This vegan and gluten free pear crumble is flavoured with cardamom and chocolate, both best friends of pears, for a departure from classic cinnamon scented crumbles. Easy, much healthier than usual, and with hazelnuts for an extra boost.
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Any baking dish will work for this, but baking time will vary slightly depending on the size or type you use. I used a 10x7x2 (inch) ceramic dish.
Peel and dice your pears, removing any woody piths. Add the pears to your baking dish along with the maple syrup, cardamom, and vanilla. Mix until the pears are coated. Top this with the chopped chocolate.
For the topping, combine the flour, oats, nuts, coconut sugar, flax, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Add the coconut oil and milk. Mix with a wooden spoon or squish it all together with your hands until a crumbly consistency forms. You should be able to make a loose ball that crumbles when you break it apart. Sprinkle the crumble on top of the pear mixture and chocolate.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the pears are soft and the crumble is golden and crispy. Serve warm for extra deliciousness, but it's very good cold as well. This will keep for 2-3 days. I topped these with a little coconut whipped cream and some extra chocolate.
Notes
1. I also tested the topping with spelt and kamut flour, and it turned out well with both. I'm not sure about other gluten-free flours, though. If you try it with something else, please let me know how it turns out in the comments. 2. Other nuts can be used in place of the hazelnuts - try almonds, or sunflower seeds for a nut free option. You can also leave the nuts out.