^[1]This date-based, no-sugar-added caramel sauce does double duty by sweetening both the apple filling and the crumbly topping. Use a crisper variety of apple, such as Pink Lady, Jazz, or Honeycrisp, for best results. Serve with vegan vanilla ice cream for a nice warm/cold contrast. This recipe is from Practically Raw ^[2], copyright © 2012 Amber Shea Crawley. Used by permission, Vegan Heritage Press.

Serves: 9

For the apples:

• 3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the caramel:

• 1 1/4 cups pitted dates, soaked for 15 to 30 minutes and drained
• 1 cup Almond Milk
• 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

For the topping:

• 1 cup dry walnuts
• 1 cup dry almonds
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of sea salt

For the apples: Combine the apples, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and toss to coat.

For the caramel: Combine all caramel ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Reserve 1/4 cup of the caramel mixture and set aside; add the remainder to the sliced apples and toss to coat well. Transfer the apple mixture to an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan (or similar-sized dish) greased with coconut oil.

For the topping: Pulse all topping ingredients in a food processor until coarsely ground. Drizzle in the reserved 1/4 cup of caramel and pulse several more times to combine. Drop the topping mixture by the spoonful over the apples.

Make It Raw: Dehydrate for 4 to 6 hours; serve warm. Alternatively, serve as is, room temperature or chilled.

Make it Baked: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the top is lightly browned. Move to a wire rack to let cool slightly; serve warm.

Substitutions:

• Apples: Pears
• Almond Milk: any other nondairy milk
• Walnuts: pecans
• Almonds: hazelnuts or pecans