This individual stovetop gluten-free berry crisp recipe is topped with crispy cinnamon breadcrumbs and oats and can easily be made vegan. With no refined sugar, they're the perfect after school snack or quick weeknight dessert. Serve with a swirl of vanilla bean yogurt or indulge with a scoop of homemade vegan vanilla ice cream.
This post is sponsored by Little Northern Bakehouse, a long-term partner of Snixy Kitchen
Zoella's settling into preschool life with the expected amount of excitement and tantrums. Her play-based preschool gives her autonomy over what she works on throughout the day. As such, she's thoroughly exhausted and not much in the mood for talking when she gets home. By the state of her clothes when I pick her up though, I hypothesize she spends her days burying herself in the sandbox and then pouring a bucket of water over the top. Another parent took pictures of her serving up soupy sand pies to schoolmates. So my theory checks out.
There are new home rules about where to take off her sand-filled shoes at the end of the day (OUTSIDE ONLY). I'm not a fan of sand in any form. The more the sand in the shoes though, the harder she's played, so I'm learning to embrace the mess.
By the time I pick her up at the end of the day, she is worn-out - both from playing so hard and from dropping her midday nap cold turkey. If I don't swiftly get a snack in her, Zoella will slowly collapse into a sleepy puddle before dinner's served.
Easy gluten-free berry crisp with cinnamon Breadcrumbs
That's where these individual stovetop gluten-free berry crisps with homemade cinnamon breadcrumbs come in handy. These quick, easy, and healthy gluten-free berry crisps perk her right up. The dessert-like presentation is key here. Sweet cooked fruit and breadcrumbs that taste exactly like cinnamon toast seal the deal.
As long as you've got some fruit - fresh or frozen berries, stone fruit, or even apples or pears - and a loaf of Little Northern Bakehouse's gluten-free bread, you've likely got everything else on hand that you need to make this quick crisp. The recipe makes just two servings (so, go ahead, enjoy one with your kid), but it's easily scaled up to serve a larger crowd!
Simply simmer berries or other seasonal fruit on the stove until warm and jammy, then top with cinnamon maple breadcrumbs and oats toasted in a skillet until crispy. Swirl a dollop of (vegan or non-vegan) yogurt or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a creamy tang!
Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs
This stovetop gluten-free berry crumble starts with slices of Little Northern Bakehouse's gluten-free and vegan bread. I love their gluten-free (& vegan!) breads because they've got a chewy texture and flavor that tastes like REAL bread. Plus they're made with ingredients I trust and packed with nutrients. Go with your favorite loaf, but I recommend their millet & chia loaf because it's nutrient-rich, but also has a neutral flavor profile. Their sliced loaves make great gluten-free breadcrumbs.
I keep the loaves in my fridge for daily use, then toss the end pieces in a bag in my freezer to turn into quick gluten-free breadcrumbs. Once I've got a bunch, I toast and grind them into breadcrumbs that I store in my freezer to use whenever I need to make meatballs or quick after school gluten-free breadcrumb berry crisps!
You can find them in the freezer section at most natural grocery stores - I get it at Sprouts!
How to make gluten-free & Vegan Berry Crisp
While berries (or other fruit) cook with a splash of maple syrup, water, and corn starch to help them thicken up, toast the cinnamon breadcrumb topping.
Grind up or finely chop toasted slices of gluten-free bread then toss them in a skillet with some butter (vegan, if needed) until lightly golden brown. Add in oats, maple syrup, and cinnamon and cook just until browned and crispy. Spread the crumble out on a plate or baking sheet and the crumbs will crisp up as they cools.
Squeeze some lemon juice into the berries then crumble the cinnamon toast breadcrumbs over top the warm berries. You've got yourself a satisfyingly sweet 10 minute snack or dessert.
Healthy Berry Crisp After School Snack
With no refined sugar and only a little bit of maple syrup, these gluten-free berry crisps make a great healthy after school snack.
When I first made one for Zoella, I'd already given her a small bite of chocolate a bit earlier. I slid a bowl of this gluten-free berry crisp in front of her and she skeptically leered at me, "...why am I getting two treats today, Mama?" After taking a bite, she exclaimed, "Mommy, you make the best food in the whole world!"
So there you have it, serve this up as an after school snack and your kids might vote you parent-of-the-year (or at least the day...).
It also makes a perfect healthy weeknight dessert for two. After the kids go to bed, I recommend upgrading that vanilla yogurt for a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
What berries to use in Triple Berry Crisp?
For a triple berry crisp, use any combination of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or strawberries. If using strawberries, be sure to slice them in to halves or quarters depending on their size so they don't take too long to cook compared to the rest of the berries. Raspberries cook the quickest, so if you prefer bigger chunks of raspberry, add those in toward the last minute of two of cookie.
Technically I've used all four here, so this is a quadruple berry crisp! Feel free to use frozen berries if you can't find them in season, or make the recipe the exact same way with apples or pears, adding a little cinnamon to the fruit.
More Gluten-Free Crisp Recipes
Disclosure: Special thanks to Little Northern Bakehouse for sponsoring this post! Find more Little Northern Bakehouse inspiration on Facebook or Instagram. And thanks to you for supporting the brands that keep Snixy Kitchen cooking!
Recipe
Quick Stovetop Gluten-Free Berry Crisps
Ingredients
- 2 slices Little Northern Bakehouse Gluten-Free Millet & Chia Loaf, toasted and cubed
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, vegan, if needed
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen (I used blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries - hull the strawberries and halve or quarter them)
- 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 1½ tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Optional, for serving: Vanilla yogurt or ice cream (vegan, if needed)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Grind the toasted chopped bread in a food processor or blender until it is in coarse crumbs no larger than pea sized.
- Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the ground breadcrumbs and toast, tossing regularly, for 3-5 minutes, until lightly golden browned and crispy. Add the oats, maple syrup, and cinnamon and toast, tossing to avoid burning, for another 3-5 minutes browned and crispy. Spread the crumbs out on a plate or baking sheet to cool. They'll clump and crisp up more as they cool. If you dump them warm into a bowl, they won't stay crisp.
- At the same time as making the crisp topping, toss the berries with corn starch. Add the berries to a small saucepan with the maple syrup, and water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the berries begin to breakdown and thicken, 3-5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and divide the berries into two small bowls.
- Divide the cinnamon breadcrumbs over top of the two berry bowls and serve warm with a spoonful of vanilla yogurt or ice cream!
KCP -
The loaf sounds unappealing. I’m going to substitute gluten free granola.