Guys! We're back up and running. ICYMI, the site was down for a couple of day because we're working on a  transitioning the blog to a new name. You may've already seen the sneak peek on instagram, but if you haven't, we'll be soon be ditching the name Fettle Vegan and calling the blog Good Saint. More on that in my next post! If you're not already subscribed to our weekly newsletter, now might be a great time - so you don't miss a thing when we switch over! For now, I'm bringing you a sweet, seasonal treat: Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble. This crumble is the BEST. Is it yummy, it is sugar-free, and it is so simple it'll blow your mind. Oh, and did I mention gluten-free? And soy-free? It ticks those boxes too, babes. It's a baked good you can feel good about eating and will feel good about eating because it tastes damn delicious. I did good, guys. And I think you're gonna be really proud of me. 

I needed a sweet, simple dessert. I've been BUSY lately! With the site changes and the wedding - posts on THAT coming soon, too! - plus the honeymoon, and now my 200-hour yoga teacher training at CorePower, I've been exhausted lately and playing constant catch-up. I just don't have time for 15-ingredient layer cakes these days! Just 10 ingredient crumbles. 😉 I worked hard to keep the ingredients simple and whole, because I'm all about eating real, wholesome foods these days. Nothing processed, no preservatives, no extra sweeteners. It's summer - you don't need that shit. Whether you pick your own sweet strawberries (I MISS doing that in Maine every year!) or just buy 'em on sale at the grocery store, the secret here is really the rhubarb. It gives such a great tart balance to this easy dish. I highly recommend adding a dollop of coconut whip before serving - it's the perfect topping. Recipe linked below - so let's get cooking! 

INGREDIENTS:
Crumble
2 cups fresh rhubarb, sliced
4 heaping cups fresh strawberries, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 cup almond flour
2 cups GF oats
1/4 cup monk fruit sweetener (or sweetener of your choice - sugar works if you're into it, and the ratio is 1:1!)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup softened coconut oil

Coco Whip
2- 15 oz. cans whole fat coconut milk
1-3 tablespoons non-dairy milk
1-3 tablespoons monk fruit sweetener (again, use your fave sweetener here if you prefer!)
1 teaspoon vanilla 

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch glass baking dish and set it aside. 

​In a large mixing bowl, toss your strawberries and rhubarb in the lemon juiced chia seeds until evenly coated. In a separate mixing bowl combine the almond flour, GF oats, flour, monk fruit sweetener, baking powder and salt. Add in the softened coconut oil and stir until crumbs begin to form. 

Pour the strawberry rhubarb mixture evenly into the greased glass baking dish. Top with the oat + almond flour crumble mixture, distributing evenly. Put the crumble into the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, until crumble topping becomes golden and berry mixture bubbles. Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving. Or eat it straight from the pan while you watch the Bachelorette. I'm not here to judge! 

To prepare the coconut whip, simply scoop the firm solids from the cans of coconut milk into a large mixing bowl and toss in the sweetener, milk, and vanilla and whip with beaters until fluffy. Scoop onto your crumble and enjoy!

TIPS:
​Leftovers - both the crumble and the ship - stay well, wrapped separately, in the fridge for up to a week.

To reheat, cover with foil and reheat at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, or until warm in the middle.

'Tis the season for bright, juicy, super overpriced cherries! But I love 'em, so I don't even mind paying like $6/lb. Especially since I started baking with them. I love them fresh, but they just have such a great, sweet flavor for baked goods! And in this recipe, they compliment the crumby brown sugar + cinnamon topping so perfectly. This cake comes out moist, lightly sweet, and stuffed full of the sweetest summer cherries. Its my favorite cake, of any kind, that I've had in a while. We tried to keep the sugar low in the cake mixture because of the super sweet crumb topping, but its still a splurgy breakfast for sure. I've been super dedicated in my workouts lately (and am even considering trying to get my yoga teaching certification) so I felt no guilt indulging in more than one slice - and you shouldn't either!  And even though coffee cake sounds like a morning thing, to definitely tasted just as good at ten o'clock at night. You could probably sub in any summer berries here for a tasty seasonal treat, and we will definitely be making versions of this recipe year-round. Let's get bak(ed)ing!

INGREDIENTS
Crumble Topping:
1½ cup all-purpose flour*
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
½ cup coconut oil or vegan butter, softened

Coffee Cake:
6 tablespoons vegan butter or coconut oil
6 tablespoons coconut butter
½ cup sugar
1 cup non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon ground flax meal
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1½ cups all-purpose flour *(GF may work too, but we haven't tried it!)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 heaping cup sweet cherries, pitted and halved


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 inch glass baking dish and set aside. 
Wash, pit, and halve 1 heaping cup of sweet cherries.
To make the crumble, mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, & salt a medium-sized mixing bowl. Pour in softened coconut oil or butter and use a fork to combine the mixture until small crumbs form. 
In a separate mixing bowl, cream together the butter or oil, coconut butter and sugar. Add the milk, ground flax, corn starch and apple cider vinegar and stir until completely combined.
In a third mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Don't overmix! Fold in the sweet cherries.
Pour the prepared batter into your greased baking dish and spread the crumble mixture evenly over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes clean of cake and the crumble mixture has turned a nice golden brown. Let cool at least 20 mins before serving. Enjoy! 
Leftovers can be saved in an airtight container on the counter for 3 days and in the fridge for about a week. 

Summer is here and so are the stone fruits! We've been seeing gorgeous plums, peaches, nectarines and apricots (and all their sub-varieties) popping up at grocery stores and farmers markets and we couldn't resist making something sweet to showcase just how yummy they are. I love eating them raw or mixed into my oatmeal and smoothies, but baked into these low-sugar crumble bars is a great way to mix it up! Plus, they're shareable and perfect party food- easy to eat and packed with a little extra chia seed goodness. We served ours with a sprig of fresh mint, but a dollop of soy or coconut whip would be perfect here too. The colors of the mixed stone fruit oozing out the sides is gorgeous and drool-worthy. This is a great desert for impressing your friends - and since it whips up fast, it'll look like you work a lot harder on this one than you actually had to. And that is always a good thing. More time for summer cocktail sipping! Go grab a bag of the juiciest, plumpest summer stone fruits you can find and let's eat! 

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups (GF certified) oats
2 cups gluten-free flour (whole wheat works here, too!)
3 tablespoons organic sugar
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of xantham gum, optional (for use with GF flours)
2/3 cup coconut oil, softened

4 cups stone fruit, pitted + chopped (we used plums, peaches + nectarines)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon corn starch

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine oats, flour, sugar, chia seeds & salt. Add in softened coconut oil and stir until crumbs begin to form. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, toss your cut stone fruit in the lemon juice and corn starch until evenly coated. Grease an 8x8 (or 9x13, for slightly thinner bars) glass baking dish, then pour a a little over 1/2 of the oat crumble mixture into the bottom of the dish. Press gently into the sides. Top with the stone fruit mixture, spreading evenly. Finally, pour the rest of the crumble mixture on top, distributing that evenly as well. Put crumble into the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, until the crumble topping becomes golden and fruit mixture bubbles. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting into squares. To help squares stay firm, refrigerate until ready to cut. If you like it warm and fresh out of the oven, say to heck with the squares and have a pile of crumble goodness. We're not here to judge. Makes 9-12 squares depending on size, saves well in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy!