Vegan hachiya persimmon crisp

I ate my first persimmon during my freshman year of college in southern California. The unripened dining hall fruit was not great. It was tasteless and mealy, and like the naive 18-year-old that I was, I decided that I just “didn’t like persimmons.” It didn’t occur to me that I had eaten a sub-par sample. But I know better, now! Living in Oakland, it seems like there’s a persimmon tree on every block. There’s one in my friend’s backyard three blocks from my apartment. There’s another at the house of the family I work for as a nanny. I am persimmon-rich; the grateful beneficiary of these trees.

Both of these local trees produce hachiya persimmons, the large teardrop variety. Unlike fuyu persimmons, the shorter variety meant to be eaten like an apple, hachiya’s are best eaten when extremely ripe (like, “press them and they will burst” ripe). They are best used in baked goods or sweet preparations. So, what to do with them?

Enter: vegan persimmon crisp.

I love a fruit crisp. Gooey center, buttery flavor, sweet crunchy oat topping? Acceptable for breakfast, dessert, AND snack? Delicious with a dollop of vegan ice cream? YES, PLEASE!

The best part of this recipe? The persimmons hardly require any preparation. Their juicy texture lends itself well to the jammy fruit base of the crisp. They already have warm spice notes, made even more lovely with a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. This dish comes together in a matter of minutes, bakes easily, and lasts a week in the fridge (if you can make it that long without devouring the entire dish).

Without further ado:

VEGAN HACHIYA PERSIMMON CRISP RECIPE:

PREP TIME: 5 minuts

BAKE TIME: 30 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 large or 6 small-medium super ripe hachiya persimmons

• 1 tsp + a sprinkle of cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

• sprinkle of clove

• pinch of salt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp unsweetened nut milk

• 1 tbsp whole wheat or AP flour

• 1 cup organic rolled oats (conventional oats will also work just fine)

• 4 tbsp virgin coconut oil, vegan butter, or pastured butter + a bit extra for oiling your baking dish

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 metal or glass cake pan or brownie dish

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Use a tiny bit of coconut oil or butter to grease your baking dish

3. Add a touch of flour to lightly coat the pan and set aside

4. Gently pierce/peel the top of the persimmons. Squeeze and peel gently, and the inside should pop out easily. Strain to remove seeds if necessary

5. Add a sprinkle of flour and a sprinkle of cinnamon to the peeled persimmons. Taste and adjust as needed. Stir gently to combine

6. Pour the persimmon mixture into your prepared dish

7. In a large bowl, combine oats, butter/oil, maple syrup, salt, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and nut milk. Use a fork to distribute and add the butter/oil, making sure to leave it in clumps - do not fully melt/combine the butter/oil. Stir until the oat mix forms into a crumble

8. Add oat crumble to the pan on top of the persimmon mix. Distribute the crumble evenly across the top

9. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the crisp is bubbling and golden brown

10. Let cool slightly, serve, and enjoy!

*Try with ice cream, a pour of nut milk, or yogurt!

**This dish can easily be made gluten-free by using almond flour in place of the whole wheat/AP flour

Have you tried this recipe? What is your favorite way to use Hachiya persimmons? Leave a comment below!

xoxo,

Sara