Dessert · Plant-based · Regionally inspired

White BeanCinnamon Cream

with oat crunch & espresso

A dessert made with ingredients that can plausibly be grown in Central Europe and approached from a regional perspective, then combined in a modern, international way. Contemporary, urban and distinctive rather than nostalgic.

Ingredients

For the cream

1 can white beans, about 240 g drained
plain white beans packed in water or brine
150–200 g vegan skyr or soy yoghurt
2 tbsp agave syrup
2 tbsp sugar
a few drops liquid stevia
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
generous pinch of salt
1–2 tsp lime juice
optional splash of plant milk for blending

For the sunflower seed butter

80–100 g sunflower seeds
optional 1 tsp neutral oil

Slender illustrated sunflower with loose sunflower seeds

For the oat crunch

60 g fine rolled oats
35–40 g jumbo rolled oats
15–20 g flour
30 g sugar
1–2 tsp agave syrup
35–40 g neutral oil
1 tsp cinnamon
small pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

For the espresso finish

1 small espresso

Small speckled espresso cup with drawn steam marks

Method

Toasted sunflower seeds in a dark pan beside a blender containing smooth sunflower seed butter

Gently toast the sunflower seeds in a dry pan or in the oven until they smell warm, nutty and lightly caramelised. Do not let them get too dark. Blend while still warm until creamy, adding the smallest amount of oil only if needed.

Rinsed white beans draining in a stainless-steel colander

Rinse the beans very thoroughly and leave them to drain briefly. For an even more neutral flavour, you can rinse them once with hot water.

Countertop blender filled with smooth pale white bean cinnamon cream

Blend the beans, sunflower seed butter and a small splash of plant milk until as smooth as possible. Add the vegan skyr or yoghurt, agave, sugar, stevia, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and lime juice, then blend again until very fine.

Bowl of moist oat crunch mixture with a spoon

Mix all the ingredients together. The mixture should feel lightly moist and remain a little crumbly.

Golden oat crunch on a dark baking tray beside a small oven

Spread the mixture fairly thinly and unevenly on baking paper. Bake at 175 °C conventional heat for about 18–25 minutes. Turn and loosen it once during baking.