This month, we’ve got something splendid on deck that will surely excite and impress your beloved on Valentine’s Day…or your neighbor, your coworker, your mother, your dog, whoever your Valentine is this year! And if you’re celebrating the holiday with a day of self-care, what better way than to treat yourself to a hearty, nutritious, easy-yet-restaurant-quality meal!

So, wondering what to make? Hey, not to worry - we’ve got you covered there too! We’ve paired our savory, satisfying Splendid Spoon Vegan Shepherd’s Pie dish with a magnificent “pair” - a pear! (and some chocolate!) And to bring the “pearing” to another level, we’ve brought our friends over at Hu Chocolate into the mix, and used their unbeatable chocolate in the recipe. Their melt-in-the-mouth bar using simple ingredients is chopped up and baked right into the crumble topping, which sits atop a glorious dish full of sweet, spiced pears. Finished off with a little ‘nilla ice cream, this dessert is one to beat!

An amazing treat that comes together easily in an hour? Sign us up! We know this recipe will be put on repeat for you in no time, and is a great way to show someone - yourself included! - a little love. Enjoy!

Grain-Free, Warming, Chocolatey Pear Crumble ft. Hu Chocolate

This nourishing, nutty pear crumble uses delicious, winter-seasonal pears and nutrient dense nuts paired with rich chocolate to deliver a sweet, satisfying, fruity dessert combo! Goes splendidly alongside Splendid Spoon’s Vegan Shepherd’s Pie. 8 servings.

Ingredients:
8 d’anjou pears, chopped
½ tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp coconut oil
1 bar of Hu chocolate (we used one with hazelnut butter filling!)

For the crumble topping:
½ cup almond flour
1 cup walnuts
1 cup pecans
1 tbsp vegan butter, or coconut oil
4 pitted dates
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt

Toppings: vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce to drizzle

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. First, grease a deep 8x8 baking dish with coconut oil. Chop the pears, and add them to the greased dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon, and toss until coated.
  3. Combine the almond flour, walnuts, pecans, vegan butter, dates, vanilla extract, and sea salt in a food processor, and pulse until crumbly.
  4. Chop the chocolate bar, and stir into the crumble mixture by hand.
  5. Spread the crumble mixture evenly over the pears. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil, and bake for 40-45 minutes - until the top of the crumble looks golden brown. You may have to remove the lid towards the end if you’re not seeing any golden-brown-action!
  6. Let the crumble cool for 15 minutes before serving. Top with vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream, and chocolate sauce if you’re feeling wild! Enjoy!