Paleo Peach Crisp (AIP, vegan, no sugar added)

When I was battling candida overgrowth, I was so desperate to feel better that I went a bit overboard with a low-carb diet. I never measured my ketones, but I know there was a point when my body went into ketosis. At one point, I remember my dessert was a small bowl of spaghetti squash with sunflower seed butter (weird, I know.) Oh, and 1/4 cup of blueberries became "my cake" for special occasions. I was so scared to feed the little critters inside my body that I became obsessed with counting my macros. However, after reading a few articles about candida "feeding" on ketones, that was enough of a wake up call for me to stop. My adrenal glands were also suppressed during this time, so an extremely low-carb diet was clearly an incorrect choice for me. Oops... lesson learned!

Although I can finally say I am in the clear with candida overgrowth currently, I know I have to watch my diet to avoid it from overgrowing again. I generally do not make desserts, but sometimes, you have to treat yourself! Plus, desserts are much sexier on a camera than a bunch of sautéed greens... am I right?!

I made this AIP peach crisp without using added sugar. I thought the peaches, coconut flour, and tigernut flour provided enough sweetness to it. Yet again, I am the girl who thought spaghetti squash with seed butter was a dessert. Ha! You can add honey to the filling and topping to make it just the way you like it.

Ingredients for filling:

-8 medium sized peaches (about 10 cups) pitted and chopped

-1 tablespoon lemon juice

-1 teaspoon cinnamon

-1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional)

Ingredients for topping:

-1 cup tigernut flour

-2 tablespoons coconut flour

-2 tablespoons cassava flour

-1/3 cup tablespoons palm shortening or coconut oil, not melted

-1 teaspoon baking soda

-1/2 teaspoon sea salt

-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

-1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons cold water

-2 tablespoons honey (optional, use a different sweetener if vegan)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. For the filling, gently mix the peaches, lemon juice, cinnamon, and sweetener if using. Pour into a 8 inch square baking dish.

2. In a separate large bowl, mix the tigernut flour, coconut flour, cassava flour, baking soda, sea salt, and cinnamon.

3. Add palm shortening (or coconut oil) on top of your flour mixture, trying to distribute evenly as much as possible. (The palm shortening will not be melted, so you can spread it out evenly by using a spoon and placing dollops of it at different points).

4. Add 1/4 cup cold water and honey, if using. Mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture turns into a crumbly dough. You may need to add more water (I added about 2 tablespoons) if your mixture is dry.

6. Sprinkle crumbly dough mixture on top of the peaches evenly. Do not worry about being a perfectionist for this step. It will all melt together and be delicious!

7. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the top is crispy and golden brown.

8. I topped mine with a dollop of coconut butter and mint leaves. Yum!

9. Make sure to let it cool a bit before stuffing it in your mouth :) Enjoy!