Recipe: Nectarine Crisp (Gluten-Free, Grain-Free)

 

One of the best things about the summer season is the amazing bounty of fresh fruits that are available.  There’s strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, watermelons, peaches and one of my absolute favorites – the nectarine! Juicy, sweet, and little tart, there is nothing better than a perfectly ripe nectarine on a hot summer day. Wonderful as a healthy snack on its own or sliced into salads, the nectarine is just darn delicious. But have you ever found yourself with an abundance of nectarines and are looking for a new and creative way to use them? We thought, why not bake them into a healthy version of a crumbly, buttery nectarine crisp? Plus, it’s gluten free and grain free. Here’s how we did it!

Nectarine Crisp Recipe

First  Step: We began by slicing all our nectarines and removing the pits. If you’re wondering how to properly cut up a nectarine or other stone fruits (peaches, plums, apricots, etc.) without hacking them to bits you can check out this article on How to Pit Apricots, Plums, Nectarines, & Other Stone Fruits Like a Chef.

Second Step: Next we measured out the dry ingredients into a bowl, mixed them together and then cut in small pieces of cold butter to create the crisp or crumble. Is there a difference? Call it what you like at the end of the day its delicious. We decided to make this Nectarine Crisp gluten free using a combination of blanched almond flour, oats, brown sugar and pecans for a little extra crunch and nutty goodness. If you don’t have pecans you could always substitute almonds or walnuts. For those with a nut allergy you could skip them entirely.

Third Step: Toss the cut nectarine slices with a little sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. A few dashes of vanilla extract and then the nectarines are spooned into a dish for baking. We used these mini cast iron serving dishes greased with butter because they’re adorable. If you decide to bake this nectarine crisp in smaller, individual sized baking dishes the baking time will be much shorter.

The nectarine crisp was baked for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. You’ll know it’s finished when the top is a nice toasty brown and some of the baked fruit should be bubbling around the sides. Almond flour has a tendency to toast quickly and can burn easily. Make sure you bake it on the middle rack of your oven and as always keep an eye on it. If it does start to brown but, you feel the fruit isn’t quite ready yet cover it with foil and continue baking.

This gluten-free and grain-free nectarine crisp is a yummy twist on the classic crisp while using healthy and hearty ingredients. Tons of summer flavor without all the guilt. Don’t have enough nectarines? Try adding in peaches, plums, or berries.  In place of the almond flour, you can always substitute regular wheat flour, cassava flour or a gluten-free blend with a 1:1 ratio.

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