Fruit Crisp, Any Time

I looooove this Fruit Crisp recipe. {It's another one I did for Arts in the Kitchen}. It's super versatile and can be used with any fruit - fresh or frozen. And the topping can be frozen too, so now you can bust out an awesome dessert when last-minute guests show up for a fun evening together, or any time you'd like!

The recipe also uses a butter substitute (Earth Balance) to avoid saturated fat, whole wheat flour & multigrain oats to help you get in your whole grain goodness, ground flax for omega-3 fatty acid love, and agave nectar to lessen the sugar content. Not to mention all the great things that come in fruit.

With this particular crisp my kids and I picked fresh blackberries {"moras" en espanol} from an over-flowing bush on our usual walk. It's our favorite time of year!

Hard to keep some for the crisp!

Enough about us. The recipe...

Filling:

3-5 cups of seasonal fruit cut into 1-inch pieces

¼ cup agave nectar (optional: depends on sweetness of fruit)

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional: use your judgement with which fruit you choose)

¼ tsp kosher salt

(if using apples: 1 ½ ground cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg)

Topping:

½ cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread (more if needed to get “sticky”)

¾ cup light brown sugar

¼ tsp kosher salt

2/3 cup whole wheat flour (or 1 cup all-purpose flour)

1 cup multigrain oats (rye, barley, oats, wheat) or rolled oats

¼ cup ground flax (store out of light, air-tight, in freezer)

Directions:

1) Preheat over to 350 F.

2) Combine the filling ingredients in a baking dish and mix well. Set aside.

3) Bring Buttery Spread to room temp and mix in brown sugar and salt.

4) Add the flour, oats, and ground flax just until incorporated.

5) Crumble over the fruit filling. It should resemble floury cookie dough. If not, add more Buttery Spread. Don’t overwork.

6) Bake until golden brown on top: 40-45min.

Notes:

Topping can be made earlier and stored in the fridge (3 days) or freezer. Bring to room temp and crumble when ready to bake. Do not store filling and topping together.

Buon Appetito!