Equipment
Ingredients
Fruit Filling
- 800 g fresh fruit, diced or sliced
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 15 g cornstarch
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Nutty Oat Topping
- 100 g gluten-free rolled oats
- 60 g almond flour
- 50 g pecans, roughly chopped
- 75 g brown sugar, packed
- 3 g ground cinnamon
- 2 g fine sea salt
- 115 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F and lightly grease your cast-iron skillet.
In a large mixing bowl, toss the prepared fruit with granulated sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and vanilla extract until evenly coated and no dry cornstarch remains.
Transfer the fruit mixture into the prepared cast-iron skillet, spreading it into a flat, even layer.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten-free rolled oats, almond flour, chopped pecans, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and sea salt.
Pour the melted butter over the dry oat mixture. Stir with a fork or clean hands until thick clumps form and all dry ingredients are fully moistened.
Scatter the oat streusel evenly over the fruit in the skillet, leaving some larger clumps intact for texture.
Bake in the preheated 190°C/375°F oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the fruit juices are thick and vigorously bubbling at the edges, and the oat topping is a deep golden brown.
Remove the skillet from the oven and let the crumble rest for 15 minutes to allow the fruit juices to set before serving.
Chef's Notes
- For firmer fruits like apples or pears, slice them no thicker than 6mm to ensure they cook through at the exact same rate the topping browns.
- If using extra-juicy fruits like fresh strawberries or very ripe plums, increase the cornstarch to 20g to prevent a watery filling.
- The nutty oat topping can be made up to a week in advance and stored in an airtight container in the freezer. You can scatter it directly over fresh fruit straight from the freezer before baking.
- Using almond flour instead of standard gluten-free flour blends gives the topping a richer, more nuanced flavor and a crispier, shortbread-like texture.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Cover tightly once completely cooled.
Freezer: 3 months — Can be frozen baked or unbaked.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175C/350F oven for 15 minutes until warmed through and the topping crisps up again.
