Almond Cherry Crisp (gluten-free)
Sweet, juicy cherries topped with a crunchy almond crumble. A straightforward dessert that can be made with fresh or frozen fruit. It's versatile regarding how much sweetness you want and what fruit/topping ratio you prefer. Make it in individual servings or family style.
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
For the cherries:
- 4 cups pitted cherries fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon almond or vanilla extract optional
For the crumble:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup gluten-free oats
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold and in pieces
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ice cream or whipped cream optional for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Butter four oval, shallow ramekins. Or an 8-inch baking dish if making a family-style dessert.
For the cherries:
- Cut 4 cups pitted cherries in half and divide them among ramekins.
- Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons light brown sugar and drizzle with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon almond or vanilla extract if using, diving equally. Set aside while making the crumble topping.
For the crumble:
- In a bowl mix ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup gluten-free oats, ½ cup light brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon if using.
- Add ½ cup unsalted butter in small pieces and with your hands or a fork, work it until the butter is mixed with the dry ingredients. It will be lumpy.
- Add ½ cup sliced almonds and mix lightly. You don't want to break up the almonds too much. You can make the crumble in a food processor with the steel blade, but the resulting mixture will be finer.
- Divide the oat mixture equally over the cherries.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and the filling is bubbly. If baking it in a large dish might take 10 more minutes.
- Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
- Store, covered, in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze for up to a month.
Notes
Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. Use a thermometer inside the oven to check that the temperature is right. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Gluten-free flours:
I like using quinoa flour or almond flour and gluten-free oats like Quaker's. Other alternatives: packaged gluten-free flour mixes, buckwheat flour, or amaranth flour. Make-ahead: you can have the pitted, halved cherries and the crumble in the freezer, in separate containers for up to a month. Cherry pitter: this is a handy gadget and much needed if you bake with fresh cherries. You can buy them online. Family-style: if you want to serve more people, double or triple this recipe and use ceramic dishes that can go directly to the table.
I like using quinoa flour or almond flour and gluten-free oats like Quaker's. Other alternatives: packaged gluten-free flour mixes, buckwheat flour, or amaranth flour. Make-ahead: you can have the pitted, halved cherries and the crumble in the freezer, in separate containers for up to a month. Cherry pitter: this is a handy gadget and much needed if you bake with fresh cherries. You can buy them online. Family-style: if you want to serve more people, double or triple this recipe and use ceramic dishes that can go directly to the table.
