A refreshing burst of flavor, this grain-free, healthy berry crumble makes the perfect summertime dessert. Make it with frozen or fresh berries and top it with an almond flour pecan crumble to make a tasty, totally paleo dessert recipe.
A light dessert perfect for warm weather! This healthy berry crumble is naturally sweetened with honey, which gives it the perfect balance of sweet but not too sweet.
As a Certified Nutrition Coach, it's one of my go-to gluten-free summer desserts because it's so simple to whip up and loaded with healthy fats.
Bring it to your next barbecue or curl up with it on the patio as the sun goes down.
Why You'll Love It
Allergy-friendly: dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, and paleo
Easy to make: you probably already have all the ingredients
Bursting with flavor: make use of those in-season berries
Pairs well: works as a dessert for anything gathering, as is or topped with dairy-free vanilla ice cream just like this gluten-free cherry crisp.
Ingredients and Substitutions
All of these ingredients are gluten-free pantry staples you probably have on hand.
Almond flour: Though almond meal will work for the berry crumble, almond flour gives it a more aesthetic look and nicer texture. Learn the difference between almond meal and flour.
Pecans: Gives an indulgent flavor to the crumble, but any nuts will work here.
Almond butter: Make sure to use smooth almond butter and not the stuff at the end of the jar. This will ensure it blends into the base well. Almond hazelnut butter is tasty too.
Honey: You can use creamed honey or regular, and you only need a little bit of it to get the perfect flavor! Maple syrup can be used instead, but it will change the flavor.
Fresh berries: Fresh or frozen fruit works for this healthy berry crisp recipe. Likewise, you can opt for the triple berry flavor or just one of the three. There are a lot of options depending on what you enjoy- just like these gluten-free fruit desserts.
Chis seeds: one of my favorite food for toddlers! Chis seeds help firm up the berry filling and add a healthy dose of fats while they're at it!
Many people use lemon juice in their crumble recipes. And though lemon juice will help preserve it, I've found that it isn't necessary for this healthy variation!
Flavor Variations
Below are a few fun ways you can adjust the taste of the gluten-free berry crumble.
Extracts: Adding a citrus extract for a pop of brightness or an almond extract to bring out the nutty tastes are fun twists.
Fruits: Of course, as with any crumble, you can make this recipe with a variety of summer fruits like peaches, cherries, or nectarines.
Important Teaching Tips
If you’re going to use fresh berries, add 1.5 tablespoons of water to the pot while cooking. This is to replace the water that would come from the frozen ones.
Essentially with the berries, you are making chia jam (just like in these blueberry maple tarts). You’ll boil the berries slightly, mash them, add chia seeds, and let the chia seeds absorb to create a tasty berry gel. This means that the liquid: chia seed ratio matters.
If you need to make this recipe vegan, you can replace the honey with coconut syrup instead,d as both that and honey are sticky enough to bind. Maple syrup will work too, but the texture of the filling will be slightly different.
Make sure not to add the pecans on top (if using) until the last few minutes, otherwise, they will burn.
How To Make Healthy Berry Crumble
What To Serve With It With
There are so many options! While this triple berry crisp tastes absolutely delicious by itself, it is equally awesome with some cashew-based vanilla ice cream on top or a bit of easy coconut whip.
Both toppings are perfect for a warm crumble right out of the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can reheat it in either the oven or the microwave. Take care in the microwave not to overheat, though otherwise, it will have a burned taste to it. Likewise, in the oven, you only need to heat the crumble at 300 degrees for 5-10 minutes (depending on your oven). Keep a close eye on the crumble. Check it periodically to make sure it is cooked through. Finish reheating mine by broiling the top for one minute once heated.
Store the completed berry crumble in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days (if it lasts that long!). However, if you need to make this dessert in batches, know that the filling will thicken up if stored in the fridge. Thus, either make the filling right before putting it all together or reheat the filling with 1-2 tablespoons of water. This will thin it out a bit.
Other Healthy Dessert Recipes
- Mini blueberry tarts
- Fizzy watermelon slushy
- Chocolate protein truffles
- Creamy Chunky Monkey Smoothie
- Frozen yogurt bananas
- Chocolate covered frozen bananas
- Turmeric Peach Smoothie
- Cookies and Cream Protein Shake
- Chocolate chip protein powder muffins
- Chocolate coconut energy balls
- Protein granola
- No-bake cookie dough bites
- Healthy dessert recipes
- No-bake snack recipes
Healthy Berry Crumble (Gluten-Free)
Video
Ingredients
For the crumble topping and base
- 1 cup Almond flour
- ½ cup Pecan
- ¼ cup Almond butter smooth*
- ⅛ cup Honey
- 1 tbs Almond milk
For the berry filling
- 2 cups Berries frozen
- 2 tbs Honey
- ¼ cup Chia seeds
Final topping
- ¼ cup Pecans chopped
Instructions
- In a small food processor, grind the pecans but leave some chunks for texture.
- In a small bowl, mix together the crust ingredients (omitting the extra pecans). It will look a bit dry but try to evenly disperse the almond butter.
- In a large pan or wok on the stove, add in the berries and honey.
- Heat at just over medium until the berries start to bubble a bit. Turn the heat to just below medium.
- Use a potato masher to mash the berries and add in the chia seeds. Stir.
- Cook a few more minutes until the berries are mashed and turn the heat to low. Cook a couple more minutes stirring frequently. Turn off and remove from heat. Let sit.
- You want the berry mixture to be starting to get sticky but no burned, jam-like but a bit runnier.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x4 dish and portion ¾ of the crust mixture into the bottom. Press down until flat.
- Pour the berry mixture over top and smooth it out. Crumble the rest of the crust mixture.
- Bake for 20 minutes in the oven. While it’s cooking, chop the remaining ¼ cup of pecans. After twenty minutes sprinkle the pecans over the top and then broil for only 60 seconds until mixture is golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly and enjoy!
Notes
- If you need to make this recipe vegan, use coconut syrup in place of honey
- Store the made crumble in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Fresh or frozen berries can be used. If using fresh berries, add 1tbs of water to the mixture when boiling down
- Enjoy as-is or topped with vanilla ice cream.
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Marsali says
My family loved this!
jane says
Thank you for sharing this recipe
Cathy says
Perfect for hot weather! Loved this.
Donny says
I love anything that lets me use frozen fruit - so much easier and faster than fresh! And this recipe did not disappoint. Definitely will be on rotation this summer.
fitasamamabear says
Right?! It just keeps life simple. Plus... costco has wicked prices haha
ChihYu says
This crumble is divine! Love how delicious and easy they are to make! Perfect for a treat or to share!
fitasamamabear says
Can't go wrong with something as fresh as berries!
Janessa says
This crumble was super tasty! Love that it is a smaller batch made in a loaf pan since there are only two of us in our house.
fitasamamabear says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it.
Allyssa says
Super loved this triple berry crumble recipe! It's very easy to make as well, very helpful! Will have this again, highly recommended!
fitasamamabear says
Yay! Glad you loved it as much as us!
jennifer says
Fruit crumbles/crisps are totally my love language and I would 100% eat this with greek yogurt for breakfast too!
fitasamamabear says
Omfg I am going to have it with yogurt. You're genius!
Megan says
Shelby, thanks, this is such a neat recipe. Much easier than the usual type recipe for crumble and suuuper yummy. Love the clever berry layer and the topping.
fitasamamabear says
Thank you! It's become a great staple in our house!