Disney’s Frozen 2 is hitting theaters today, and to celebrate, we have dessert! In honor of the movie, the chefs at Dole have created about twenty recipes to make it easier for parents to motivate their families toward healthy living. And as many of you know, I love apple crisp. So I chose this dairy-free apple crisp recipe with banana cream to share from their collection today.
Dairy-Free Apple Crisp with Banana Cream that’s Anna & Elsa Approved
So what does dairy-free apple crisp have to do with the kingdom of Arendelle? Melanie Marcus, Dole’s nutrition and health communications manager, had the following to say.
Parts of Disney’s Frozen 2 have a distinctively autumn look and feel – which gave us a rich canvas of colors, flavors and ingredients from which to draw recipe inspiration. Dole recipe developers created these dishes to reflect the film’s themes of family, fortitude, responsibility and the power of nature and to help parents motivate their families to healthier eating – during the holidays and throughout the fall and winter season.
And we have a few tips that further tie this recipe in to a healthy, delicious, and frozen theme.
Cool Recipe Tips
Frozen Bananas – Break bananas that are ripening quickly into chunks and freeze them. Use the frozen banana to make the dairy-free banana cream whenever desired. You can use them frozen, for more of a quick “nice cream” or let them defrost a bit for more of a creamy drizzle.
Refined Sugar Free Option – You can swap coconut sugar or maple sugar for the regular sugar if desired. These sweeteners are a touch less sweet, but they each have a warm, earthy flavor that pairs well with the other ingredients in dairy-free apple crisp.
Freezer Directions – You can actually make apple crisp ahead and freeze it. Prepare the recipe and let it cool completely. Cover it and freeze the crisp for up to two months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and then bake in a 350°F oven until heated through, about 20 minutes.
Special Diet Notes: Kid-Friendly Apple Crisp
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, optionally nut-free, peanut-free, optionally soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.
For gluten-free dairy-free apple crisp, you can substitute a gluten-free flour blend for the whole wheat flour. I like to use just oat flour, and you can use a whole grain blend.
- 2 green apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 2 red apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
- 1 tablespoon non-GMO cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour (see Gluten-Free option in post above)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup dairy-free buttery spread (they use one with olive oil)
- 1 ripe bananas, peeled, cut crosswise into thirds and frozen
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened dairy-free milk beverage
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
- In a large bowl, toss together the apples, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons sugar, starch, and cinnamon until no dry patches remain. Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking dish and even it out.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, flour, remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, and salt. Add the buttery spread and stir with a fork until coarse crumbs form.
- Sprinkle the oat mixture evenly over the apple mixture.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the filling bubbles and the topping is golden brown.
- Purée the bananas and milk beverage in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Spoon the apple crisp into bowls and drizzle with the banana cream to serve.