Crumble (GF, V)

My favorite go-to dessert is a fruit crumble recipe that I actually made last night. Since my husband’s favorite dessert is berry pie, I like to make this when I don’t have a crust.

I adapted this recipe from a cooking book I found at the library. After researching, I’ve found many variations online. I’ll provide some variations of my own, but feel free to experiment. This recipe is very forgiving!

Serves 10 ish after baking 45min at 375 degrees farenheit

Ingredients

Fruit:

• 4 fresh plums
• 2 fresh pears (I like bosc)
• 1 1/2 c. berries (fresh or thawed from frozen)
• 1/2 c. chopped dried apricots soaked in hot water OR fresh

• OR use 5 c. of any frozen berry combination, thawed

Filling mix:

• 1/4 light brown sugar
• 2 T buckwheat flour
• 1 1/2 T starch
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp allspice, or to taste
• pinch salt

Topping:

• 1 1/2 c. GF old fashioned oats
• 1/2 c. buckwheat flour
• 1/3 c. oil (coconut is best)
• 1/4 c. light brown sugar
• cinnamon to taste
• pinch salt

1. Chop or thaw fruit to size of preference, keeping the size even. I usually cut frozen strawberries in quarters when I use a berry blend. Be sure to use a bowl to thaw the berries. (If you don’t have time, you can skip thawing and add 10-15 min. to baking time.)
2. Add filling mix to the fruit and combine thoroughly. You can use cornstarch, tapioca, potato starch, or arrowroot powder as a starch. Or INSTEAD of adding a starch, use a glutinous flour. The starch is meant to make up for the lack of gluten.*
3. In a separate bowl, mix the topping. You will need to melt the coconut oil ahead of time if using. You can also use honey as your sweetener. If you substitute more than half the sugar for honey, subtract a little oil. You want the texture to be like gritty granola, not flour (too dry) and not cookie dough (too wet).
4. Pour the fruit mix straight into a glass baking dish leaving at least half an inch of space at the top. I use a casserole dish and sometimes pour the fruit in before mixing everything else just to check for size. This is because I don’t usually measure the fruit… I like to bake like an artist with a paint brush.
5. Sprinkle the topping over the top evenly. If you like a thicker topping, you may want to double the recipe. I find that the mixture incorporated into the fruit makes up for the thinner topping, but I do occasionally sprinkle more oats on top at the end.
6. Bake uncovered on the middle rack for 45 min at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Add 10 minutes if your fruit is frozen. It’s done when you see the edges bubbling slowly. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Tastes great with ice cream! Though, I eat the leftovers cold for breakfast…
7. Store covered in the fridge.

*I have NOT made this with dairy or gluten, but you can certainly use butter instead of oil and regular or wheat flour instead of buckwheat, which is gluten free. I would recommend using less flour, up to one half, if you use regular flour, and be sure to cut out the starch.

Substitutes:

You CAN use any dry sugar in this, including dark brown or coconut sugar. Keep in mind that this will alter the flavor. I would NOT use a liquid sweetener for the fruit mix since it has its own liquids, but you can use liquid sweeteners for the topping.

You CAN use vegetable oil, ghee, or any type of butter for the topping. I would NOT use olive oil. It has too strong of a flavor and will add an odd aftertaste.

You CAN use any type of uncooked oats, but be sure to use gluten free if you need to since most oats are coated in flour to keep them from sticking. My preference is old fashioned, but you can use quick oats in the same proportions.

You CAN use any type of stone fruit, like berries, apples, plums, or pears. Do NOT use citrus or tropical fruits. It won’t taste good or bake well. I like to use all apples and make this instead of apple pie!