Pie crusts can be fussy, but crisps and cobblers are so simple and delicious and are the perfect way to use up a bumper crop of any fruit or berry.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, we’ve had a fabulous growing season. Everything is coming in early, and so far it’s looking like we’re going to be having a bumper crop of every berry we grow. Because of this, I’ve been cleaning out my freezer of last year’s berries by making crisps.
This last weekend we had three crisps. A Paleo, grain free strawberry rhubarb crisp for me, a gluten free huckleberry crisp for my daughter, and then a regular flour and oatmeal crisp for our guests. We’ve just about managed to clean out the freezer!
This gluten free crisp recipe does use oatmeal, which I’ve got to tell you, even if the oats are certified “gluten free” does not mean that those of you with celiac, or even non-celiac gluten sensitivity can, or should, be eating oats. I myself get terrible migraines when I eat oats of any kind. So make sure to pay attention when eating any grain, as all grains have some gluten (of varying sorts) and can be major cross reactors for those of us with a wheat sensitivity.
That being said, this gluten free fruit crisp recipe turned out absolutely perfect. Even my gluten eating husband couldn’t tell that it was gluten free and gobbled it down without realizing he had taken the gluten free option!
Gluten Free Fruit Crisp
Cook time
40 mins
Total time
40 mins
Top your favorite fruit with this luscious, rich, oatmeal and brown sugar "crisp" topping
Ingredients
Fruit Layer
3-5 cups* Berries, sliced fruit or your favorite fruit combination (strawberry-rhubarb, peach-blueberry, apple-pear)
¼ cup instant tapioca, or whole tapioca pearls (follow directions on pkg)
1 Tbs water (if fruit has been frozen, omit water and thaw fruit at least slightly)
¼ cup organic sugar, sucanut, or coconut sugar
⅛ tsp. green stevia or 10 drops liquid stevia
zest of 1 organic lemon (typically only used with blueberry)
juice of half a lemon (typically only used with blueberry)
⅛ tsp salt
Topping
¾ cup gluten free oatmeal
¼ cup white rice flour
¼ cup brown rice flour
¼ cup arrowroot powder
¼ tsp salt
dash or two of cinnamon
¾ cup organic brown sugar, or coconut sugar
1 cup salted butter, cold**
Instructions
Fruit Layer
Add berries/fruit to a 9x13" glass baking dish.
Sprinkle rest of "Fruit Layer" ingredients over berries, and gently stir to combine. If the berries/fruit are frozen, let thaw on the countertop or in the oven with the light on (the light heats the oven to about 90° F). You want to let the tapioca pearls soften (5-30 min) and soak up some of the liquid.
Stir a few times as fruit thaws.
Topping Layer
In a medium sized bowl combine all "Topping Ingredients," except butter.
Stir to combine.
Cut butter into one inch cubes and cut into dry ingredients using two knives or (preferably) a hand pastry dough blender.
Cut the topping ingredients together until the butter is the size of a pea and the dry ingredients are thoroughly combined with the butter.
Cover and put the topping mixture into the fridge.
At this point you can either wait for your berry mixture to thaw enough so that the tapioca pearls have a chance to start softening and soak up some of the liquid (you can even cover and let sit in the fridge to cook later that day or even the next), or you can preheat the oven and bake the crisp.
When you are ready to bake the crisp
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
When the oven is preheated, remove the topping mixture from the fridge.
Top the fruit layer with the topping mixture, spreading somewhat evenly.
Bake for 40-60 minutes or until crisp topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling and soft.
Enjoy immediately with ice cream, whipped coconut cream, or all by itself.
You can also let cool, and serve later in the day.
Refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
*The berry/fruit mixture should come at least halfway up the side of your pan. I often will fill it up to the top as it reduces by at least half. ** For a nice "crisp" topping keep the butter in the fridge and take it out right before cutting it into the rest of the topping ingredients.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 8 Calories: 418 Fat: 24g Saturated fat: 15g Unsaturated fat: 7g Trans fat: 1g Carbohydrates: 51g Sugar: 31g Sodium: 322mg Fiber: 3g Protein: 3g Cholesterol: 61mg
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