Which do you prefer: crisp or cobbler? For me it's definitely crisp... and this Protein Peach Crisp does not disappoint! It has a hearty oat base, juicy peach filling, topped with buttery oat crumble and sugar-free icing. This healthy dessert is also lower in sugar, gluten-free, and easily made vegan! You might also like my Mixed Berry Protein Crisp ;)
Did you know? The fresher and riper the peach, the more antioxidants it contains! Fresh peaches have more antioxidants than canned, but similar levels of vitamins and minerals (if the canned peaches aren't peeled). [source]
Protein recommendations
This recipe gets a boost of protein from LIV Body Lean Vegan Protein Powder! I used Frosted Oatmeal Cookie flavor in this recipe and it’s so good with the oats. LIV Body is vegan, dairy-free, and free of artificial ingredients. Their Lean Vegan Protein contains probiotics and organic superfoods, too! You can use my code “NOEXCUSES” for 20% off all LIV Body products (including their skin care!)
If using another brand of protein powder, I would stick with a vegan blend, pea protein, or soy isolate. Casein or a whey-casein blend might work with modifications, but whey isolate or collagen protein are not recommended for this recipe.
Choosing the best oats
Oats are often grown in the same soil as wheat and other gluten-containing crops. This is why it’s important to choose certified “gluten-free” oats if you’re sensitive to gluten.
I also would recommend purchasing organic oats because non-organic oats are grown using the chemical pesticide glyphosate (Roundup). Glyphosphate increased from 13.9 million pounds in 1992 to 287 million pounds in 2016 (source). This is alarming because glyphosphate is a known endocrine disrupter, may increase cancer risk, and kills off good gut bacteria! Glyphosphate is also used as a drying agent to dehydrate oats before processing.
I used old-fashioned rolled oats for this recipe, but quick oats will work too.
Sweetener recommendations
For this recipe, I used my favorite organic stevia blend that's calorie-free and twice as sweet as sugar. You can substitute twice as much (three-quarter cup) baking stevia, granulated erythritol, granulated monk fruit, or a granulated sugar. If using stevia extract or drops, please refer to the brand-specific conversion chart.
This recipe calls for egg whites, but feel free to substitute one and a half tablespoon of ground flaxseed with three tablespoons of warm water for vegan! You can also sub an equivalent amount of vegan egg replacer.
I combined unsweetened applesauce and vegan buttery spread for a perfectly moist and crisp texture! You could try dairy-free yogurt if you don’t have unsweetened applesauce. The vegan buttery spread can be swapped for unsalted butter, ghee or coconut oil.
Sugar free icing
For the sugar free icing, I used my favorite powdered sweetener with unsweetened almond milk, a little vegan buttery spread, and pure vanilla extract. Here you can also use powdered sugar, another type of milk, or coconut oil/butter in place of the spread.
This Protein Peach Crisp does not disappoint! It has a hearty oat base, juicy peach filling, topped with buttery oat crumble and sugar-free icing. This healthy dessert is also lower in sugar, gluten-free, dairy-free, and easily made vegan.
Ingredients
Oat crisp:
1 cup organic gluten-free rolled oats (old-fashioned or quick)
2/3 cup (80g) vegan protein powder* (LIV Body Lean Vegan Protein in Frosted Oatmeal Cookie, use code NOEXCUSES for 20% off)
6 tbsp. calorie-free sweetener* (I used one that’s twice as sweet as sugar)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
1/4 cup vegan buttery spread,* melted (or unsalted butter or coconut butter)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce*
3 tbsp. egg whites* (or vegan egg replacer)
Filling:
2 cups diced peaches
1 tbsp. calorie-free sweetener* (I used one that’s twice as sweet as sugar)
2 tsp. cornstarch (or tapioca starch)
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. pure almond extract (optional)
Sugar-free icing (optional):
1/2 cup calorie-free powdered sweetener (like Swerve)
3 tbsp. unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
Still on that soup kick and this one's a goodie! I made this Chicken Wild Rice Soup dairy free, gluten-free, macro-friendly, and loaded with flavor. It took several tries to perfect this soup, and it's a winner! It's got hearty wild rice, tender shredded chicken, delicious mushrooms and fresh herbs all in a thicker cream broth.
I am feeling in the Valentine's Day spirit a little already (and always craving chocolate) so I made some vegan Protein Ferrero Rochers! They have a chocolate hazelnut filling with a roasted hazelnut in the center, surrounded by crushed vanilla wafer and coated in vegan milk chocolate. You can also roll them in crushed hazelnut like I did for extra crunch! While these aren't super high in protein, they offer a little boost. These chocolates are also lower in sugar, higher in fiber, and overall BIGGER than the world-famous Ferrero Rochers.
I just love a good minestrone soup. However, minestrone is lacking in protein, at least not enough to make a balanced meal... so this High Protein Minestrone Soup was born! It's got Italian spices like basil and oregano, diced tomatoes in flavorful broth, tender pasta, kidney beans, chickpeas, carrots, celery, onion, fresh garlic, and Italian seasoned ground turkey for some extra protein. This soup is comforting, nourishing, and very filling! Bonus - it's also gluten free, dairy free, and macro-friendly.