Crisps must meet my high standards. They must be made with butter and brown sugar. They must have oats. The fruit-to-crumb ratio must be 2:1 (because I am so healthy, obviously). They must go well with vanilla-flavored ice cream.
This crisp combines two of my favorite summer fruits: strawberries and nectarines. It’s then topped with an incredibly nutty and not-too-sweet gluten-free crumble that is fit for the gods. Trust.
This recipe was inspired by one in my favorite book, “Bread and Wine,” by Shauna Niquist. Shauna’s family used to enjoy homemade blueberry crisp with vanilla ice cream on Sunday nights. She now continues this tradition with her children. That’s an okay Sunday tradition. We should start this tradition in our home, as long as nectarines remain cheap and sweet like candy.
This flour-free version was a huge hit with me. I was expecting a crumble and a lack of cohesiveness, but this was not the case. It was almost perfect.
The almond meal was the perfect binder to bind the flavors.
In my bowl, nectarines and strawberries were best friends. They complimented each other perfectly. The moment the vanilla ice cream started to melt in the crisp, I was so happy that I could have wept. No exaggeration.
This crisp is so good that I could eat it every day. Perhaps that’s the reason I’ve made it twice already in just five days. Oops.
Blueberries work well in this recipe, as the original recipe stated. I would also like to make this recipe using all peaches or a combination of nectarines, blueberries, and other berries. I may even go all out and make John’s “Oops, crisp” request, which is half-joking and half-serious.
You can’t go far wrong. This is my new favorite crisp, and I hope you will love it too. Cheers!
Ingredients
- 4 cups of strawberries and nectarines, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup gluten-free Rolled Oats
- Almond meal 1/2 cup
- Pecans, roughly chopped: 1/2 cup
- 1/4 cup of light brown sugar-packed
- Sea salt, one pinch
- 4 Tbsp of cold butter (dairy-free for vegans // or substitute olive oil)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8×8 baking dish or similar size (as written in the original recipe // adjust the batch size if you are changing it).
- Spread the fruit out evenly on the dish.
- Add the crisp ingredients to a bowl and mix with your hands until all butter is distributed evenly.
- Add a layer of fruit on top.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the fruit bubbles and the top is crispy and golden.
