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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 crispy buttery crisp? Here’s how we did it:
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 these 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.
Summer Dessert Recipe: Nectarine Crisp
Looking for a quick summer dessert recipe? With a crispy, crumbly buttery almond flour and oat topping, this gluten-free and grain-free Nectarine Crisp is an easy and delicious way to use up that bounty of summer fruit.
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
3-4 lbs nectarines, sliced 1/2 inch 1/8 cup sugar1 tablespoon lemon juice2 teaspoons cinnamon optional2 teaspoons arrowroot starch (or corn starch )
Topping Ingredients
1 cup quick-cooking oats (not instant) 1 cup almond flour3/4 cup brown sugar1/2 cup butter (1 stick) cold and diced into pieces1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
Instructions
Preparing The Fruit
Slice and peel the nectarines. Place in a bowl and then toss well with the lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon and corn (or arrowroot) starch to evenly coat. Then spoon the nectarines into a greased 9×9 baking dish.
Making the Crisp Topping (Can Be Made A Day Ahead)
Combine the flour, brown sugar, salt, oatmeal, nuts (if using) and the cold, diced butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is thoroughly worked through into crumbly pea sized pieces. You may also use two forks or pastry blender. Sprinkle evenly and loosely on top of the nectarines.
Baking and Serving The Crisp
Notes
Tip: You can incorporate other fruits you may have on hand like peaches, pears, berries or apples.
