just so good as a cool and creamy topper for this dessert and is so versatile.

The recipe for both the crumble and the two-ingredient vegan whipped cream is below. Although I used plums and raspberries in this recipe, you can substitute other berries such as blueberry or strawberry, or of course, the traditional apple.

Raspberry Plum Crumble w/ Whipped Cream (Vegan)

INGREDIENTS (2 servings):

Filling:

• 4 diced plums (approx. 1 cm chunks)
• 1/3 cup raspberries
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons coconut palm sugar

Crumble:

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 T coconut palm sugar (plus more for sprinkling)
• 1 T coconut oil
• 1 T dried cranberries (set aside for topping after baking)

Whipped Cream:

• 1 can full fat coconut milk (approx. 14 oz. can)
• sweetener of choice (I used one teaspoon of coconut palm sugar)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. To make the filling, place the chopped plums and raspberries into a small mixing bowl. Sprinkle the cornstarch and coconut palm sugar over the fruit and gently mix with a spoon to distribute. Set aside while making the crumble.
2. To make the crumble, in a medium mixing bowl, mix the rolled oats, coconut palm sugar, and coconut oil (melt if needed).
3. To assemble for baking, grease two small ramekins very well with coconut oil. Divide the filling evenly between the two ramekins. Layer the crumble mixture over the two ramekins.
4. Place the ramekins on a baking tray and put into the oven, uncovered (if the crumble is getting too brown during baking, simply place a piece of foil gently over the ramekins). Bake for 20-25 minutes.
5. While the crumbles are baking in the oven, make the whipped cream.
6. For the Vegan Whipped Cream, place the unopened can of coconut milk in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
7. Take out of the refrigerator and turn the can upside down, and open. Pour out the coconut liquid and save for another recipe if desired.
8. Remove the coconut solids with a spoon and place into a medium mixing bowl.
9. Beat at medium speed with a hand held mixer for about 3 minutes and gently beat in sweetener if desired. (I did not add sweetener, rather sprinkled my coconut palm sugar over the top of the whipped cream as a topping after the crumbles were completely assembled). Place in the fridge until crumbles are cooled, if needed.
10. Remove the crumbles from the oven and let cool down most of the way, but still somewhat warm. Top with dried cranberries. Dollop the whipped cream over the crumble, sprinkle with sugar, and enjoy!