It's finally Summer which means it's time to start eating copious amounts of fruit and lots of this Healthy Gluten-Free & Vegan Blueberry Nectarine Crisp! If you're like me and looking for a good excuse to bake some fruit but still keep it relatively healthy, then this crisp is the perfect treat for you!
The reason I decided to make this into a healthier crisp was mainly that I was looking for an interesting way to change up my breakfast. I pretty much alternate between eating yogurt with my homemade maple almond butter granola, avocado toast, or my green breakfast smoothie. Both of these are great, but lately, I've been craving something sweeter!
So I thought "How can I make an interesting and seasonal breakfast that won't weigh me down and will actually make me full? Out came this perfect vegan crisp with stone fruit and berries!
Ingredients
This 10-ingredient vegan fruit crisp features healthy ingredients like:
- Fresh or frozen nectarines
- Fresh or frozen blueberries
- Gluten-free rolled oats
- Coconut oil
- Almond flour
- Coconut sugar
- Corn starch
- Lemon juice
- Cinnamon
- Pecans (optional, but makes this crisp heartier and more filling!)
The Secret Ingredient to Any Great Crisp: Cornstarch!
The most essential ingredient in this crisp is actually cornstarch!
This acts as a thickener that makes the fruit in the crisp really jammy and delicious. If you don't have this on hand, use double the amount of tapioca starch or use an equal amount of arrowroot powder can be used as a substitute. I have tried this recipe with arrowroot starch and it works just as well- but personally have not tried it with tapioca starch yet.
How to make a nectarine blueberry crisp
Once you have your ingredients, making this easy nectarine blueberry crisp only takes three simple steps.
First, coat the fruit
Add the nectarines and blueberries to an 8*8 baking pan and coat with the cornstarch, coconut sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Set aside.
Make the crisp topping in a blender
Then, add all the crisp topping ingredients to a blender. Pulse until a thick mixture forms. It should be sticking together and semi-crumbly, so if it is too dry, add in 1 Tbsp of almond milk or water to make the topping more cohesive.
Add the topping & bake
Add the crisp topping to the baking pan full of fruit and then top with pecans. Add to the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes until the crisp is bubbling on the sides and the topping is browned on top.
Last, but not least, if you want to add in some extra flavor I highly recommend topping this healthy nectarine crisp with delicious vegan vanilla ice cream!
FAQ & Tips:
For the sweetener, I used coconut sugar to keep this dish refined sugar-free. If you are looking to replace it with normal sugar it is a 1:1 substitution. Maple sugar also works great as a substitute.
Yes! While I used blueberries and nectarines for this vegan crisp recipe, there are tons of fruit substitutions that work.
Instead of blueberries, try raspberries, cranberries, or blackberries. Instead of nectarines, try peaches, pears, or apricots!
If you don't have almond flour on hand, simply replace 1:1 for ¼ cup of more oats. I like the variety of flavors the oats and almond flour give this crisp, but just using oats tastes just as good.
Baked fruit crisp will keep in a closed container in the fridge for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month.
This Healthier Vegan Nectarine Blueberry Crisp is my version of an ideal crisp- gooey on the inside, crisp and crunchy on top.
At the end of the day, never be afraid to experiment, adjust things, and of course to tell me about it so I can try it too. I seriously love hearing from all of you whenever you try a recipe of mine, so I hope to hear all about your crisp baking adventures!
-TSG
More vegan & gluten-free dessert recipes you will love:
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Vegan Nectarine Blueberry Crisp
Ingredients
Fruit Filling
- 3 cups sliced nectarines cut into ½ inch slices, with pits removed equals about 3-4 medium nectarines
- 1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
- 2 Tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Crisp Topping
- 1.5 cups gluten free rolled oats
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ½ cup solid coconut oil or cold vegan butter
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 2 Tablespoons corn starch
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup chopped pecans optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- First add all the fruit filling ingredients to an 8*8 square baking dish. Use your hands to mix until the nectarines and blueberries are evenly coated with the sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and cornstarch.
- Add all of the crisp topping ingredients except the pecans to a blender. Blend about 1 minute until combined into large chunks, scraping down the sides as need be. If the filling seems too dry, add in 1 Tbsp of water or nut milk and blend again. The topping should be thick and semi-crumbly, but not dry.
- Remove the crisp topping from the blender and sprinkle in large chunks on top of the fruit. As a final step, top with the chopped pecans.
- Add the crisp to the oven and bake for 48-50 minutes until the crisp topping is beginning to brown and the sides are bubbling. Remove from the oven, let cool, and enjoy!
Notes
- Coconut sugar can be subbed for cane sugar or maple sugar 1:1
- Almond flour can be substituted for ¼ cup more oats
- Cornstarch can be subbed 1:1 for arrowroot powder. Just make sure to mix it in thoroughly so the fruit is evenly coated!
- Baked fruit crisp will keep in a closed container in the fridge for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month
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